The necessary requirements for the entrance to Brazil for the Spaniards who travel to this destiny are:

• Passport with a minimum use of 6 months.
• Ticket of trip that qualifies the traveller to leave the national territory.
• Maximum stay: 3 months.
• Reserve in a Hotel or hotels if so.
• Card SIGHTS.
• Test of subsistence means (50€ daily).
• Card of input/output filled up in the arrival or game.
• Certificate of vaccination, when it is necessary.
• The visa will only be necessary for stays superiors to 90 days.

 

It is not necessary visa from entrance to Brazil for the majority of the inhabitants of European nationalities, between which Spain includes itself. The passports must have a minimum validity of six months, as of the date from arrival to Brazil. Visa for tourist stays of more than three months, but with possibility of extension is demanded.

It is necessary to have an international certificate against yellow fever to the tourists, who travel more by a period of three months or, or come from the following countries: Republic of Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Ditch, Republic of Cameroun, Colombia, Ecuador, Gabon, Republic of Gambia, Republic of Ghana, Republic of Guinea-Bissau, the French Guayana, Republic of Liberia, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Peru, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of Sierra Leone, of Sudan, of Venezuela and Zaire.
It is recommended to also have the vaccination against yellow fever to the national or international tourists, who preput themselves to visit the following Brazilian states: Acre, Amazon, Amapá, Federal District, Goiás, Maranhão, I kill Grosso do Sul, For, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins. Important: it is necessary to at least be vaccinated 10 days before the exit.

Brazil has several hour zones:

Standard hour of the east: GMT - 3 (GMT - 2 of the third Sunday of October to the third Saturday of March).

Standard hour of the west: GMT - 4 (GMT - 3 of the third Sunday of October to the third Saturday of March).

Standard hour of the states of the northeast and For Eastern: GMT - 3.
 
Hour of For western and Amapá: GMT - 4.
 
Hour of the State of Acre: GMT - 5.
 
Hour of the Archipelago Fernando de Noronha: GMT - 2.

Brazil has an excellent network of hospitals deprived in the main metropolitan centers. The deprived medical aid is expensive, reason why he is very recommendable that all the visitors contract an insurance of medical aid before their arrival. Also for that they do not own safe, Brazil has public a medical service that takes care of the foreign visitors in a emergencia.

The climate changes in relation to the latitude and altitude. The stations exactly are opposed to those of the USA and Europe (except in the North region). In the south of the country it is where seasonal variations like in Europe, where the temperature mediates this around 20º, in the rest of the territory appear the changes so are not pronounced, being smooth to invier to us, with an annual average temperature around 28º C. The River basin of the Amazon, submissive a humid tropical climate, is the rainiest zone of the country and, although very humid, the temperatures stay around 27º C all the year. In the central plateau, however, the dominant climate is of subtropical type. There are seasons of rains according to the regions: of January to April in the north; of April to July in the northeast; and of November to March in the regions of Río and Sao Paulo. In the zone of forests rains, short and abundant, can appear suddenly.   

In Rio de Janeiro the summer (of December to February) is warm and humid, with temperatures that reach 30º C; the rest of the year the temperatures go up to around 25º C. The temperatures in River can arrive at 40º C, although the short and frequent showers refresh the atmosphere and lift the humidity.

The inner plateau is characterized to have savannah climate, especially dry in the northeast (Pernambuco, Bay…). The northeast coastal zone is as warm as River, but less humid. The high, fresher and less humid earth, are prone to summery storms.       

The northern portion of the narrow coastal strip presents/displays a tropical climate whose characteristics modify as advances towards the south, where reigns a climate more warming up.      

To the south of Sao Paulo a subtropical zone begins more warmed up, with even invier fresh that sometimes has ice, snow to us.           

Places in the south of the country exist that arrive at negative temperatures, including with frosts and snow.  

In the Pantanal, the station of the drought occurs between May and September, and comes accompanied from cold, the temperature average is of 21º C. Of October to February begin rains and the heat, besides the mosquitos, and the temperature average is of around 32º C, probably the worse time to visit it. The intermediary station, is the best one to visit it, more balanced, with little rain and good conditions for observation of the fauna, although in the station of the drought also it is possible to be visited.

The currency of Brazil is the Real one, its symbol is R$. At present (April 2006) 1 Euro is equivalent to 2.5965 real ones. Due to the fluctuations of the currency to consult equivalence when to realize the trip or the transaction, considérese the equivalence contributed in this information like orientative.

In all the country credit cards are accepted, but to retire money of the bank the best card is Visa. As much the money in metalist as travel checks is easy to exchange, since there are offices of change even in the smallest cities. He is advisable to even have a sufficient amount of money to the weekend, because the majority of the change offices usually closes, in the great cities. When buying currency, agrees to request small tickets, since sometimes the salesmen do not have sufficient change.

It is not recommended to take much weight, it will to a great extent depend on zona/s to visit, if one comes in winter (as of June to August) must bring clothes of certain shelter, such as pullovers, a rain layer, sweaters and pants to use during the mornings, mainly in the south-east of Brazil can exist lower temperatures.

In the summer (as of October to April) it must only bring light clothes, but a rain layer can be useful for tropical rains, that happen generally in the afternoons.

Around 70% it is the population that professes the catholic religion, although also are present the evangelical churches. The native religions of animistic type continue having following; most popular at the moment they are candomblé, the spiritism and umbanda. In some cases catholics exist who make compatible this religion with other beliefs.

The electrical current is not standardized, reason why it varies from a site to another one. In some cities the voltage are of 220 volts and in others of 120, Salvador de Bahia and Manaos v., Rio de Janeiro and 220 have 127 an electrical current to Sao Paulo 110 or v., Brasilia and 220 Recife v.

Generally the plugs are of two flat pins American type, is necessary a transformer and adapter for some electric appliances. The majority of the hotels can provide electrical current to 110 or 220 volts, as well as transforming and adapters.

The prices of films of spools and video tapes more are lifted than in Spain, reason why he is advisable to provide itself previously. Although it is advised to realize the developing in the origin country, generally the quality of the stores that offer this developing also enjoys good quality in Brazil.

In the zones of beaches or humid zones of Brazil, it is advised to keep the films in places fresh droughts and not to affect his quality.

Due to the enormous diversity of landscapes and zones, the light varies with facility, reason why we advised to provide themselves with films of different sensitivity and to adapt them to the conditions in each case.
For the video cameras a pin converter is necessary.

The operation of different mass media is the following one:

Post office: the service of post office in Brazil is quite trustworthy and efficient, the opening schedules are of Monday through Friday of 09:00 to 18:00 hrs., Saturdays of 09,00 to 12:00 hrs. Mailboxes in the different cities exist, although always will be faster to deposit the shipment in one of the post offices, the airmail to Europe usually it takes between 4 to 6 days. In the majority of post offices the possibility exists of sending a telegram.
Telephones: The calls can be realized in the offices of telephones or in the telephone boxes public, by means of cards (species of currency) or phonecards (cartao telefônicas), the offices of telephones and/or news stands are sold in. Yes it is used cards is advisable to buy two at least since it does not warn when it is going to finalize the call.

Movable telephony: In Brazil analogical and digital networks coexist. At present a network of movable telephony of technology GSM is being developed.

In order to make an international call from Brazil: provincial area code is necessary to mark to international code 00 + area code of country + and the number of the subscriber.

Fax: Apparatuses of public use in the majority of the post offices exist and in the hotels, the services of fax for data transmission to the outside are not cheap in Brazil.

Internet: The hotels of certain level of the great cities or medians, as well as the airports, usually have connection to Internet. In addition enough exist cybercafés. In smaller cities the post offices usually provide this service.

By airplane: We advised to him that if thinks to use this means of transport it makes the reserve in advance, since in all the seasons and in the high season it is especially difficult to secure places.
On the other hand, it is essential to confirm and to reconfirmar the flights to avoid surprises.
The great majority of European that arrives at Brazil is by this means of transport. From Spain they operate the following airline companies:

There are services of bus in all the important urban centers. Many routes count on buses that have conditioned air. The cities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have metropolitan railroad (METER) and services of trains of neighborhoods. Lately they are introducing trolebuses of low consumption with a double objective: to save energy and to alleviate the contamination. The tariffs generally allow to the combination of several means of transport like the bus and the network of neighborhoods.
The service of urban buses in Brazil is quite good. They circulate frequently, covering the main routes. In the majority of the cities one rises by the back part, where is a collector and he lowers by the front.
Rio de Janeiro counts with more than six thousand buses that cross their streets. It has more than 270 lines and, unfortunately, maps do not exist where the passages are indicated. There are them conditionned, that connects the zones of beach with the center, and which they pause in all the bus-stops. Two lines of meter exist that work from 6,00 to 23,00 h. of Monday to Saturdays.  

Service of Taxis: There is great amount of taxis in the majority of the Brazilian cities. It is possible to be decided on a service of taxi located in the public thoroughfare or a service of radio-taxi. Previously to raise the vehicle it is necessary to verify if it has taximeter, and once inside if it connects to the taxi driver from the beginning to mark it the price of the asked for race. In case the taxi driver does not have taximeter or she is not operative, previously before the beginning of the race it is necessary to decide the price the service. The real tariff to pay is printed in an official list that owns the taxi driver and who normally this printed and stuck in the back glass of the vehicle (norm anticipated by the law), and which can be consulted by the user.
It is recommended to give priority to the taxi drivers registered in the airports and the located ones in the hotels, generally all have taximeters, and they adjust to the real price of the race, usually they are majors and generally they have conditioned air (that takes I supplement), its tariffs are higher than the rest of the taxis.
In the exits of the bus-stations and airports usually there is a power station of taxis, where the tickets for the passage can be acquired. Tariff 1 to regulate generally is applied from the 6,00 to 22,00 h. and tariff 2, outside these hours.
It is not custom to give gratuity to the conductors of taxi in Brazil, although if it is considered opportune and as gentility can be left the change of the return to the taxi driver.
A data: The city of Sao Paulo was one of the first cities of the world that had taxis with service of Internet within the taxi.

The offices and banks abren of of 10:00 to 16:00 Monday through Friday hrs.
Stores (small and medium commerce) generally abren of 09:00 to 18:00 hrs., with the exception of the great commercial centers that usually close to the 22:00 hrs., Sundays usually are closed.
The restaurants have an ample schedule from the 11:00 hrs. until the 24:00 hrs., or more.

One of the urban myths that Brazil surrounds and that not exactly corresponds to the reality is the question of the citizen security. In the Brazil reality he is not more dangerous for a tourist who other countries of Europe or North America and the violent crimes against foreign tourists or visitors are extremely rare, therefore the holders do not follow one another. Facts isolated in zones considered like nonrecommendable visiting them for tourists can happen. Brazil is also politically stable without natural enemies and no terrorist activity.
 The crimes against practiced tourists more in the Brazilian cities are the robbery and the favorite objective is the purse. If a purse to the negligence, we will be bringing about a propitious situation to try to take it. The simple solution is that the visitors will not be robbed if they do not take anything that can be robbed. It always leaves travel checks, the passports, the passages of airplane and the similars in the strong boxes of the hotel. The visitors must nevertheless take with himself some form of identification, as she photocopies of his passports, always.

Recommendations:

NOT…
… it leaves his purse unheeded.
… it puts his wallet in his back pocket or the outer pocket of a purse.
… it walks at night in desert areas.
… it takes showy jewelry shop in the street, also if it is falsification.
… it takes to the beach more of the essential thing.
YES…
… it puts his money, passport and passages in the strong box of his hotel.
… to take a taxi it is better than to take a bus.
… it asks to police helps you need if it.
… it requests the information in his hotel. They usually are informed well.
… he requests aid to his consulate or embassy if he has a serious problem.

She is very rich and varied, the breakfasts in Brazil it is known them as “coffee gives manha�. It consists of a good cup of coffee, fruit, rolls and, sometimes, sliced of ham and cheese, accompanied by yoghurt. Each region has its festive food, but “feijoada�, of from Rio de Janeiro origin (of Rio de Janeiro) is considered by many like the more typical Brazilian plate. Their origins date from the colonial time and consists of a broth with seasoned black kidney bean with garlic, leaves of laurel and onion, to which it adds ear and language to him of pig, and sometimes also:: dry meat, variable sausage, garlic sausages, ribs, bacon and meat of ewe. All this accompanying by cabbage, farofa, mass of flour of cassava with butter and bacon, perforated orange and a little sauce of malagueta pepper. The food is the main plate of the day and the list to choose is very complete: meats, fish, vegetables, fruits… In most of the regions of Brazil it is possible to be proven the meat barbecues, although it is in the south where it acquires major protagonism, accompanied of polenta, the fish of high seas, preparation to the live coal furnace, mocotó, that is to say, hands of calf or, the barreado one, a meat cooked to untimed fire during hours in a mud pot. In Rio de Janeiro the specialties are equally ample. If the decision is by the fish the best option is carapabeba, fried fish very appetizing. Other plates are the cakes capixabas, stews of shrimp or crab, accompanied by pirao and flour of cassava boiled in water. In the region of the northeast it proves acarajés, plate of beans or the avaricious ones, with spices and palm oil, vatapá, typical plate of seafood preparation with one thick sauce of grazes of cassava, the Coco and oil dendé. Is most famous of afrobrasileños plates and usually they prepare it the majority of restaurants. If between all these recommendations it does not find one of his affability, it can choose between the stews of fish, shrimp, oysters or frigideiras, a species of pie of smooth flavor with crab and the salad of palm hearts in Sao Paulo, is others of the possibilities. In the Amazon the fish is the base of the feeding, with more than two thousand species of fish, the gastronomy of the region offers a rich variety of plates of Portuguese, African and French influences. Between the most flavorful fish we emphasized piraracu, tucunaré and the gilded one. Many of them are decorated with tucupi, an extracted sauce of the cassava of strong and acid flavor. Tacacá, a species of thick broth of cassava, pudding of maranhense fish, accompanied by rice of cuxá and sauce done with ginger leaves is a delight. The green sauce hen, the tutú, food prepared with cooked kidney beans and flour of cassava, kidney beans and cabbage and the chicken with case are another one of the specialties of the region. Finally the desserts, where the fruits acquire the great protagonism by their enormous variety and quality, on the basis of these prepare numerous plates where in many of the cases they are the fruits the essence of the plate: The candies done with egg, like the ambrosias, the papos of anjo or fruits, in the form of crystallized jellos are a good alternative. The coconut candies, the sherbets and the refreshments preparations with fruits like the box handle (plum tree), box mirim (small plum tree), capazú, graviola, piguayo, rising tide, chestnut or pitayas. The candies of papaya, lemon, orange, mulberry potato… They are some examples of the variety of Brazilian desserts, where the fruits are rich, flavorful and with high vitamin content.

It is recommended to drink prepared water and to avoid the faucet water. The alternatives are several, between which we emphasized, by all means, the juices of fruits. They use generally with sugar, water and ice, whereas the preparations with milk are known them like Vitamin. The variety is ample: of avocado, banana, handle, pitaya, orange, maracuya, papaya, guava, carrot, etc. In some regions one gets used to drinking grey hair broth, that is not another thing that the extracted juice of the sugar cane.  

As far as refreshments and drunk bottled most common it is the Guaraná, preparation with the amazonian fruit of the same name.
The Brazilian beer is a beer very good sea bream that it uses in the cane form or bottle like Antarctica, Brahma, Skol, Kaiser and Malt.
The legal age to buy the spirits in Brazil is 18 years. Cachaça, pinga or brandy is the national drinks. Cachaça, done of the crushed sugar cane is the base of “caipirinha�, that is the most popular and drink par excellence of Brazil, is prepared with cachaça, files, sugar, ice and a special touch that only the Brazilians are able to give. Cachaça is also the base for the “searches�, a mixture of cachaça and juices of fresh fruit.
Brazil is the greatest producer of coffee in the world. The coffee (cafezinho) uses very loaded, very hot, without milk and with sugar, whereas the teas or chá are not very frequent. In the zone of Rio Grande do Soul the gauchos drink mate (equal to which the Uruguayan Argentineans drink and).

To Brazil him the paradise of the purchases can be considered, by two main reasons by the great wealth and variety of articles and by its attractive prices.

Brazil produces an enormous amount of artisan products that produces Brazil many of them can be found in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, considered two of the more important centers of purchase. With the purpose of to secure better prices we recommended to visit famous Fair of Ipanema, a very typical swap-meet of crafts that are celebrated all the Sundays in the General Place Osorio in Rio de Janeiro. Great bazaar inaugurated in 1975, where it is possible to be acquired articles of skin, semiprecious stones, paintings, engravings, articles of leather…

Rio de Janeiro offers to the visitor an extensive article range characteristic of each zone of the country. The precious stones and semiprecious like amethysts, topazes, jasper, eyes of cat, garnets or aquamarines are appreciated, with really spectacular works in the chain of jewelry shops H. Stern. The House of the Folklore offers the best collection of crafts of River, whereas in the Fair of Sebastiao (or Feriarte II) she is famous by his great selection of antiques, currencies and seals. In the Place Marechal Ancoray it will find Persian porcelains, silver, carpets, rare books and even old woman discs. Present the most prestigious stores are in center Commercial Sul River (Street Laura Müller, 116. Copacabana). This luxurious space counts on the greater supply of the city including one complete selection of boutiques and stores of clothes of first class. It has more than 400 stores, besides cinemas and restaurants.

In addition the Brazilian articles in skin, to very competitive prices, enjoy to very good reputation in many states Brazil. Shoes, cintos, purses of trip and hand will be in Ipanema and Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro) and in other zones of Brazil. The paintings, books, videos of carnival, dust of guaraná (according to some an aphrodisiac one), lithographies, tangas, bikinis, amulets, incense, figures of Brazilian style afro, are some of the gangues that will be able to buy in Brazil. As far as electrical articles very similar to those of Europe or inclusively more expensive the prices are, reason why its purchase is not recommended.

In Pernambuco and particularly in Caruaru it emphasizes the ample and vast range of ceramics, as well as the works carried out in skin.

In the official stores called “Funai�, presents in the main cities, can be acquired the majority of products made by the natives, are original and the quality is very good. Outside the great cities the best thing is to approach the artisan fairs and the stores of the cooperatives, that offer one varied merchandize to good prices. Another possibility, mainly for the purchase of lithographies and impressions of regional art, is the stores that usually are in almost all the museums.

Beautiful religious statues in policromada wood and furniture of colonial time but attention with the false reproductions that they are object of a prosperous industry.

The leathers, the carpets of skins of Rio Grande do Sul also are more than reasonable and of excellent quality. Santa Catherine is famous by the variety of her basketwork.

Salvador and Cachoeria, in the State of Bay, are remarkable by their wood works. In this zone the Portuguese influence is let feel in its rich ones and varied products as they are the white made artisan zizal thread embroiders, metal cigarettes, works, gold jewelry and silver and the ceramics cooked in miniature. The figures of the Carranca, large masks of typical prow used by the old boats that sailed on the San Francisco River, are very popular, as well as the leather works, antiques, Naif paintings and the tapes for the wrists of the “Senhor do Bomfim�, for the good luck. In Bay, the amulets and the pieces of magic and superstition abound in all the showcases.

The craftsmen of Ceara emphasize by the precious embroiders of labyrinth, a technique to spin that he consists of placing the weave in a great frame in which the craftswomen, patiently, give a jab after another one creating delicate mantelerías, blouses or towels. They excel, in addition, the bobbin embroiders, the embroidered hammocks by hand, multicoloured figures of ceramics of personages realizing daily activities, the hats, purses, knapsacks, mats or slippers made with carnauba, a tree similar to the palm. Cachaca and rapaduras, national drinks, made artisan in traditional stills, can be found in some markets like in which there are in the city of Strength.

The State of Minas Gerais is the best site to acquire precious stones. In the markets outdoors, mainly the one that is realized in the Libertade Place, will find numerous sites that offer antiques, great variety of precious stones, art and diverse crafts. Nevertheless, we advised to him to realize the purchases of gems and precious stones in the great cities and recognized establishments, that offer all the guarantees. If one is in this zone, it does not stop giving to a stroll by the market of the flowers and the one of meals, everything a spectacle of colors, scents and sounds.

The jewellers of River and Sao Paulo will offer a precious stone selection to us or semiprecious, sometimes mounted very well. Most interesting, by his price, they are the topazes, the amethysts, the aquamarines and the tourmalines. Also they are in good conditions, in his gross state, in the form of beautiful decorative blocks or carvings as an egg (tourmaline, aventurina, pink quartz).

In Río and Sao Paulo the stores and markets are open until behind schedule. River and Bay specialize in antiques and jewelry shop. The special purchases include precious stones (particularly the emeralds), jewelry shop (mainly works in silver) and articles of skin. The crystal articles and the pottery are a specialty of Sao Paulo.

In the region of the Amazon, the variety and the wealth of the indigenous culture are the components of the crafts of the zone. They emphasize the basketwork and textiles of drawing up geometric, the works done with pens, the hammocks, the arms of hunting and war like the one of the Tukano, Baniwa and Dessana or the necklaces of the Sateré-Mawé natives. The coastal population makes objects with the mass of guaraná (typical fruit of the region).

In Porto Alegre good articles of skin can be acquired, wood clothes, jewels, works and silver, glass, leather, weaves, macramé and textiles. The typical objects of Argentina and Paraguay coming from Iguazú will allow to contemplate an authentic and rich sample book him of South American crafts. Figures of fossils, statures and pictures recorded in wood invite to enter themselves in a native, natural and fascinating art.

In Brasilia, the capital of the country, the works carried out by the Xavante Indians, straw articles can be acquired and overwhelm, tapestries and diverse statures.

Commercial schedule: Of 09:00 to 18:30 of Monday through Friday, and 09:00 to 13:00 Saturdays.

Music goes very united to the history of this country, the mixture and influences of other cultures to created new rates and sounds, between which we emphasized samba, famous sort of musical comedy that was from the fusion of African and Portuguese rates. The word samba is of Angolan origin: semba or mesemba is a religious rate. It was developed in beginnings of century XX in the city of Rio de Janeiro (that then was the capital of Brazil) with a great influence of the music brought by the immigrants of the Brazilian state of Bay. One of the known variants of samba more is bossa-novates, created by white musicians of middle-class. Its popularity began in the Fifties, thanks to the work of João Gilberto and Tom Jobim.
Frequently concerts in all the cities of Brazil are programmed, apart from which in the majority of hotels of certain level habitually also they have programmed veiled with live music of the Brazilian folk music.
In commercial centers and specialized stores we found recordings of Brazilian music of all type.

The majority of the bars and restaurants includes a rate of 10% on watch in the account. It is custom to let a little to compensate the good service more. When the gratuity is not including in the account, the normal thing is to leave of 10-15% of the total value being payment.
It is not normal to give gratuities in the taxis, although many people offer to the taxi driver “to remain with the change�. The Brazilians normally do not offer the conductors of the taxi, although these can clear the total for above.
The maleteros of the hotels and the airports acquire the equivalent to US$0.75 by vol. Almost all the hotelkeepers add a price on watch to the account, generally 10%.

           
1 of January: New Year.
Of the 20-24 of February: Carnival of Rio de Janeiro.
Easter: Good Friday.
21 of April: Day of Tiradentes (Brazilian revolutionary hero).
1 of May: Celebration of the Work.
10 of June: Corpus Christi.
9 of July: Holiday (only in the state of Sao Paulo).
7 of September: Day of Independence.
12 of October: Festival of the Appeared Virgin, Employer of Brazil.
2 of November: Festival of All the Saints.
15 of November: Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic.
8 of December: Festival of the Immaculate Concepción*.
24/25 of December: Good night/Christmas.
Note: The dates of carnival of Rio de Janeiro can change following every year and its disposition in the corresponding days of the week. The festival of the 8 of December is only observed in some countryside.  

Besides these celebrations of national character the following celebrations have great importance: 20 of January: Celebration of the Foundation of Rio de Janeiro. 25 of January: Celebration of the Foundation of Sao Paulo. 2 of February: Our Lady of the Navigators in Porto Alegre. 2 of July: Celebration of the Independence of the State in Salvador.