(CNN) — Brazil is famed for its thundering Iguaçu Falls in the south, the crescent-shaped Copacabana neighborhood with its dazzling white sand beach in Rio de Janeiro and the towering Cristo Redentor — Christ the Redeemer — whose outstretched arms embrace that seaside city.
But there is so much more to this colossal South American country, which is nearly the size of the United States and the world’s fifth largest country by area.
Jardim de Maytrea is a magical spot within Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park in central Brazil.
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Combine that with Brazil’s diverse society — a large Indigenous population plus people with roots in Europe and Africa — for a country that’s a fusion of culture, customs and breathtakingly beautiful landscapes.
CNN Travel has rounded up five of Brazil’s less-traveled paths so you can explore more of the jewels this spectacular nation has to offer.
Salvador, Bahia
Founded in 1549 on a small peninsula that separates Todos os Santos Bay from the Atlantic Ocean, this humble colonial town became Portuguese America’s first capital. The historic city is located in eastern Brazil’s Bahia state.
The streets of Salvador are lined with colorful colonial architecture.
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The buildings — pastel colored with facades adorned with intricately carved stucco and windows flanked by shutters — have been exquisitely and painstakingly preserved. They date to the moment in time where European, African and Indigenous cultures of the 16th century converged.
There is a large Afro-Brazilian community, and colorful, flamboyant festivals are a frequent sight, the pulsating rhythms of drums echoing through the winding cobbled streets.
Salvador, in Bahia, eastern…
Source : cnn
