The Top Five Destinations for Carnival in Brazil

Carnival in Olinda, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Paraty and Ouro Preto

Jan 15, 2009

Not for the meek, Brazil's carnival is one of the world's greatest parties. Here's a list of the top spots to party, according to Brazilians.

Amoung the best carnivals are: Olinda Pernambuco, Salvador Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, and Ouro Preto in Minas Gerias.

In Olinda, on the northeast coast of Brazil, a surge of energy pulses through the normally quiet streets that weave up and down the hills in this sleepy artists’ hamlet. The most prominent dance at Olinda’s carnival is frevo, a marching band with a Brazilian twist of the hip. From the word frever, or to boil, it appears that there is water boiling beneath the feet of the dancer. Frevo was named accordingly 100 years ago February 9, 1907. Watching the bouncy acrobatic performers, it’s hard to imagine that frevo originated as an offshoot from capoeira, the martial art disguised as a dance slaves created to fool their unsuspecting masters. The colored parasols they dance with symbolize weapons.

In Paraty, a Portuguese style colonial town on the water, partiers parade the streets, covered in thick coats of mud. The mud bloco began in the 90’s when a group of friends bathing in the medicinal mud of Praia do Jabaquara, decided to don their mud costumes out to the party. Since then, the trend has gained considerable popularity; today over 2,000 muddy buddies parade on the Saturday of carnival. The parade is said to bring happiness and cast away evil.

Rio, Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janerio’s carnival is the most famous. If you want to watch Carnival, go to the Sambadrome. If you want to be in Carnival, stick to the streets. Keep your ears open for blocos, foot parades in which locals dance up and down the street to the beats of a truck top samba band. Beer carts follow. Some good ones go up Rio Branco, the main street of downtown Rio, as well as Lapa and Santa Teresa, Copacabana, and Ipanema. You’re going to want to check out the Sambadrome at least one night. Plan to go when Mangueira or Beija Flor parade, but don’t buy expensive tickets ahead of time. Show up around 6:00 PM and get them from a scalper. They shouldn’t be more than 15 reais per ticket. Say “Mais barato possível.”

Salvador, Bahia

The largest carnival and most sought after in Brazil is in Salvador. Salvador hosts the biggest axé (bubbly sex-infused music) bands of Brazil. Artists like Ivete Sangalo, Banda Eva, Carlinhos Brown and Chiclete com Banana boom over the streets in trio-electricos, Mac trucks made of speakers. O Pai, o--starring Lazaro Ramos, is a portrayal of Salvador’s carnival.

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerias

In the 1700’s, Ouro Preto boomed with gold, leaving the town with today’s historical treasures—17 churches dispersed throughout the city, 3868 feet high in the hills of Minas Gerias. Today, people go in search of precious stones, found in the various fine jewelry shops along the steep cobbled streets.

Carnival in Ouro Preto, popular with Brazilian college students, is the place to go for MPB, Musica Popular Brasileira. Carnival drums mix with the sounds of Brazilian artists like: Ana Carolina, Seu Jorge, Jorge Ben Jor, Elis Regina, Maria Rita, Rita Lee and Gilberto Gil. In this participatory carnival, attendees choose a bloco to parade with. For a fee, they receive a T-Shirt and full reign to party with their chosen bloco.

While you’re there, arrange for a tour of the region’s surrounding mines. Don’t miss Encardideira—the mine of Chico Rei, a slave who succeeded in buying his entire tribe’s freedom.

Most important to remember when planning a trip to any of these Brazilian cities is to book ahead. Brazilians start making their plans in October.

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