Brazil’s Círio de Nazaré festival was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013. It’s one of the most celebrated cultural and religious events in the country, bringing together around two million people in one morning. Yet, compared to Rio Carnival, the festival is barely known. Here’s an overview of the key things you need to know about it.
What is a brief history of Círio de Nazaré?
The origins of Círio de Nazaré trace back to a historic statue of the Virgin Mary, known as Nossa Senhora de Nazaré (Our Lady of Nazareth), that was created in Israel and is considered to be an original object from the first centuries of Christianity. The statue then left Israel and arrived in Portugal in the 8th century. Brazil’s religious devotion was inherited from its Portuguese colonisers in the 1700s, with the best-known tradition stating an Indigenous man discovered a replica of the statue in a stream near Belém, a city in the state of Pará. Ever since 1793, pilgrims have travelled from across the country to Belém in honour of this image of the Virgin Mary.
The wooden image of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré is carried in glass-enclosed box (Shutterstock)
Ribbons decorate the Cathedral of Our Lady of Nazareth (Shutterstock)
How is Círio de Nazaré celebrated today?
Although the celebrations start in August, the festivities culminate on the second Sunday of October every year when the wooden statue of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré is placed in a golden, flower-decorated carriage, and pulled along by thousands of people and a 400-metre long thick rope during an enormous morning procession.
Many people taking part queue up for hours before the procession begins in order to lay their hands on the rope, as it represents the connection between the saint and her followers. The event is known to be extremely crowded, with many barefoot believers scrambling to get some kind of grip on the rope. They walk from Sé Cathedral to Sanctuary Square in Belém, with the 3.5km journey taking several hours to complete. Most residents of the city get involved, and believers travel from across the country, and the world, to join the procession. Círio de Nazaré concludes two weeks later, when the statue is carried back to the cathedral.
What else happens?
Several other processions take place as part of the festivities. Nossa Senhora de Nazaré is the patron saint of sailors, so boats are an important symbol. On the Saturday before the main procession, a fleet of boats take to the river, carrying the statue of the saint into the city.
Brazil is represents a multicultural society, so many cultures are celebrated during the festival. For example, a fair takes place at Basilica de Nazare, where handicrafts, such as toys made with palm wood, are sold, and food stalls dish out hot Amazonian cuisine.
Photographers scramble to capture the Nossa Senhora de Nazaré (Shutterstock)
Thousands take to the streets for the procession (Shutterstock)
Is Círio de Nazaré celebrated anywhere else?
The Círio de Nazaré procession now takes place in various locations across Brazil, as descendants of Belém have moved away and brought the tradition with them. Belém still hosts the largest celebrations by far, but there are now significant events in the north, including Rio Branco, Macapá and Maunas.
The Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, can sometimes be overlooked by travellers venturing to the Amazon, but it also one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth. The flooded grassland is mostly situated within Brazil, but parts spill into neighbouring Paraguay and Bolivia. With the enormous landscape home to nearly 5,000 species of plant and animal life, here we highlight the top seven wildlife encounters to tick off your list when you visit.
1. Giant anteater
Giant anteater on the search for the 30,000 termites a day that it eats (Simon Chubb)
The size of a large dog, the giant anteater is an astonishing-looking critter, with its tiny head, long snout and huge tail, on which it can balance to fight other animals with its fearsome claws. Those claws also explain its strange, rolling gait – an anteater walks on its knuckles with the claws splayed out. Although mainly nocturnal they are sometimes spotted in the daytime too, particularly on cooler days, so do scan cattle pastures for them. Their eyesight is terrible, so if you keep quiet and avoid sudden movements, you may be lucky enough to get really close.
2. Hyacinth macaw
A hyacinth macaws in flight (Shutterstock)
The world’s largest flying parrot – and one of the rarest and most beautiful. Thanks to measures to save them, the numbers are increasing again. Hyacinth macaws have a raucous cry, so you’ll probably hear them before you see them. They are monogamous and most often seen in loved-up pairs. Like most parrots they are highly intelligent and very mischievous.
3. Tapir
A tapir and its baby in Brazil’s Pantanal (Shutterstock)
Brazil’s largest native terrestrial mammal looks like the love-child of a hippo and a giant pig. Capable swimmers, they are sometimes spotted in the water, and will happily use roads to get around. However, they are mostly shy and nocturnal, so a sighting is to be celebrated.
4. Jabiru stork
A Jabiru stork spreading its wings (Shutterstock)
The tallest flying bird in South America, the jabiru can reach 1.5m. Rather prehistoric-looking, they have white plumage and black necks and heads with a red ‘bandana’. Commonly found near water, they are rather ungainly on the ground but magnificent in flight. Scan the trees too for their huge nests.
5. Caiman
Caimans congregate on the banks of the Pantanal (Simon Chubb)
These relatively small crocodilians are found in large congregations around water. They are a popular food for many other creatures of the Pantanal, including the jaguar.
6. Capybara
Capybaras hang out in social family groups (Simon Chubb)
The world’s largest rodent looks like a rather cute giant guinea pig. It hangs out in large family groups and is easily spotted near water, grazing on grasses and aquatic plants. In hot weather they may also be found wallowing in water or mud holes.
7. Jaguar
Queen of the Pantanal: A Jaguar in Brazil’s Pantanal (Simon Chubb)
The world’s third-largest cat, the jaguar has power, presence and beauty. Despite this, there are very few cases of them attacking humans, and then only when cornered. The largest specimens are found in the Pantanal, and it is also the easiest place to seem in the wild. Each has slightly different markings, so individuals are easily recognised by researchers.
The Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain at sunset (Dreamstime)
A sinuous jumble of waves and curves, clad in titanium, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is one of the most extraordinary buildings in the world – an architectural wonder that transformed a city down on its knees into cultural metropolis.
In the mid 1990s, Bilbao’s best days were behind it. A once thriving port was shuttered. Factories were abandoned. The plan to invest millions in building an art gallery seemed absurd. But from the day Frank Gehry’s unconventional building opened on the banks of the Nervión River, Bilbao has never looked back. The 500,000 visitors expected each year became millions, restaurants and hotels sprung up to meet the demand and the city became a cultural hotspot.
It has also presented over 170 exhibitions featuring the work of modern art’s greatest stars including Yves Klein, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter and Jeff Koons.
2. Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar
Museum of Islamic Art, Doha (Shutterstock)
Influenced by ancient Islamic architecture, but employing through modern geometric techniques, the arresting Museum Of Islamic Art sits on an artificial peninsula opposite the old dhow harbour in Doha. Clad in creamy limestone, the outer facade emphasises the various shades cast by the different times of the day.
The building was designed by I. M. Pei, the American/Chinese architect who designed the glass pyramid at the Louvre. Aged 91 at the time, he had to be coaxed out of retirement to work on the project and travelled the world studying Muslim architecture and design to inform his design. The light tower in the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo was particularly influential.
Inside, the museum is home to Islamic art from three continents.
3. Kunsthaus Graz, Austria
Kunsthaus Graz, Austria (Dreamstime)
Developed as an institution to stage international exhibitions of multidisciplinary, modern and contemporary art, the Kunsthaus Graz is one of the most striking examples of blobitecture in the world. Its organic, amoeba-shaped form is as radical and forward thinking as the art it houses.
Known locally as ‘the friendly alien’, the museum was built as part of Graz’s tenure as a European City of Culture in 2003. The BIX Façade on the eastern side of the building incorporates ‘big pixels’, creating a “communicating outer skin” that artists can use as part of their art projects.
4. Denver Art Museum, USA
Frederic C. Hamilton building, Denver Art Museum, USA (Dreamstime)
The Denver Art Museum is the largest art museum between the West Coast and Chicago. On various sites, and in one form or another, it has been a cultural beacon of Denver since 1893, and home to the most important collection of American Indian art in the world.
In 2006 the museum complex got an eye-catching addition in the Frederic C. Hamilton building, a deconstructivist geometric structure with sharp angles that echo the surrounding natural landscape. Consisting of 20 sloping planes, covered in 230,000 square feet of titanium panels, its architect, Daniel Libeskind, says he was inspired by the light and geology of the Rockies.
The building holds the museum’s Modern and Contemporary art, African art and Oceanic art collections.
5. Salvador Dali Museum, USA
The Enigma (Dreamstime)
As befitting the home of the largest collection of Salvador Dali’s work outside of Europe, the Salvador Dali Museum in St Petersburg, Florida is at once stunning, controversial and absurd. Built downtown on the waterfront, next to the Mahaffey Theater, it required the demolition of the much-loved Bayfront Center.
The building features large glass entryway and skylight called ‘The Enigma’. Brutally beautifully, it is made of 1.5 inch thick glass to withstand hurricanes. The museum’s collection includes 96 oil paintings, over 100 watercolors and drawings, 1,300 graphics, photographs, sculptures and objets d’art, as well as seven of the 18 “masterwork” paintings by Dalí, the most of any gallery in the world.
6. The Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum, Brazil
Ready for lift off (Dreamstime)
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the extraordinary Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum is one of Rio de Janeiro’s most recognisable landmarks. Visible from Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf Mountain and the city centre, it looks like a giant flying saucer, perched on a cliff overlooking the sea.
Any doubts about the inspiration for the building were dispelled by the film Oscar Niemeyer, An Architect Committed To His Century. Niemeyer is seen flying over Rio de Janeiro in a UFO which then lands on the site.
7. The Museo Soumaya, Mexico
The Museo Soumaya (Dreamstime)
Six storeys high and covered in 16,000 hexagonal aluminium tiles, the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City looks like a glittering anvil. The weight of the building is held by an exoskeleton of 28 vertical curved steel columns, built using techniques used in making oil rigs.
The museums narrow entrance opens into a large white gallery, bathed in sunlight from the open top floor. It houses over 66,000 pieces of art, including the world’s largest collection of pre-Hispanic and colonial era coins, work by Mexican artists DiegoRivera and Rufino Tamayo, a Leonardo Da Vinci and the largest collection of casts of sculptures by Auguste Rodin outside France.
Colourful Rainbow Village in Jodipan, Malang (Shutterstock)
Just south of Malang, a city in East Java, Kampung is an explosion of colour in what was once a drab corner of Indonesia.
Management students from a nearby university came up with the idea of painting the houses. A local paint company donated the paint. And a previously unremarkable village was turned into a happy place of rainbow colours, suddenly receiving an influx of money from selfie-seeking visitors.
It also inspired locals to clean up their rubbish-strewn river, so there has been a positive environmental impact, too.
2. Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, USA
Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park (Shutterstock)
Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in the USA and the third largest thermal spring on the planet.
But it’s the rainbow-coloured bands of heat-loving bacteria that make it truly memorable. The sulphur fumes may burn your eyes, but it’s certainly photo-worthy.
3. The Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa
Kids sitting on steps in the Bo-Kaap quarter (Shutterstock)
Sitting at the foot of Signal Hill on the fringes of central Cape Town, Bo-Kaap was once known as the Malay Quarter, home to workers brought in from Malaysia, Indonesia and the rest of Africa to work.
Built in the 1760s and rented to the workers, the houses had to be white as per the terms of the lease. When the workers were eventually allowed to buy the properties, they painted them in bright colours to express their freedom and individuality.
4. Red Sea, Egypt
Coral and tropical fish in the Red Sea (Shutterstock)
The Red Sea boasts one of the richest and most diverse underwater ecosyems in the world, with over 1,200 species of fish, 10% of which can’t be found anywhere else.
This is largely due to the 2,000 kilometres of coral reef along its coast. Some of the coral is 5,000 – 7,000 years old. It’s lost none of its vibrancy, and coupled with the neon fish that call it home, remains one of the most colourful places on earth.
5. Rainbow Village, Taichung, Taiwan
Colourful graffiti painted on the wall in Taichung (Shutterstock)
What began as an attempt to save houses in the Nantun District of Taichung has turned into one of Taiwan’s most popular and colourful tourist attractions. Former soldier, Huang Yung-Fu, started painting houses in the settlement to stop them from being demolished.
Over the years he has added colourful artwork, including birds, animals and people, to most of the remaining houses in the village, gaining it the moniker ofRainbow Village.
6. Vinicunca, Peru
Tourists walking on the Rainbow Mountain (Shutterstock)
A two-hour drive from Cusco, Vinicunca, Peru’s Rainbow Mountain, has become one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions. Formed millions of years ago, the ridges of sediment are made up of a variety of minerals, each providing its own vibrant hue of either pink, yellow, turquoise and burgundy.
Sitting at 5,200 metres, you’ll need to take time to acclimatise to the altitude – and the mix of colours.
7. Guatapé, Colombia
Colourful colonial houses in Guatape (Shutterstock)
A bumpy three hour bus ride from Medellin, the tiny traditional pueblo of Guatepé is full of brightly coloured colonial-era homes, embellished with delicate painting ofllamas, sunflowers, parrots and guitars.
The Plaza de Zocalos is rainbow-coloured, too, and the perfect place to have a drink and people watch.
8. Seven Coloured Earths, Chamarel, Mauritius
The seven coloured lands of Chamarel (Shutterstock)
A series of colourful dunes in the middle of tropical rainforest, the Seven Coloured Earths near Charamel in Mauritius is believed to have formed from the decomposition of volcanic rocks. It has settle into stripes of colour ranging from violet and red through to yellow and blue and is best viewed at sunrise, when the colours are at their most vibrant.
9. Cinque Terre, Italy
View of Vernazza from trail (Shutterstock)
Hugging the rugged coastline and tumbling down towards the Ligurian Sea, the five tiny villages that make up Cinque Terre are a riot of colour.
Walking the jagged coast path between them is one of Italy’s most treasured treks, rewarding hikers with fresh sea air and spectacular views, especially when you round a headland and catch your first sight of villages like Vernazza and Manarola.
10. La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina
El Caminito quarter in La Boca (Shutterstock)
La Boca is a working-class suburb in Buenos Aires that is famous for two things – La Bombonera, the home ground of Boca Juniors football team and Caminito, a narrow alley flanked by bright, zinc shacks.
The colours are a reminder of the district’s early immigrant days, when a splash of paint was the only way to show pride in the humble dwellings. Now the area is bursting with steakhouses, bars and cafes and the modern art museum, Fundación Proa.
11. Tulip fields, Keukenhof, The Netherlands
Keukenhof tulip fields (Shutterstock)
Between March and May every year, the fields around Keukenhof in the Netherlands are transformed into a kaleidoscope of colour as the country’s world famous tulips bloom.
They’re not just for show. These tulips will be picked and sent all around the world, an important source of revenue for this tiny country. That doesn’t make it any less spectacular, especially when framed with one of the Netherlands’ famous windmills.
A colourful row of historic Georgian row houses in Charleston (Shutterstock)
This row of historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina, is the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States.
With their bright colours and mature trees, they are also amongst the most beautiful. You’ll find them on East Bay Street, north of Tradd Street, and south of Elliott Street.
13. Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai, India
Meenakshi Amman Hindu temple in Madurai (Shutterstock)
This ancient city on the Vaigai River in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu is dominated by the 14 colourful gopurams (gateway towers) of Meenakshi Amman Temple.
It’s festooned with thousands of rainbow coloured carvings of Hindu gods. It is also home to colourful celebrations, like the Chithirai Festival, held every April to celebrate Meenakshi and Lord Vishnu.
14. Santa Marta, Rio, Brazil
Colourfully painted buildings in Rio’s Santa Marta favela (Shutterstock)
Set on the the slopes of Morro Dona Marta, the rainbow coloured favela of Santa Marta is one of the steepest in Rio. It has over 8,000 residents crammed into its makeshift wooden and brick houses, each painted in an assortment of cheerful hues.
A popular location for both TV series and film, it most famously hosted one of the most spectacular chase scenes in Fast Five, the fifth instalment of The Fast and The Furious franchise.
15. Burano, Venice Lagoon, Italy
Colourful houses in Burano, Venice (Shutterstock)
Burano is an island in Venetian Lagoon, famous for its multi-coloured homes, beguilingly reflected in the waters of the canals.
There are plenty of bars and restaurants for visitors, but it’s very much a working town, with fishermen selling their catch straight from their boats, and old nonnas sitting on their verandas, making the island’s needle lace.
Covering nearly 16,000 sq km, this pristine wilderness appears all the more remarkable if you approach it from the bone-dry Kalahari.
To really experience the Okavango, allow yourself to be poled through the maze of channels in a mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe – punting in Cambridge will never be the same again. This can be arranged through one of Botswana’s expensive but excellent lodges or camps.
The more active can take a riding safari and experience the exhilaration of galloping alongside herds of zebra and antelope.
When to visit: May to October (dry season) is best for mammal spotting.
Key wildlife: Jaguar (hard to see), tapir, 650 species of bird
The largest freshwater wetland in the world covers 230,000 sq km – more than half the size of France. Only part of the Pantanal is a national park, but local farmers protect the area and their cattle seem to coexist with the wildlife with little conflict. The fauna is similar to that found in the Amazon but is much easier to spot in the Pantanal’s open spaces. You may even see a jaguar, particularly in the dry season.
Accommodation is available at fazendas (ranches) or lodges. Explore by boat, 4WD or horseback.
Shoe-billed stork flying over the Bangweulu swamps (Dreamstime)
When to visit: April to July is the best time to see lechwe and most birds. August/September is also good
Key wildlife: Black lechwe, shoebill stork
One of Africa’s best-kept wilderness secrets is also among its least visited. As well as prolific birdlife, the papyrus swamps and floodplains of Bangweulu are home to numerous antelope, including vast herds of the endemic black lechwe – sometimes in congregations 10,000 strong.
Of the birds, the prize-spot is the bizarre-looking shoebill stork (not technically a stork), one of Africa’s rarest and shyest birds. Stay at Shoebill Camp and explore by dugout canoe, on foot and by 4WD.
Old boats at Danube Delta at the sunset (Dreamstime)
When to visit: Spring (mid-April to mid-May) and autumn (October/ November) for migratory birds. Otherwise, it’s good year-round, but very hot and humid in summer.
Key wildlife: More than 300 species of bird, including 60% of the world’s pygmy cormorants, half the world’s red-breasted geese (in winter) and Europe’s largest population of pelican
The spreading fingers of the River Danube flow out into the Black Sea on the Romanian coast, forming Europe’s largest delta. With huge reed beds, lakes, waterways and marsh, the delta is home, or a stopover, for more than 300 species of birds and 45 fish species.
The best way to experience the delta is by boat, whether on a passenger ferry, an organised excursion, or by hiring your own canoe. The delta’s main town, Tulcea, has accommodation; alternatively you can camp or stay on a houseboat.
5. Sunderbans, Bangladesh & India
Spotted deer in the Sundarbans National Park (Dreamstime)
When to visit: January to March
Key wildlife: Tiger (hard to see), Ganges dolphin, alligator
The world’s biggest mangrove forest in the world’s largest delta is also home to the biggest tiger population. There could be more than 500 lurking in this 10,000 sq km wilderness – around a quarter of which is water – that stretches across West Bengal and southern Bangladesh.
In this unique habitat, with its high salinity and regular flooding, tigers have adapted to eating fish and crabs in addition to their more usual diet of mammals. Unfortunately the Sunderban tigers have gained a reputation as man-eaters, with an average of a dozen people a year being killed while fishing or gathering honey.
Take a boat excursion for anything from a few hours to three days to experience this special environment.
Please check official festival websites for date changes, ticket booking and event cancellations before travelling.
World festivals in January
5 January-late February: Harbin Ice & Snow Festival, China
Harbin Ice & Snow Festival, China (Shutterstock)
Harbin’s annual festival is officially the biggest winter festival in the world. Located in China’s most northerly province, it’s typically always cold in Harbin, and the city’s seriously-chill temps have earned it the self-explanatory title of ‘Ice City’.
Expect jaw-dropping ice installations and snow statues galore, lit up with rainbow lights as evening descends. These include Harbin’s full Ice & Snow World, and even a giant Buddha made of snow. Be warned, only true winter fans should attend: temperatures average at -7°C during the day, but sink to -20°C at night.
The festival runs from the beginning of January until the end of February.
8-14 January: International Kite Festival, India
Gujarat’s Kite Festival (Shutterstock)
Each year, the westernmost state of Gujarat Uttarayan celebrates an important day in the Indian Calendar, when winter transitions into summer. Residents spend months preparing grand, colourful and decorative kites. It’s a sight to behold.
The festival’s been one of the biggest and most important in India since its inception in 1989. As such, the state’s largest city, Ahmedabad, always celebrates in style, becoming a buzzing epicentre for cultural events in the weeks leading up to the kite display.
As the festival is held outside, visitors will be able to see kites flying from dawn till dusk.
27 January: Wakakusa Yamayaki, Japan
Wakakusa Yamayaki (Shutterstock)
On the fourth Saturday every January (weather permitting), residents of Nara gather at dusk to light a bonfire, in the mountains of Wakakusa Yamayaki, in the east of Nara Park.
The bonfire is lit in ceremonious fashion, and local temples take part in the procession. As the mountain’s grass is set ablaze, people watch from a distance, and as Wakakusa Yamayaki burns into the night, an impressive firework display frames the fires.
Why? There are a few theories. One dates the practice back to the days when Nara’s temples were conflicted over boundaries, while another suggests the grass was traditionally set on fire to drive away any wild boars in the area.
30 January: Up Helly Aa, Scotland
Up Helly Aa in Lerwick, Scotland (Shutterstock)
If you need a reason to visit chilly Scotland in the dead of winter, here it is. The fiery chaos depicted in this image is exactly what to expect from Up Helly Aa: a series of 12 fire-focused festivals that take place in numerous locations across Scotland’s Shetland Islands.
Lerwick, the Shetlands’ main port town, hosts the biggest and best-known on the last Tuesday of January each year. Volunteers from all over the Shetlands come together to arrange gallery exhibitions, a strictly-organised procession and countless flaming torches – all led by a townsperson chosen as the ‘guizer jarl’.
Preparations for the next festival begin as early as the previous February, all to ensure a dramatic, traditional and poignant show, designed to mark the end of the winter yule season.
The Lantern Festival changes location every year in Taiwan (Shutterstock)
Tainan will be hosting Taiwan’s famous Lantern Festival in 2024. The city has been selected due to it celebrating its 400th anniversary with the festival considered to be Tainan’s first major event in many years. Which is why it’s been included in our 2024 Editors’ Hot List.
The event marks the end of the Lunar New Year, and sees thousands of glowing lanterns being released in to the night sky across the country on the 24 February.
Every year has a specific theme. In 2024, the theme ‘Glorious Tainan’ will focus on the city’s ancient history. Lanterns will be displayed throughout the city and designated areas during the festival period.
4-11 February: Sapporo Snow Festival, Japan
Sapporo Snow Festival outside of Sapporo’s Chocolate Factory, Japan (Shutterstock)
Sapporo’s Snow Festival is one of the biggest of its kind. It has been running for over 70 years, and every year, millions descend on Hokkaido’s capital to admire the winter wonderlands set up in Odori Park, Susukino, and dotted across the city.
It was first held in 1950 with snowball fights, snow sculptures and a carnival. Despite its simplicity, more than 50,000 people showed up, encouraging the festival to become an annual event.
There’s a real international feel to the festival: ice sculptors from around the globe attend to compete in the International Snow Sculpture Contest. It’s fascinating to watch the frozen masterpieces being constructed right in front of your eyes.
5-14 February: Oruro Carnival, Bolivia
Dancers on the streets of Bolivia during Oruro (Shutterstock)
Witness a cavalcade of parades, folk dancing and live performances at Carnaval de Oruro, Bolivia’s world-renowned carnival.
The festivities began as a religious festival in the 1700s. Today, the celebrations still have a religious element thanks to the country’s largely Catholic population. Oruro begins before Lent with a ritual dedicated to the Virgin of Candelaria. It’s so powerful, in fact, that it’s one of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
9-17 February: Rio Carnival, Brazil
Rio Samba School performs during Carnival, Brazil (Shutterstock)
Is there a more famous, electric and colourful carnival in the world? We’d argue not, and go as far to say that Rio de Janeiro‘s pre-Lent celebrations can’t be challenged.
Summing up Brazil’s party spirit in a nutshell, you can expect exuberant parades, gloriously loud music and a rainbow of colours in the form of costumes, decorations and feathers. There’s even a purpose-built Sambadrome, where Samba Schools perform and compete, but even a stadium can’t contain the excitement.
13 February: Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA
Mardi Gras in New Orleans (Shutterstock)
Mardi Gras festivities take place on Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar. Fat Tuesday is typically the feasting before the ‘fasting’ of Lent begins.
In New Orleans, Louisiana, Mardi Gras celebrations usually go on for two weeks before Fat Tuesday even arrives, culminating in a series of neon-coloured parades through the city. The carnival-esque party has become synonymous with New Orleans, and is a must-see if you’re visiting the United States.
16 February-3 March: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras celebrations in Sydney are an important part of the city’s heritage (Alamy)
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is the largest and oldest Pride festival in the southern hemisphere, with amazing exhibitions, drag performances, the Mardi Gras Fair, and much more.
The Mardi Gras parade is the pinnacle of the celebrations, when tens-of-thousands of participants take to Oxford Road to march along with enormous floats that represent ‘every corner of the community’.
The first Mardi Gras march took place in 1978, and became a major civil rights milestone for not only the country, but the world.
World festivals in March
1-2 March: Yap Day, Micronesia
A traditional thatched house on Yap Island, Micronesia (Shutterstock)
Yap State, one of Micronesia’s four states, marks Yap Day each year as an official holiday. It is, at its core, a true celebration of Yap culture. So, you can expect traditional dancing, coconut husking competitions, crafts and weaving activities, and plenty of friendly rivalry between Yap’s proud and talented villages.
Yap State welcomes visitors to witness their celebrations and immerse themselves in the local culture, so don’t be shy to book a guided tour or get involved.
24-25 March: Holi Festival, India
Holi Festival, India (Shutterstock)
Holi Festival is celebrated throughout India during the beginning of spring. The ‘festival of colours’ celebrates Lord Vishnu, and triumph in the face of evil, as well as a plentiful harvest, as a way to give thanks.
Revelry can usually be expected in Rajasthan and Mumbai, and all over the country and beyond, in Australia, Mauritius and the United Kingdom.
For the most authentic experience, book your travel to Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh. This is where Lord Vishnu is thought to have spent his childhood, giving the colour-bursting celebrations throughout the city a special significance.
21-25 March: Paro Tshechu, Bhutan
Dance of the Black Hats at Paro Tshechu (Shutterstock)
Bhutan is known for its festivals, but its biggest and most popular festival takes place in spring, on the 10th day of the second Bhutanese lunar month (usually March or April). Paro Tshechu dates back to 1644 when, after the construction of the mighty Paro Dzong (the festival venue), a grand celebration commenced with masked dances, music and traditional songs.
These days, the festival is in memory of Guru Rinpoche, who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan. On the fifth and final day, the festival begins with the unwinding of a thangka (embroidered painting seen at all festivals) of Guru Rinpoche on the wall of the Dzong. It is believed that simply seeing this sacred artwork will cleanse one’s sins. Following the unwinding of a thangka, there are spectacular masked dances that re-enact the eight manifestations of Guru Rinpoche.
24-30 March: Semana Santa, Guatemala
Locals re-enacting biblical scenes in Antigua, Guatemala from Holy Week (Shutterstock)
Over half a century old, the religious tradition of Semana Santa takes place during Guatemala’s Holy Week, the week before Easter. Antigua in particular comes alive during the celebrations, with processions, re-enactments of scenes from the Bible and the creation of colourful, sawdust carpets.
Semana Santa is also recognised all over Spain, and is usually celebrated in cities across the country, particularly in the region in Andalucia.
World festivals in April
13-15 April: Songkran, Thailand
Water-splashing during the Songkran Festival in Thailand (Dreamstime)
The Water-Splashing Festival, Songkran, marks the beginning of Buddhist New Year all over Thailand. Images of Buddha are bathed in water, and younger Thai people show respect to monks and elders by sprinkling water over their hands.
Despite this traditional element to the festival, people tend to know Songkran for one thing and one thing only: getting completely drenched! As the years go on, the festival morphs into all-our water war, with locals and tourists being blasted by high powered super-soakers.
13 April: Lao New Year, Luang Prabang, Laos
Locals in the procession at Lao New Year (Shutterstock)
Lao New Year, sometimes known locally as Songkran or Bun Pi Mai, too, celebrates the Buddhist New Year over the course of three days. Just about everywhere in Laos – from Luang Prabang to Vientiane – offers their own version of the festivities.
In Luang Prabang, parties and processions can go on for up to 10 days, so it’s certainly a lively time to visit. Rest assured, the water-based action will be slightly less intense than its Thai counterpart. Still, you can expect to need super soakers and a change of clothes!
10-27 April: Al Ula Skies Festival, Saudi Arabia
Al Ula Skies Festival (Shutterstock)
There may be bigger Hot Air Balloon Festivals (see October for the biggest in the world), but Al Ula’s other-worldly landscape makes this event particularly captivating.
During the festival, more than 200 colourful balloons fly over the UNESCO World Heritage Site and ancient city of Hegra, creating a magical view for those both in the air and on the ground. But that’s not all. The fortnight-long celebration also has immersive events which celebrate the magical desert landscape, including stargazing experiences and more.
World festivals in May
5 May: Cinco de Mayo, Mexico
A street in Puebla, the Mexican state best known for its Cinco de Mayo celebrations (Shutterstock)
Cinco de Mayo doesn’t necessarily bring to mind a 1800s conflict, but beyond the brightly-coloured parties, it’s actually a reminder of the Mexican victory over French colonialists in the 1832 Battle of Puebla.
No wonder, then, that the state of Puebla in central Mexico, is known for being the ultimate place to visit on the 5 May. Historical re-enactments –with residents dressing as French and Mexican soldiers – and group meals are common. Events have not yet been planned for 2022.
Cinco de Mayo is also recognised in the United States and Canada. This usually involves a feast of Mexican cuisine and dancing to Mexican music.
9 May: Procession of the Holy Blood, Belgium
Procession of the Holy Blood in Bruges, Belgium (Shutterstock)
Forty days after Easter on Ascension Day, the street of Bruges are filled with – quite literally – a procession of the Holy Blood. Religious leaders and locals – up to 3,000 – walk through the streets holding a vial of blood, said to be Jesus Christ’s blood. Some are dressed in robes; others costumed to represent scenes from the Bible.
It may seem rather unusual, but the people of Bruges have been doing this since the 13th century. It’s so important that the Procession of the Holy Blood has UNESCO World Heritage status, as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
World festivals in June
24 June: Inti Raymi Festival, Cusco, Peru
Inti Raymi Festival, Cusco, Peru (Shutterstock)
Inti Raymi was and is a traditional Inca religious festival, a way to worship the sun god, Inti. Not only did the date, slap-bang in the middle of June, mark the end of winter, but also the winter solstice: the beginning of the days getting brighter and longer again.
During the reign of the Inca Empire in Cusco, it was undoubtedly their biggest and most significant religious celebration. Hundreds of years later, indigenous communities living in Cusco and throughout the Andes still celebrate Inti Raymi with music and colourful costumes. Cusco also hosts a theatrical performance – or re-enactment – of an Inca Inti Raymi celebration, which welcomes travellers.
27-30 June: Haro Wine Festival, Spain
Batalla de Vino Festival in La Rioja, Spain (Shutterstock)
Batalla de Vino, a.k.a. Wine Battle, is as sticky as it sounds. The residents of the La Rioja town of Haro get together around the day of their patron saint, Saint Pedro, to pelt each other with wine.
The dress code is simple: wear a white t-shirt that you fully expect to become grape-purple by the end of battle. Following mass led by the town’s mayor, fill up your water pistols and buckets with La Rioja red, and prepare to get spraying.
World festivals in July
1-31 July: Gion Matsuri, Kyoto, Japan
Float parading through Kyoto, Japan from Gion Matsuri (Shutterstock)
Undeniably the biggest festival in Kyoto and Japan, Gion Matsuri is steeped in history. Gion Matsuri first began in the year 839 during a plague. Kyoto residents tried their best to appease their gods by offering up a child messenger.
These days, a young lad is chosen to sit on a decadent parade float (one of many), without his feet touching the ground, for four days before the first procession ends on 17 July. The second parade takes place on 24 July, but the whole month is filled with vibrancy, all-night parties and delicious street food.
Naturally, Gion is one of the busiest times to visit Kyoto, so to fully experience the city and the festival, you’ll need to book your trip several months in advance – and possibly prepare for slightly higher hotel prices.
5-14 July: Calgary Stampede, Canada
Calgary Stampede in 2004, Calgary, Canada (Shutterstock)
They don’t call Calgary the Stampede City for nothing! Each July, one million visitors flock to the Alberta city for a hugely impressive, no-expense-spared multi-day rodeo, complete with stage shows, parades, competitions, festivals and concerts.
Highlights include chuckwagon races and a funfair. Yep, there’s also an abundance of fairground rides, with your usual waltzers, rollercoasters, Big Wheels and deliciously unhealthy fried doughnuts.
11-15 July: Naadam Festival, Mongolia
Naadam Festival, Mongolia (Shutterstock)
Drinking, gossiping and dancing aren’t usually a core component of a sporting festival. But in Mongolia, the Naadam Festival or ‘Manly Games’ – testing the country’s greatest wrestling, archery and horse racing champions – wouldn’t be the same without a tipple or two.
Ulaanbataar, Mongolia’s capital, is probably the biggest celebration, but across the country you’ll find smaller versions of the same event. All are quite traditional, and the competitors will all be wearing traditional Mongolian dress. It’s likely you’ll attend with a guide, and visitors are welcomed by locals.
Dates TBC: Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea
Boryeong Mud Festival in action of Daecheon Beach, Boryeong, South Korea (Shutterstock)
Slipping, sliding, swimming, throwing, wearing, wrestling – whatever you like to do with your mud, you can do in Boryeong, South Korea, during the annual Mud Fest (Be careful with the throwing, though).
Going strong since 1999, there’s no real backstory behind this one. It’s just fun, and the parties surrounding the mud-based activities prove it. Better yet? Apparently, the mud in Boryeong is high in minerals, and can do wonders for plumping and brightening your skin. No wonder thousands from all over South Korea, Europe and the Americas flock to take part.
World festivals in August
Late July-early August: Feria de Flores Festival, Medellin, Colombia
Floral displays during Medellin’s famed flower festival (Shutterstock)
August in Colombia, weather-wise, is a bit hit and miss. One thing Medellin has in August that makes up for its (at times) overcast appearance is the spectacular 10-day celebration of nature, known as Feria de Flores(Festival of the Flowers).
Expect locally-grown, intricate and beautiful floral arrangements and floats for the festival’s star show: the Parade of Silleteros. It seems a shame to judge them, but indeed they’re all competing to be named the most impressive arrangement. There are numerous categories each arrangement can enter into – even one for kids!
August dates TBC: Guca Trumpet Festival, Serbia
Trumpet performers in Guca, Serbia (Shutterstock)
The Guča Trumpet Festival, known sometimes as Dragačevski Sabo, is probably a little less well-known that the likes of the Edinburgh Fringe and Notting Hill Carnival.
Nevertheless, the small Serbian town of Guča comes alive for three days in mid-August for its annual festival, showcasing the best in brass music performances. Hundreds of thousands attend each year.
17-18 August: Mount Hagen Show, Papua New Guinea
Tribes participating in the Mount Hagen Show, Papua New Guinea (Shutterstock)
Every August, the city of Mount Hagen in the western province of Papua New Guinea comes alive for two days of performances, feasts and musical festivities hosted by locals during the Mount Hagen Cultural Show.
The show reflects Papua New Guinea’s unique cultural landscapes, with more than 80 groups coming to Mount Hagen to dance and sing in their traditional colourful headdresses, face and body paint.
Of course, Papua New Guinea is a challenging destination and truly off the well-trodden trail. As such, only very experienced travellers should plan to visit, keeping a close eye on the FCO’s Official Travel Advice before going, too.
World festivals in September
1 September: Regata Storica, Venice, Italy
Regata Storica (Shutterstock)
Venice is famous as a bustling tourist hot spot, for its rainbow-coloured sister islands, and the ebb and flow of lazy (also: expensive) gondola rides along its azure waterways.
On the first Sunday of September, the city roars into a different kind of action: rowers surround the island and rowing fans gather in the city, to watch the annual races and enjoy the bright introductory parade along the canals.
26-29 September: Hermanus Whale Watching Festival, South Africa
A southern right whale off the coast of Hermanus, South Africa (Shutterstock)
Should you ever find yourself in the South African coastal town of Hermanus, let’s hope your visit coincides with the annual Whale Watching Festival in late September.
Locals and visits alike gather together to witness the migration of Southern Right Whales, and celebrate this natural wonder with talks, events and exhibits. Of course, much of the conversations are about our oceans, and how to protect them and the creatures living in them.
September-October: Golden Eagle Festival, Mongolia
During the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia (Shutterstock)
Another competitive festival in Mongolia, though this time without all the arrows buzzing around. Instead, it’ll be golden eagles flying in high during this two-day tradition held in different locations in the Bayan-Ulgii province across September and October.
Eagle hunters – not actual hunters, but those adept at falconry (training the eagles themselves to hunt) – from across Bayan-Ölgii, the most westerly region of Mongolia, come together to test their skill, by comparing the birds’ accuracy.
In such a remote part of the world, you’ll be able to witness the Golden Eagle Festival as part of a tailor-made tour to Mongolia. Exodus Traveloffer an excellent one.
World festivals in October
5-13 October: Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, USA
Balloons ascend above Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (Shutterstock)
Every year, more than 500 hot air balloons soar into the clear-blue skies above Rio Grande Valley in Alburquerque, New Mexico. The Mass Ascension, as its known, is quite an unforgettable sight: an explosion of rainbow colours, funky patterns and awe-inspiring design. It’s known to be the largest hot hair balloon festival in the world.
Events also take place at night, and you don’t need to have your own hot air balloon to join in. You can buy a ticket, rock up and simply enjoy the view.
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival isn’t necessarily a straightforward celebration of all things vegetarian. It’s also known as The Nine Emperor Gods Festival, and it’s actually one of the most bustling – and some might say brash – festivals in Thailand.
It’s raucous, busy and a little bit ‘out there’ for a religious festival. Participants follow strict diets, give up sex and avoid alcohol for the duration, and wear white outfits to denote their purity. Then, it all kicks off: chants, firecrackers and some strange stunts from performers. You may spot someone walking on nails or even piercing their cheeks with their swords. Needless to say, this festival is best witnessed from a distance.
18 October: Lord of the Miracles, Peru
Lord of the Miracles procession in Lima, Peru (Shutterstock)
Lima residents parade through the capital in honour of Señor de los Milagros, quite literally translated to Lord of the Miracles. Everyone wears purple to signify their loyalty and devotion to the Lord (some throughout the entire month of October).
There are usually thousands taking part in the procession, which follows the painting of Señor de los Milagros carefully propped on a large float, all singing religious songs and saying prayers.
Undeniably, it’s one of South America’s biggest festivals. Again, if you’re not one of the locals, one best seen from the sidelines.
World festivals in November
1 November: All Saints Day Kite Festival, Guatemala
A kite on display in Guatemala during the festival (Shutterstock)
A version of Día de los Muertos(often given a slightly different name), or the Day of All Souls, is celebrated throughout Central America. If not, the Day of All Saints (usually 1 or 2 November) acts as an opportunity for communities to gather in cemeteries, decorate their altars, and remember their lost loved ones.
In Guatemala’s Sacatepéquez cemetery, Day of the Dead is marked with the All Saints Day Kite Festival, also known as Barriletes Gigantes. Locals and visitors alike design and create large kites out of natural materials – and when we say large, we’ve seen some 20m wide.
1-2 November: Día de los Muertos, Mexico
Women painted with sugar skulls on their faces for Día de los Muertos, Mexico (Shutterstock)
On 2 November, Mexico celebrates Día de los Muertos – commonly called Day of the Dead in the English-speaking world – to pay tribute to, remember and also welcome the spirits of the dead.
Celebrations take place all over Mexico usually from 31 October-2 November, but there are a few regions where locals and visitors alike truly revel in the spirit of the holiday. Michoacán, Oaxaca and Mexico City are three must-visit destinations for those hoping to have the full experience.
5 November: Burning Barrels at Ottery St Mary, Devon, UK
Ottery St Mary, Devon during the burning of the Tar Barrels (Shutterstock)
The village of Ottery St Mary in Devon is known for its Tar Barrels, but no one really knows where the tradition of burning them on a November night came from. The festival’s official website reckons it began shortly after Guy Fawkes’ Gunpowder Plot was foiled.
So, on 5 November, residents grab the large Tar Barrels and carry them, fully aflame, through the streets. Certainly, carrying the barrels (as opposed to rolling them) makes this a particularly unique UK experience.
11 November: Black Necked Crane Festival, Bhutan
A performance during the Black Necked Crane Festival in Bhutan (Shutterstock)
We must admit: a festival dedicated to an endangered bird is right up our alley. The fact its in rural Bhutan makes it even more appealing. The black necked crane is a vulnerable Asian bird, a species incredibly important to the Bhutanese people. Particularly in winter.
So, locals gather at Gangtey Goenpa in Phobjikha Valley to celebrate the bird’s arrival each November, having waited for its return since March. They sing folk songs, perform cultural dances, and enjoy a number of performances, themed around the environment and protection of the crane.
World festivals in December
1-10 December: Hornbill Festival, India
A tribal dance performed for Hornbill Festival in Kohima, Nagaland (Shutterstock)
Nagaland, an Indian state, is quite unique as the home to many differing tribes. Each tribe has their own cultural celebration, or agricultural festival. Hornbill, named after the bird, is the ultimate festival: the coming together of these neighbouring tribes to celebrate their unique heritage, with the support of local organisations and councils.
The tribes spend 10 days in Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, near Kohima, and partake in a variety of activities. There’s everything from craft events, scultpure displays, food markets, stalls selling herbal products, traditional music, sporting events, fashion shows, tribal ceremonies and performances. Locals even crown Miss Nagaland in a beauty pageant.
December 2024 to January 2025: Junkanoo, Bahamas
Gospel singers perform during Junkanoo, in Nassau, Bahamas (Shutterstock)
Junkanoo is the national festival of the Bahamas. Legend states the festival takes root from West Africa, though no one really knows its true origins. Today, the festival is a cavalcade of sound and colour.
Expert good vibes all around and a roaring party, with residents and visitors wearing bold, bright costumes. Musicians play brass instruments, drums and whistles. There’s a big parade, and groups of performers gather together for the chance to win a cash prize.
Drifting Brazil’s Río Negro with an Indigenous guide reveals not just a hidden world of flooded forests, but the Amazon as seen through the eyes of the people who know it best.
Before you set sail…
Listen to Alex’s story come to life in this award-winning episode of the Wanderlust: Off the Page podcast
The evening was velvet dark. The air was sweet with the scent of night flowers and filled with an orchestra of cicadas and tree frogs. Far off in the forest, I heard the whippoorwill-trill of a nightjar. Somewhere out there, close by, a jaguar was padding through the trees. She knew we were there. We’d seen her footprints in the mud, on the trail next to the river as we’d walked up; we’d smelt her acrid feline musk in the air. But jaguars steer clear of people, even on the flanks of Brazil’s Aracá, the wildest, remotest mountain in the tropics.
Here, untouched Amazon forest and river, lily-filled lakes, reed beds and swamps spread for hundreds of kilometres all around, unbroken by road or town. I wasn’t frightened, but my nerves were tingling. Tomorrow we would summit Aracá, a vast tabletop of cliffs and rock born when life on Earth was single-celled and the Amazon, Antarctica, Africa and Australia were all one continent. As we walked from the boat launch to the trailhead, its face looked as sheer and high as Ireland’s cliffs of Moher; as lonely and wild as a Southern Ocean iceberg. My muscles were tired from the hike to the camp. I’d eaten well and I was as snug as a bug in my hammock, but how could I sleep?
After two years trapped by COVID-19 lockdowns, I was in life-giving wilderness, on an adventure I had never imagined. My mind was racing with excitement.
My fellow travellers, Rob and Raphael, were awake too. I could just about see their faces in the dying glow of our campfire, staring up through the forest canopy at the shimmering stars. They, too, felt a change. Since we’d arrived five days ago from a grey Heathrow, the weight of city life had been lifted from our spirits by the presence of seemingly endless nature, our bodies relieved of all tension by fragrant, oxygen-rich air and the world’s greatest flow of fresh water.
The first morning of our voyage, during one of the rainstorms that sweep across the northern Amazon, we’d put on our trunks, headed to the open area of the boat deck and opened our arms to fat drops of the pure water that fell like beads from the sky, before warming our bodies in the rich sunlight that soon broke through the clouds. Perhaps it was then that we realised our journey along the Amazon’s Río Negro was no mere ‘jungle cruise’: it was a pilgrimage through nature; medicine for the soul. And like many such things, it had happened unexpectedly.
Image captions
“Our Amazon journey was no mere ‘jungle cruise: it was a pilgrimage through nature; medicine for the soul“
A promise kept
This trip was all thanks to Saro. I looked across at him – the only one of us asleep, snoozing with an arm across his eyes, content and peaceful as ever. I’d met him years before, on a visit to an eco-lodge a few hours from Brazil’s Amazon capital, Manaus. As he guided our small group through creeks and along trails, I’d been struck by his deep knowledge of the forest and its animals, his effortless expertise and his charisma. Tall and strong, with long dark hair and deep, peaceful eyes, he radiated the quiet power that characterises the Munduruku people, one of the Amazon’s oldest and largest tribes. After dark, we’d talk and he’d share his thoughts with a far-off look in his eyes.
“Sometimes I get sad,” he would tell me. “People who fly into Manaus for a night or two on a boat or at a forest lodge see nothing of my home’s real beauty. The Amazon is more than a forest and a river; it is a vast wild of astonishing landscapes. There are places where two rivers flow together, side by side, for hundreds of kilometres without mixing; there are islands larger than Switzerland, with beaches as beautiful as the Caribbean and flooded forests bigger than your entire country. There are lakes of lilies with leaves as large as the length a man can stride.”
And then he’d come closer and look at me intensely. “There are mountains, Alex,” he’d say, “mountains you would not believe, where even we native Amazonians rarely go; tabletop mountains that are covered in orchids and where giant waterfalls drop, pause in pools and fall again in wisps and fronds. They are like the world before humans walked the Earth.”
He once told me: “One day, when I have my own company, we will go there together.”
After many years, I’d forgotten his words. But then, on a winter’s morning when the world was in lockdown, Saro sent me an email. He’d realised his dream and built the first Indigenous-owned and -run tour company in the Amazon.
“Come back to Brazil,” he said. “I will show you my Amazon, the Amazon that visitors never get to see.” The offer seemed too good to refuse. “But is it safe?” I asked.
“Safe and easy,” he replied. “We are going to the upper Río Negro, where there’s no gold mining or illegal logging, no bandits and no danger.”
Finding a giant surprise
What Saro didn’t mention is that it would be comfortable, too. He whisked me from Manaus airport to his gorgeous boat, the Iara, which was fitted out with air-conditioned cabins in glorious polished wood and a sun deck slung with hammocks and canoes for exploring the Amazon rivers. I would share the journey with a handful of fellow travellers, including Rob, a cartoonist from London, and Raphael, an environmental scientist based in Edinburgh University.
After showering in our en suites, we met on the upper deck for caipirinhas as the boat pulled away from the wharf onto the inky-black waters of the Negro river, the largest tributary in the Amazon river system. The sun was low and golden, glinting off the water, painting the greens and browns of the surrounding forest in a buttery light. Above us, a huge flock of Amazon swallows swept swiftly past and swooped in a murmuration before settling on what I thought was the far bank of the river. As the boat moved on, the bank disappeared to reveal an endless horizon. I had been looking at an island. The Negro spread far in front and around us, a vast flowing sea as wide as the English Channel at Dover and scattered with thousands of bird-filled islands.
“The Anavilhanas,” said Saro, chinking glasses with us. This was where we entered the largest protected area of rainforest in the world, he told us, describing our five-day voyage to the mountain that would pass through a string of huge conservation areas: the Anavilhanas World Heritage Site, Jau National Park and the Serra do Aracá itself. All of them are larger than most European countries.
The next morning, we woke with the equatorial dawn and breakfasted under a gorgeous dome of brilliant-blue sky specked with fluffy clouds. Saro introduced us to the crew: captain Carlos; first mates Jose (an indigenous Baniwa man) and Junior; Soldado, our wiry, constantly smiling mountain guide; and Dona Zi, the cook, who emerged from a kitchen that was as large as a telephone box carrying plates laden with fresh mangoes and papaya, sumptuous pastries, tapioca omelettes and jugs brimming with passion-fruit juice.
“Any bites?” I asked Rob. Like me, he’d not seen a mosquito since we’d climbed on the boat.
“There are none on the Negro,” said Raphael the environmental scientist, “the black water is full of tannin, which makes it too acidic for them to breed.”
“The Amazon isn’t just a river,” added Saro, “it’s more like a vast, flowing inland sea.” The Negro may be just a tributary, but it dwarfs most of the world’s rivers, flowing 2,250 kilometres from the Guiana Shield in Venezuela to Manaus in the centre of South America and discharging nearly twice as much water as the Mekong or Mississippi. It’s a biome all of its own, in the heartland of the Amazon wild, with an all-encompassing forest that grows over quartz-white sands, savannahs, huge mountains and thousands of smaller rivers linked by swamps, lakes and creeks.
That afternoon, after our rainfall showers, we explored further, heading up a creek that cut into the dark green of the forest and on to our second great conservation area: Jau National Park. The creek had no banks; the water simply disappeared into the trees and the half-light beyond. This was a flooded forest, or igapó, Saro told us, rising up every spring by tens of metres, reaching halfway up the tree trunks and surrounding us for kilometers. In the dry season, the water fell to expose beaches as white and fine as talc.
There was life everywhere. A gallinule with priestly-purple feathers strutted gingerly over tree roots, peering into the shallows for neon tetra and guppies. A cackling, cawing pair of metre-long macaws flew overhead, scarlet against the blue sky. A snail kite with huge yellow eyes peered at us from a bare branch. Saro pointed out a grey shape above it, resembling an old, furled sheet caught in the crown of a tall cecropia tree. It was a sloth, stationary as a shroud but for two bright eyes. With all this wildlife around, we chattered excitedly.
Then Saro hushed us and pointed into the igapó. We squinted, struggling to see into the gloom. And then, out of the ranks of tree trunks, a whiskered face appeared, bobbing on the water, a splash of white under a mouth sharp with teeth.
“Uma ariranha!” whispered Saro – a giant otter. She was as sleek and long as an Olympic swimmer, her undulating back glistening as she disappeared under the water only to emerge a minute or so later on the other side of our boat. Suddenly, there were two more – her children, as curious as she, inspecting us with beady stares before their mother gave a sharp whoop and a bark and they vanished back into the trees.
Raphael, the environmental scientist, was astonished. They are an indicator species, he told us, predators at the top of the pyramid who were hunted to near extinction for their fur. Few people ever see them, he told me. It was a sure sign that we were in pristine rainforest.
Image captions
A rare saki monkey
A rare saki monkey
A bald uakari monkey
A bald uakari monkey
Cooking freshly caught tambaqui fish
Cooking freshly caught tambaqui fish
A well-camouflaged vine snake
A well-camouflaged vine snake
Item 1 of 4
A rare saki monkey
A rare saki monkey
A bald uakari monkey
A bald uakari monkey
Cooking freshly caught tambaqui fish
Cooking freshly caught tambaqui fish
A well-camouflaged vine snake
A well-camouflaged vine snake
Reaching our peak
You wouldn’t think that exploring the Amazon in your pyjamas was possible, but the next day was so comfortable that we were still in ours by late afternoon. Zen-relaxed on the viewing deck of the boat, transfixed by the shifting beauty of the riverscapes, there was always something to see: eagles high above, river dolphins puffing and blowing off our prow below.
Huge anvil clouds shifted in, sending rain scuttling across the water and pouring in liquid ropes off the wooden awning over the deck. They passed swiftly by, leaving triple rainbows in their wake. We drifted past hamlets with huts huddled around white-and-blue Portuguese churches. Amerindian children splashed and laughed in the shallows and old men balanced like ballet-dancers on skateboard-wide dugout canoes as they cast their nets over the water.
The following morning, Dona Zi sent us out on the launch with buckets, which we filled with dark, grape-like berries that grew in bunches from trees half submerged in the water.
“Camu camu,” she announced later, handing out glasses of tangy purple juice made with our earlier harvest. “A glass of this has a full gram of Vitamin C, more than any other fruit in the world.”
Over the next two days we went deeper into the wild, leaving Jau National Park and heading north, creeping towards the distant border with Venezuela. We left the Negro for the Danube-sized Demini, where we spotted caiman – five-metre long, red-eyed relatives of the alligator – in the dark using powerful halogen torches. We cut up the Thames-wide Aracá where troops of saki and spider monkeys swung through the trees and the air was filled with chittering parakeets and butterflies as bright as clothes caught in UV light. We fished for piranha, pulling them silver-sided and gnashing into the launch. Dona Zi served them for supper ‘à la Amazon béarnaise’ – in palm nut butter and tart tucupi juice extracted from manioc roots. They were as light and delicious as Dover sole.
On our fourth night, captain Carlos moored the boat. We had reached the edge of Aracá State Park. Somewhere among the creeks that stretched north was the mountain itself. The next day, after an early breakfast in crepuscular light, we clambered bleary-eyed into the launch and sped off up the creek to a trail dotted with jaguar spoor that would eventually lead to our fireside camp. I never saw the jaguar, and perhaps it was the trance-lullaby of cicadas and tree frogs or the tinkle of water dripping off Aracá, but I eventually fell peacefully asleep.
I woke to the smell of eggs, bacon and sausage. Soldado, our mountain guide, was frying breakfast. He thrust a steaming cup of black coffee into my hands and muttered encouragement.
“Come bem!” he winked. “E um bom caminho hoje!” Or in others words: Eat well. We’ve a good walk ahead of us.
He was right. We climbed steeply out of the camp and crossed a rushing mountain stream. The water was fresh and I filled my belly and bottles with it. Then we scrambled up a steep path that cut through the tree line and emerged in a fissure in the cliff-like sides of Aracá mountain. We heaved ourselves up, rising over jutting rocks and above the trees. There was no danger of falling – the path went diagonally across the mountain face like a stairway. Dozens of orchids marked our way, sprouting from cracks in the rocks or clinging to lichen-covered branches. Sweat poured off us, and we paused every 20 minutes to catch our breath and gulp mouthfuls of water.
A final push brought us onto the meseta (plateau), revealing a view that will forever be imprinted on my mind. Below, the rainforest was cut by winding rivers that spread unbroken at our feet. Through the cleanest, brightest air I had ever seen, I squinted at an impossibly distant horizon. Falcons, king vultures, red macaws floated below us over the endless carpet of trees. To our left was a kilometre-wide canyon fed by a distant river that wound over Aracá mountain, pausing in pool after pool before plunging over the precipice to the forest below. And other than our small group, there was no sign of human life anywhere in all the vastness. Not even a jet trail in the sky. After all these years, Saro had kept his promise and shown me the real Amazon.
1. Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador & Peru
Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System (Dreamstime)
Visiting Qhapaq Ñan is a daunting prospect. This network of Andean roads was built by the Inca to connect their capital Cuzco to outposts of the empire as far afield as the Colombian sierra to the north and Santiago in the south.
The system, which was trodden by message-relaying chasqui (runners), traders, soldiers, pilgrims and llama caravans, weaves across six countries, via high peaks, thick rainforests and arid deserts, covering some 30,000km.
At the moment it’s more an idea than a cohesive site – while masterful engineering has ensured much of the matrix is still intact, many pathways are overgrown.
However, you can easily visit patches of it. Peru’s Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is the headline segment; other traceable bits include the highland route between Achupallas and Ingapirca in central Ecuador, the various strands around Rancagua in Chile, and Bolivia’s Takesi Trail, which starts near La Paz, crosses the Cordillera Real and dives down into the lush Yungas valleys.
2. Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia, Argentina
Los Glaciares National Park (Shutterstock)
See the South Patagonian Ice Field at its most splendid. This UNESCO site encompasses 6,000 sq km of incredible iciness: around half of the park is covered in namesake glaciers, which ooze down rugged mountainsides and crash into blue-turquoise lakes.
One lake, Argentino, is fed by three vast ice tongues (Upsala, Onelli and Perito Moreno), which regularly calve thunderously into the milky waters. Los Glaciares also protects a swathe of pristine Patagonian steppe, Magellanic forests and southern beech (fiery in autumn), as well as puma, condor and ostrich-like choique.
The alpine village of El Chaltén is a good hub for trekkers; from here you can hike round Mount Fitz Roy. Alternatively, for the drama of Perito Moreno, catch a bus from El Calafate then stroll between the viewpoints on the Península de Magallanes, take a boat trip up to the glacier’s 60m-high face, or hire a guide and crampons to walk on top.
3. Iguazu/Iguaçu National Park in Argentina/Brazil
Iguazu/Iguaçu National Park (Shutterstock)
Iguazu’s so good they inscribed it twice – the Argentine side of this gigantic, jungle-shrouded waterfall became a UNESCO site in 1984, the Brazilian side in 1986. In short, it’s a natural World Heritage wonder whichever angle you’re coming from, a comely collection of between 160 and 270 cascades (depending on the water volume) tumbling into a border-straddling gorge.
But while the 3km-wide falls are the most obvious attraction here – and visitable in various ways, including upper trails, lower trails, get-you-wet boardwalks and boat trips – the surrounding parks are a less-expected revelation. The spray ensures everything around Iguazu Falls is well watered, leading to a profusion of green. This is a realm of subtropical forest, thick with Brazilian pine, wild palms, imbuya, tree ferns, lianas and epiphytes.
4. City of Potosí in Central Highlands, Bolivia
City of Potosí (Shutterstock)
Potosí, which sits breathless on the barren plains at an altitude of around 4,000m, is a place of mixed fortunes. In the 16th century, when silver ore was discovered here, it became the richest city in the Americas. But when the supply dried up in the 19th century, Potosí went into decline.
So it is with its World Heritage status. The city was inscribed in 1987 for being a matchless example of colonial industrialism and architecture. However, in 2014 Potosí was placed on UNESCO’s ‘In Danger’ list: the continuance of mining is destabilising Cerro Rico – the ‘rich mountain’ from which all the silver was sourced – and threatening the authenticity of the site.
Potosí is still worth visiting, though. It has more than 20 churches and over 2,000 historic buildings, some with red-tiled roofs and graceful porticos, some in pretty pastels, others with intricate iron balconies.
5. Tiwanaku in Altiplano, Bolivia
Tiwanaku (Shutterstock)
Forget the Inca for a minute. The Tiwanaku culture, which at its peak (AD 500-900) numbered 50,000 people, is the real cradle of Andean civilisation. Its centre was the namesake city of Tiwanaku, perched close to the southern shores of Lake Titicaca at a lung-squeezing altitude of 3,850m. The city once covered several square kilometres, though only a small part has been excavated.
What has been unearthed is the ceremonial centre of Tiwanaku, a complex of ruined pyramids, temples, palaces and megaliths set amid the barren highlands. Most striking is the seven-tiered Pyramid of Akapana, believed to be the religious heart of Tiwanaku – local Aymara people still come here to leave offerings to the achachilas (mountain gods).
To get a good overview of the complex and culture, start at the on-site museum, which displays items – pots, idols and fragments of elaborate textiles – that nod to its skills.
Brasília is a World Heritage youngster. The pre-planned Brazilian capital only came into being in 1956, and was inscribed onto the list just 31 years later. This is thanks to the imagination and innovation of urban planner Lucio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer, who dreamed up a city of harmonious Modernist design.
The vibe is retro space-age, laid out in an airplane-like shape, with futuristic skyscrapers and government buildings on one axis and the residential areas on the other, linked by excellent roads.
Visit the cathedral, which rears up like a splayed crown of thorns; catch a performance or exhibition at the Teatro Nacional, an Aztec-like pyramid of glass; and head to the blocky, grey-black Central Bank building, where the Museum of Money showcases financial history and an enormous nugget of gold.
7. Serra da Capivara National Park in Piauí state, Brazil
Cave paintings of Serra da Capivara National Park (Shutterstock)
This national park in Brazil’s north-east contains a semi-arid land of mountains, plains, valleys, rock formations and Brazilian caatinga (‘white forest’) – a shimmering swathe of scrub, cacti and deciduous woodland. It’s interesting enough in its own right, but the presence of the oldest rock art in the Americas adds an extra tingle.
Some of the 300-odd cave paintings and sites discovered here could date back 30,000-50,000 years. If correct, this contradicts widely held notions of how and when South America was first colonised. The artworks depict a range of scenes, from hunting and dancing to fighting and sex; other pictographs represent animals (jaguar, tapir, rhea) and supernatural beings.
The sites are spread out, so join a tour with an archaeologist guide to help make sense of the magnificent, world-changing markings.
8. Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves in Bahia and Espírito Santo states, Brazil
Trancoso, Porto Seguro, Bahia (Shutterstock)
Named for the site of the first Portuguese landing, by Pedro Cabral in 1500, the listed area covers eight protected zones, together comprising one of the best remaining sweeps of this ecosystem; rich, tropical broadleaf forest fuzzes the ocean-side limestone plateau.
Indeed, nowhere on the planet has more tree species per hectare, including pernambuco (the country’s national tree), piaçaba palms, jatoba and jussara as well as areas of restingas (moist coastal forest).
A good base is the lively coastal town of Porto Seguro, from where you can make forays into Monte Pascoal National Park and Pau-Brasil National Park – both part of the UNESCO site. In the former, you can climb the namesake mountain (536m), mountain bike towards the sea and visit the Pataxó Indian settlement.
9. Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia in Bahia state, Brazil
Salvador de Bahia (Shutterstock)
Brazil isn’t short on colonial-era cities with UNESCO listings but Salvador, nestled on a hilly peninsula overlooking Todos os Santos Bay, arguably has something extra.
It was the first capital of Brazil (1549-1763), had the dubious honour of hosting the New World’s first slave market, and is awash with architectural reminders of the past – from the wide plazas to the baroque basilica to tumbledown streets lined with pastel-hued and stuccoed Renaissance houses.
But it’s the multicultural vibe that you notice most: Salvador is the epicentre of African Brazil, and alleys here buzz with candomblé rituals and beating drums. Browse the lanes of the steep, cobbled Pelourinho, tuck into acarajé (deep-fried balls of mashed black-eyed peas with shrimp paste) and watch capoeira moves being cut on the beach.
10. Rapa Nui National Park in Rapa Nui/Easter Island, Chile
Rapa Nui National Park (Shutterstock)
Adrift in the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island is one of the remotest places on the planet – and one of the most mysterious. We think that this small chunk of volcanic rock was first colonised by Eastern Polynesians from around AD 700. But quite why they decided to sculpt huge lumps of tuff, scoria and basalt into strange big heads (known as moai), then haul them from the Rano Raraku crater and erect them all over the island remains a puzzle.
There are around 900 statues in all, ranging from two to 20m tall; some are complete, with obsidian eyes, others have been left semicarved. There are also 300 ceremonial platforms and the remains of other domestic structures. Must-sees include the 15 moai of Ahu Tongariki and the beachside sculptures at Anakena. Also, take a walk around Rano Raraku, to explore the Rapa Nui’s alfresco workshop.
11. Port of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, Colombia
Cartagena, Colombia (Shutterstock)
Pastel-painted, palace-dotted, wall-wrapped, Caribbean-lapped Cartagena is a dreamy Latin vision made real. UNESCO says, quite perfunctorily, that within the colonial heart of the city ‘can be found civil, religious and residential monuments of beauty and consequence’ but that seems to be missing part of the point.
Yes, Cartagena has a matchless complex of military walls, fortresses and a bastioned harbour, but it is the fairytale feel and sensual vibe that makes the city so intoxicating.
Soak this atmosphere up on a wander amid the old districts of El Centro and San Diego, where church spires soar, colourful streets squiggle, plazas are shaded by rippling palms and windowboxes drip with bougainvillea. Also, take a walk along las murallas (those old 16th-century walls) to gaze down on the city and the sea beyond.
12. Churches of Chiloé, Chile
Churches of Chiloé (Shutterstock)
Speckling the Pacific, just south of the Chilean Lake District, the Chiloé Archipelago stretches around 190km north-south, the surface-probing extremities of a sunken mountain range.
These islands were once the preserve of the native Chonos and Huilliche peoples, who fished and farmed here; however, in 1567 the Spanish arrived. They were followed in 1608 by Jesuit missionaries and, in the 18th and 19th centuries, by the Franciscans, all keen to convert the locals. In order to do this, the new arrivals built a circuit of churches, which they could stay at for a few days as they travelled round, evangelising.
Today there are 60 mission churches on the archipelago, 14 of which are considered particularly impressive, for their exquisite wooden construction, their colourful interiors and their fusion of European and indigenous traditions. Plan your own loop of Chiloé to take some of them in – perhaps the graceful cypress-and-larch church of Nercón, bright blue Tenaún, 53m-long Quinchao (the biggest) or Neo-Gothic Castro.
13. San Agustín Archaeological Park in Huila, Colombia
San Agustín Archaeological Park (Shutterstock)
For a long time, the FCO cautioned against visiting this ancient treasure in southern Colombia; it still does advise against all but essential travel in the regions nearby. Which is a pity, because San Agustín is quite unique, an archaeological wonderland created by a little-known culture that thrived from around AD 0-800.
The handiwork of these ancient peoples is scattered across a wide area in the eastern Andean foothills. There are funerary monuments, burial mounds, stone statuary (in the forms of humans, animals and birds) and even carvings in the rocky bed of a stream. A museum explains some background, then you can hike or horse-ride around the site to get a feel for the scale of the civilisation’s achievements.
14. Galápagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, Ecuador
Marine iguana on the Galápagos Islands (Shutterstock)
The Galápagos might be the Latin American UNESCO site that’s loved just a bit too much. The magical, yet fragile, archipelago struggles under the weight of people wanting to visit, as well as migration, overfishing and invasive species.
However, despite all of the problems, it remains one of the world’s very best wildlife destinations – there are few other places where the creatures are so unafraid and so brilliantly weird, or that have inspired an entire rethink of evolution.
Cruising around the islands will introduce you to its numerous residents – the playful sea lions, the piles of pitch-black marine iguanas, the lumbering giant tortoises, the many types of booby. Boats with kayaks and snorkel gear will allow different levels of interaction. Just tread carefully as you go.
15. Sangay National Park in Central Andes, Ecuador
Sangay National Park (Shutterstock)
Sangay has been redeemed. This park, which gathers together three 5,000m-plus volcanoes (two of them active) plus valleys, rainforests and a sprinkle of waterfalls, was placed on the ‘In Danger’ list in 1992, when illegal poaching and construction threatened its integrity.
However, by 2005, it was considered fully UNESCO-worthy once more. It’s the range of terrain here that’s so impressive – running the gamut from snowcapped mountain tops and high-altitude páramo to the lush lowlands of the Amazon Basin. Plus, its remoteness means wildlife thrives here: tapir and puma, giant otter and spectacled bear, Andean condor and cock-of-the-rock.
The park can be explored via hiking trails, by bike or on horseback. Technical climbers might fancy El Altar (5,139m), the inactive member of the park’s volcanic trio. Tungurahua (5,016m) is currently too volatile to ascend. Sangay (5,230m) still spits and huffs, but – conditions dependent – can be conquered on a five-day trek.
16. Quito in Northern Ecuador
Quito (Shutterstock)
When UNESCO designated its first 12 World Heritage sites in 1978, the historic centre of the Ecuadorian capital was one of them. Even the powerful earthquake of 1917 couldn’t rattle this Latin lovely: the architecture here remains intact and wonderfully harmonious, a masterclass in the style that became known as the Baroque school of Quito.
This design ethos originated in the 17th and 18th centuries, combining Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous styles to create something spectacular.
Amid the Old Town, laid out neatly in a series of squares, are some real gems: the monastery of Santo Domingo, with its exquisite works of art, and the La Compañía church, with its glittering interior of gilded walls, altars and plasterwork. Take a walking tour around the Old Town or ride the teleférico sky tram up Pichincha volcano for the finest city overview.
17. Jesuit Missions of La Santísima in the Trinidad de Paraná & Jesús de Tavarangue Paraná River area, Paraguay
Jesuit Missions of La Santísima (Shutterstock)
Paraguay’s only UNESCO site – like a fair few other Latin inscriptions – owes its existence to those proselytising Jesuits. The Christian crew arrived in the Río de la Plata Basin area in 1588, encouraging locals to adopt the religion but not enforcing a full Europeanisation; consequently, many indigenous traditions remain.
La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná (built in 1706, and the better preserved) and Jesús de Tavarangue (1760), both now in ruins, are 10km apart, and follow a similar design: a central church flanked by the home of the Fathers, with the chiefs’ residence nearby, plus workshops, a yard and cemetery; the indigenous people’ homes were along streets radiating from a large square.
18. Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu in the Andes, Peru
Machu Picchu (Shutterstock)
There were rumours the (over) popular lost Inca citadel might be declared ‘In Danger’ when the UNESCO Committee gathered in July 2015, with a final decision postponed until 2017. Certainly the site is a victim of its own popularity.
Well, it’s a hidden ruin that out-foxed the Spanish, tucked deep in lush, misty mountains, tumbling delightfully down an improbable slope, and accessible only via a splendid old paved pathway or a scenic train – what’s not to love? It has all the romance you could want from a travel destination – but sadly all the people you don’t.
Relieve a bit of the burden on the site by hiking one of the alternative trails to Machu Picchu – perhaps via the Salcantay route, Lares Valley or Choquequirao – and by visiting some of Peru’s lesser known archaeological gems.
19. Manú National Park in the Amazon, Peru
Manú National Park (Shutterstock)
Manú is massive. This park in the Peruvian Amazon covers some 15,000 sq km of tropical forest, snaking rivers, alluvial plains and Andean foothills. The biodiversity here is off the scale; for example, around 850 bird species have been recorded, though who knows how many more species might lurk here. Creatures we do know about include jaguar, giant otter, giant armadillo, black caiman, various monkeys and myriad macaws.
Tourism is only allowed in three areas of the park: the Acjanaco Sector/Tres Cruces, a high-altitude region of puña grasslands and cloudforest, home to puma and Andean bear; the Cultural History Zone, in the Palotoa River Basin, home to the Pusharo petroglyphs; and the Manú River Sector, where boat trips and stays at jungle lodges offer an introduction to both the prolific wildlife and the native culture.
20. Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape in Fray Bentos, Uruguay
Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape (Dreamstime)
Er, yes, meat production heritage! Who knew it was so important? In answer: not as many people as know it now. The factories here, on the banks of the Uruguay River, represent South America’s newest UNESCO site, freshly designated in July 2015.
It’s a huge complex, founded close to the livestock-rich prairies in 1859, and showcasing the whole method of meat manufacturing – from sourcing and processing to packing and dispatching.
The old El Anglo plant, which closed in 1979, is now a heritage museum, an eerily empty disarray of people-less warehouses, unhinged gates, rusty hooks and collapsed cattle corrals. As for the rest of Fray Bentos, there are some leafy plazas and some colourful houses, and the sandy beaches of Las Cañas are 8km away.
21. Canaima National Park, Venezuela
Canaima National Park (Shutterstock)
Canaima, in south-east Venezuela, hard up against the Brazil and Guyana borders, feels positively prehistoric. Around 65% of the park is covered by tepuis – majestic, jungly flat-topped inselbergs that have evolved in splendid isolation, from both the outside world and each other.
This means the area is a hotbed of endemism, with each tepui summit having its own unique ecosystem; the most explored is Mt Roraima, which can be climbed on a steep and sweaty five-day expedition from the village of Paratepui.
The park is also a-splish with waterfalls, not least Angel, the world’s highest, which tumbles 1,002m down the side of Auyantepui. There are also rarities such as giant anteater, giant armadillo and little spotted cat, to the native Pemón people, who have roamed amid Canaima’s forests and savannah for at least 10,000 years.
A NYPD police officer at the annual Gay Pride Parade (Shutterstock)
The New York Pride march is the oldest in the world, starting back in 1970 to commemorate the Stonewall Riots the year before.
It is also the largest, with thousands of international participants and more people lining the route from Lower Manhattan to Greenwich Village. The parade passes the Stonewall National Monument, the first national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights and history.
The march is only one part of the celebrations, however. Revellers can also expect guided tours, street fairs, and many iconic LGBTQ+ venues throughout the village.
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam’s famous Canal Parade (Shutterstock)
It’s only natural that one of the most liberal and open cities in the world has one of the most colourful and vibrant Pride festivals.
Pride Amsterdam is marked throughout August, offering a packed calendar of concerts, street parties, open-air cinema screenings and family events.
The highlight is the Canal Parade, held over the first weekend of August, where more than 80 boats take to the city’s famous waterways, riotously decorated and jammed with brightly dressed revellers. Festivities end with a giant party on Dam Square.
3. São Paulo, Brazil
Bringing a touch of Carnival to São Paulo Pride (Shutterstock)
The São Paulo LGBTQ+ Pride Parade in early June is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the largest in the world. This being Brazil, it is one of the most colourful, with a distinctly carnival vibe. It’s almost 5km long, and has taken place since 1997.
Strongly supported by local and federal government, many politicians clamber for a role on one of the colourful floats. Despite a more conservative government in power, the parade continues to flourish. São Paulo has always been a city apart.
4. Madrid, Spain
Alcala Gate in Madrid celebrating Pride (Shutterstock)
Spain’s Pride Week starts at the end of June and while the parade is the highlight, you can also expect a closing party and an annual Mr Gay Pride Spain contest.
Madrid Pride has strong community support, and can you blame them? It is one of thebiggest Pride celebrations in Europe, leaving a trail of tinsel and glitter from close to the botanical garden in the city centre to Plaza de Colón.
5. Reykjavik, Iceland
Skólavörðustígur street in Reykjavik during Pride (Shutterstock)
Known as the ‘Biggest Little Pride in the world’, this colourful event in early August brings tens of thousands of people into the city centre every year to celebrate and show solidarity with the LBGTQ+ community in Reykjavik.
People of all gender identities, friends, relatives and a growing number of tourists come together to celebrate and support universal human rights.
Reykjavik Pride has been celebrated annually since 1998. This cosy little Pride was originally visited by some 1,500 onlookers. In recent years more than 200,000 people have turned out for the parade – pretty impressive, given that the national population is only around 368,000.
6. Minneapolis, USA
Twin Cities Pride in Minneapolis (Visit USA)
The most colourful of Minnesota’s festivals is Minneapolis’s Twin Cities Pride. Almost 400,000 people visit for this week-long celebration, with everything from picnics to parades.
The main festival takes place at Minneapolis’ Loring Park across a weekend in late June. Expect to LGBTQI+ food vendors and a live music stage to get you in the party mood.
If you want to explore the local scene, we suggest heading to 19 Bar, a low-key dive bar which has served the local gay community
7. Berlin, Germany
CSD Berlin march near Brandenburg Gate (Creative Commons: Jorg Kanngierer)
Pride celebrations in Berlin are a little different from the rest of Europe. Sure, there are parties and concerts, readings and exhibitions, colourful costumes and glitter. But there is a strong, underlying political message as well – connecting to the festival’s roots.
That focus can be seen in the event’s title, CSD Berlin. CSD stands for Christopher Street Day, the street where the Stonewall riots occurred.
The Berlin Parade meanwhile, held at the end of June, is as much a protest as a celebration. Both events are a reminder that things have changed for the better, but there is still work to be done.
8. Benidorm, Spain
Revellers at Benidorm Pride (VisitBenidorm)
It may be the new kid on the block, but Benidorm’s Pride celebrations are putting the focus back on fun. Its slogan is ‘Fun, Friendly, Flirty!’ and the festivities in early September are a giddy cavalcade of street parties, discos, street parades and novelties.
Don’t miss the famed High Heel Race, where the town’s most vivacious drag queens try to sprint down Calle de la Alameda, without breaking their heels.
9. London, UK
Pride on the streets of London (Shutterstock)
The UK’s biggest and most diverse Pride, Pride in London, is a month-long celebration culminating in a huge parade and free concert in the city’s iconic Trafalgar Square. This year celebrates 50 years since the UK’s first Pride.
The emphasis is on inclusivity, with special events for LGBTQ+ youth and families, as well as the usual all-night discos, exhibitions and theatres events. One of the oldest in Europe, Pride in London continues to fly the rainbow flag with gusto, with each year taking on a different theme.
10. Mexico City, Mexico
On the way to the Zocala during Mexico City Pride (Shutterstock)
Billed as the ‘largest, wildest and most fun’ Gay Pride event in Latin America, Mexico City’s Pride March at the end of June starts at the soaring Angel of Independence victory column in Zona Rosa and ends with an all-night party in the city’s iconic Zocalo.
Already well known for its lively gay scene, Mexico City really turns it on during Pride. Little wonder then that people come from all over the world to join in the fiesta.
11. Chicago, USA
Pride balloons in East Lakeview, Chicago (Alamy)
This could be the party of all Pride parties. Every June, Chicago hosts a mighty bash and invites everyone to come and join. The two-day celebration includes a 6.4km parade complete with marching bands and amazing floats topped with performers. Halsted Street is where to head for most of the action, with its 35 seven-metre-high Rainbow Pylons which honour important figures within the LGBTQ+ community.
Elsewhere, there are street fairs, live music, drag acts, and dance parties – especially in the LGBQT neighbourhoods of Boystown in East Lakeview and Girlstown in Andersonville. The city is truly bursting at the seams with colour, and of course, pride.
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In the first episode of Wanderlust: Off the Page, founding editor Lyn Hughes explains why Brazil is on the hot list for 2022 and discusses her very special travel experience there.
The radio burst into life and Jessica, one of my two guides, grinned as she turned to me: “A pair of jaguars have been seen… You want to see if we can find them?” Mario accelerated and the open safari vehicle tore along unpaved track deep in Brazil’s Pantanal region while Jessica and I pulled on ponchos to deter the winter chill blasting our faces.
As we reached the location where the jaguars had been seen, we heard the alarm calls of jays announcing their presence. The road was bordered by a strip of forest and Mario had picked a spot that gave us the best possible view, but we saw nothing. The minutes ticked by. Suddenly, he hissed something in Portuguese to Jessica, then turned to me and said that he thought he’d heard a noise, so we drove back a short way before detouring up a grassy track.
We emerged in a tree-dotted field behind the woodland. Mario turned the engine off and we scanned the pasture in silence, our senses alert. In unison we spotted a powerfully built male jaguar with a huge round head. It sat in the grass, relaxed, before loping across towards the trees and disappearing. It was only then, as we turned to leave, that we realised a female jaguar was in the field too. She was much smaller than him, almost sylph-like in comparison, and as she strolled towards the same patch of forest, she took a line closer to our car, completely unperturbed at our presence.
Capybaras hang out in social family groups (Simon Chubb)
Entering the woods, she made her way along the other side of the wire fence that bordered it, staying often in sight. She then came back out into the field, looking back all the time for the male, and rolled in the grass in a provocative manner. She seemed to be playing a game of come hither: one minute hard to get, the next displaying herself to the male. It worked, as he reappeared and settled down to watch her. As twilight fell, she walked past us another time, just five metres from where we sat. The male was clearly fixated with her but kept his distance. Eventually they both headed off across the field together. By now it was pitch black and fireflies danced in the meadow. Switching the headlights on, we slowly followed the pair, keeping a respectful distance.
Jessica revealed that the female was known as Juju and was two years and three months old. “We know her mother, Nusa, very well,” she said. “We first saw Juju as a tiny cub, so she is very used to us. But the male we do not recognise. He is possibly a new one to the ranch.”
Searching with Jessica and Mario for the pair of jaguar (Simon Chubb)
We turned back down to the road and drove on, exhilarated and chatting excitedly. “Even for us that was exceptional,” announced Jessica. But before I could answer, there was a sudden but significant movement in the trees at the side of the road. Mario slammed on the brakes. Another jaguar had started to run across the road but stopped, and instead ran alongside the treeline parallel to us. “That’s Nusa,” exclaimed Jessica, “the mother of Juju.” The animal crossed behind us and made a guttural noise, something between a cough and a roar, before heading off.
We had driven full-circle and, as we approached the reception area of the ranch, we spotted the jaguars again. The female strolled confidently into the complex, sitting for a while outside one building just as a domestic cat would. She then sauntered past reception, where there were people inside and the door was mostly pulled shut.
Spotlight superstar: Juju strolling past the rangers’ car, enticing the male to follow her (Simon Chubb)
She moved away from the buildings and the male approached her. They were absorbed in each other and oblivious to our lights as they mated right there, in the open, in the beam of our car headlights.
It had only been a couple of hours since I’d arrived at the Caiman Ecological Refuge in Brazil’s southern Pantanal, and what I’d seen was overwhelming. Here, the world’s largest wetland extends some 180,000 sq km across Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. However, over 90% of it is privately owned land, with cattle farming dominating a region home to the Americas’ greatest concentration of wildlife. Sadly, the two aren’t easy bedfellows, but I had come to see how a pair of projects was not only changing minds locally but helping visitors to get closer to the area’s rare wildlife in the company of those battling to protect it.
The road seldom taken
Giant anteater on the search for the 30,000 termites a day that it eats (Simon Chubb)
The four-hour car journey from state capital Campo Grande had been enlivened by spotting rheas and flat fields full of grazing Brahman, the off-white Asian cattle that thrive in the harshest parts of South America. At one point the driver pulled up, gesturing excitedly. There was a giant anteater ambling the verge; it was the first one I’d ever seen and an extraordinary sight, but it disappeared quickly from view.
At the small town of Miranda we turned off the highway and started down an unmade road, the earth now a distinctive orange-red colour. A few kilometres on, we spotted another giant anteater in the neighbouring cattle field. We pulled up and I slowly and quietly approached the wire fence. The anteater was huge; the size of a large golden retriever. It was oblivious to me as its long thin snout sought out some of the 30,000 ants or termites it eats a day. I was close enough to hear the noise its long, sticky tongue made, a sound akin to someone sucking the end of a drink through a straw.
Driving on, we entered the Caiman Estancia, a working ranch that is also home to the Caiman Ecological Refuge. Owned by rancher, conservationist and businessman Roberto Klabin, it combines ecotourism and conservation alongside traditional cattle farming.
Caiman congregate on the banks of the Pantanal (Simon Chubb)
We passed more fields before they gave way to a mosaic of habitats. Rainy season was over but water still sat on the open areas of grassland, filled with birdlife and snoozing caimans. As our accommodation at Baiazinha Lodge came into sight, stilts raising it high above the water, I wondered whether I had stumbled on some magical animal kingdom. A pair of beautiful hyacinth macaws were sitting in a tree while a giant anteater snuffled the banks of a stream below and a family of capybara – the world’s largest rodent – grazed on the grass by the lodge.
We pulled up and I was greeted by Jessica and Mario, who were to be my guides for the next few days. They actually work for Projeto Onçafari, the jaguar conservation project based at the ranch, and so combine fieldwork and research with guiding interested visitors. While excellent guides and activities are laid on for all guests, there is also the opportunity for a more immersive conservation experience by pre-booking to spend time with the project team, and I had opted to do that for my whole stay.
I mentioned to them how much wildlife I had seen in just the last couple of minutes, including the fact there was a giant anteater just a couple of hundred metres away. Jessica had a theory: “It’s chilly today – winter has arrived and we have a cold front from Paraguay. It can be more common to see anteaters and other animals in the daytime when it is cool.”
It was late afternoon and I’d been travelling for over 24 hours, so it would have been tempting to have a shower and relax. But I was itching to get straight out and see even more. And thank heavens I did, as it was minutes later that Mario got the call about the jaguars having been seen and we then enjoyed three or four hours of the most extraordinary wildlife watching I’ve ever experienced.
Changing attitudes
A caracara with the small crab that it has just caught (Simon Chubb)
The next day Jessica gave me an introduction to the Onçafari project – a pun on onça (pronounced ‘on-sa’), meaning ‘big cat’, and ‘on safari’. Jaguar numbers are hard to estimate, given how secretive they are. However, what is known is that throughout the Americas their historic range has shrunk by more than 50% and that their numbers are a fraction of what they once were. Brazil is home to a major proportion of the world’s jaguars, and since 1967 it has been illegal to hunt them. But that hasn’t always been enforced as it should. Even here in the Pantanal, some farmers will kill jaguars to protect their livestock.
Onçafari accepts that jaguars will kill cattle, usually calves or sick animals. Farmers had been claiming they lost 10-to-20% of their cattle each year to the feline predators, but studies have shown that the real number is far less. Indeed, here on the ranch where a very healthy population of jaguars live, fewer than 1% of cattle is lost each year.
“It is easy to blame jaguars for any missing or dead livestock,” explained Jessica. The project is therefore trying to develop and promote ways of preventing conflict between jaguars and farmers. It also aims to show that a jaguar is worth more alive than dead, and can have a positive socioeconomic impact on the region through tourism.
“A survey in the north Pantanal concluded jaguars cost US$56,000 a year in lost cattle but bring in up to $3 million a year in tourism,” said Mario Haberfeld, co-founder of Projeto Onçafari, when I met him the next day. “The farmers have always hated jaguars, but some are starting to change. You have to show them numbers, so they can understand how the jaguars are not killing as many cattle as they think, and how much having the animals on their land can benefit them.”
Burrowing owls can be seen on look-out on fence posts (Simon Chubb)
Mario was fascinated by wildlife as a child and that passion has stayed with him. “I used to be a racing car driver,” he told me. “When I retired, I knew that I wanted to work in conservation. I spent two years travelling to see wildlife and what was saving animals. I came to Caiman with a ranger friend from South Africa. We said to Roberto that people like the place, the food, the birds. But what they want to see is jaguars. We need to make them viewable by people.”
And so began a plan to slowly habituate the jaguars on the ranch to vehicles. “We started seeing jaguars regularly after three years of the project,” Mario added. “Last year, 99% of visitors viewed them in high season.”
Other work that the project carries out includes monitoring the jaguars to learn more about them, so several are collared and there are camera traps along many trails. The ranch was also the site of a successful reintroduction programme where two orphaned cubs were returned to the wild; this was even the subject of a BBC documentary called Jaguars: Brazil’s Super Cats.
You would expect Mario to be against cattle farming but he was actually positive: “Cattle saved the Pantanal,” he explained. “If there was no livestock, people would have found a way to plant soy beans or another agricultural crop, and that would have been disastrous for the wildlife and ecosystem. Visitors are also interested in the local Pantanal culture – it gives the place its identity.”
Of course, like most successful conservation programmes, the plan is not just to save one species but a whole ecosystem. The jaguar is the flagship species, but by helping it, the project benefits the economy, creates jobs and preserves the Pantanal and all the other species who live here. It’s not all about the jaguars, as I was about to discover.
Birds of a feather
A pair of hyacinth macaws showing each other affection. Macaws are monogamous, mating for life (Dreamstime)
Another long-running and highly successful wildlife project on the ranch focuses on the largest species of parrot in the world, the hyacinth macaw. It is endangered thanks to habitat loss and hunting, but the Pantanal is still a stronghold because of the efforts of Projeto Arara Azul (Hyacinth Macaw Project), founded by Neiva Guedes in the early 1990s.
The next morning, after the usual wake-up from the ‘Pantanal alarm clock’ (aka the raucous call of the chachalaca bird), I joined Neiva and some of her team as they toured the ranch monitoring nests. The first stop was a handsome tree very close to the lodge.
“This is a disputed tree,” smiled one of the team. As well as a manmade nesting box for hyacinth macaws, there was also a pair of jabiru storks sat on a huge nest as well as a pair of nesting ibis. They were all angry at us being there, each demonstrating their profound displeasure through a different indignant call.
Hyacinth macaws are one of the largest and rarest animals in the world (Simon Chubb)
A researcher checks a hyacinth macaw nest hollowed out in the tree (Simon Chubb)
A metallic band was around the tree to try and prevent predators, such as ocelots or opossums, from climbing it to reach the hyacinth nest. Two of the team had on climbing equipment, and one went up the ropes to monitor the nesting box. They took photos and reported that there were no eggs yet, but that there were signs that the macaws had been “exploring” it, and they had been building up the nest with fresh wood chips, which they had pecked off the nest box.
One factor that surprised me, and probably doesn’t help in their survival, is just how highly specialised (read limited) the macaws are. Their main food source is the acuri tree, which produces even in dry season. They eat the hard nut in the centre of the tree’s fruit, and coexist well with the local livestock because cattle eat the fruit but defecate or regurgitate the nuts that the macaws then devour.
“There are more than enough acuri trees in the Pantanal for the birds to survive on,” said one of the researchers. “The limiting factor here is the lack of trees to nest in. They will usually only nest in manduvi trees, as they have a big enough trunk and are soft enough to hollow out a nest.” These are in short supply, which is why the nest boxes put up by the team have taken on such importance, given they also have a higher success rate for the survival of chicks.
We spent the morning being squawked at by irritated macaws as we visited tree after tree, some with cameras set within or above them. We watched footage from one of the nests and could see a pair of macaws being loving to each other. The birds are monogamous and mate for life, living 40 to 45 years in the wild. “They spend a lot of time cuddling,” said one of the team. “Macaws care very much for their families and for each other. They really are partners.”
One final encounter
Juju decides which way to go (Simon Chubb)
If having an insight into these projects was enhancing my visit, every excursion was throwing up its own rewards. On one night drive we spotted three handsome ocelots hanging around under a bridge, lying in wait to catch fish. On the same drive a tapir, South America’s largest native mammal, lumbered through a field next to the track we were following. And sitting in an open vehicle at night with around 100 wild peccaries surrounding us will go down as one of the most surreal, as well as smelliest, experiences I’ve ever had.
One activity I was keen to do was to get out on the water on a sunset canoe trip. So, late afternoon on my last day, we headed out in a vehicle. The sun was shining and it promised to be a glorious sunset. But then the radio crackled into life. “There’s a jaguar!” relayed Jessica. “It’s probably Juju. Do you want to go and see her?” There could only be one answer.
A familiar head was peeping above some golden grass. Her senses were alert and her ears twitched as she looked around, yet she seemed entirely oblivious to our presence. As we watched on, we wondered if she was looking for the male who had been her love interest for the past day or two.
The minutes ticked away. “What do you want to do?” asked Jessica, needing a decision. “If we leave now, we still have time to make it to the canoes for sunset…”
I knew that Juju might stay where she was for hours, semiconcealed by the long grass. And so I agonised what to do. But, as I was about to acquiesce, Juju made up my mind for me, slowly rising to her feet and stretching – almost teasing me to stay.
As cameras clicked, and the atmosphere between those of us watching her became so charged that it felt tangible, Juju coolly sashayed through the grass. Was she really so oblivious to us that our presence made no difference? Or was she simply enjoying the attention, the admiration, the adulation?
She passed within a few metres of us, reached the red-earth road and paused. There she sat for a moment, looking for all the world like a domestic tabby cat deciding which way to go. Slowly rising, she sauntered off down the road. Engines started and we formed a respectfully slow procession behind her, loyal subjects all.
A jabiru stork in flight (Dreamstime)
The Trip
The author travelled to Brazil with Audley Travel. A similar 13-day tailormade trip, includes flights, transfers, four nights at Caiman Ecological Refuge, one night in Cuiabá, two nights at Cristalino Jungle Lodge in the southern Amazon, one night in Rio and three nights at Casa Cairucu, Paraty. It also includes the Hyacinth Macaw Project and a private excursion with Onçafari at Caiman.
Accommodation
Caiman Ecological Refuge is in the southern Pantanal, 240km west of Campo Grande. The author stayed at Caiman’s Baiazinha Lodge, which is set overlooking a lake. Included activities and guiding are excellent; excursions with the Onçafari team and the Hyacinth Macaw Project cost extra and should be booked in advance.
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