Brazil is one of the main cultural destinations in the world

Although internationally famous as a destination for nature tourism, Brazil is also a powerhouse on the cultural tourism segment, ranking eighth in the world in terms of cultural potential according to the World Economic Forum. In a recent report, the WEF highlighted Brazil's diverse offer of sporting events, business tourism activities and folklore of the different Brazilian regions as the main attractions. The report also indicated that Brazil's competitive prices for airline tickets and hotel rates are also important factors driving tourist inflows. Brazil's visitor infrastructure is ranked 39th in the world. A total 6.3 million foreigners visited the country in 2017.

Learn more about five of Brazil's main cultural attractions.

1. Paraty International Literary Festival

Prefeitura do Rio

Visitors to the event can stroll through the streets of the historic centre, the home to several literary debates between authors and the public. In addition to contact with household names in Brazilian literature, visitors to Paraty (a bucolic city on the coast of Rio de Janeiro state) also have the chance to take a tour through Brazil's history: the city still preserves monuments such as the Morro do Forte, a military stronghold built during the colonial period.

2. Parintins Festival

Governo do Amazonas

The richness of Brazilian folklore, with strong influences from indigenous culture, is exalted in Amazonas every July at the Parintins festival and its celebration of the Boi-Bumbá, a mythological ox. The festivities run for three days, and the festival's iconic parade tells the story of the death and resurrection of the Boi.

3. Oktoberfest

Prefeitura de Blumenal

The traditional German festivity is re-enacted every October in Blumenal (state of Santa Catarina) by descendants of German immigrants who arrived in the country in the early nineteenth century. It is Brazil's yearly date with Germany.

4. Cavalhada

Governo do Mato Grosso

The Cavalhada, a celebration of strong Portuguese influence, is one of the most traditional festivities in the city of Pirenópolis (state of Goiás). The event lasts for three days. The horse riding parade, which takes place in the middle of the historic section of the city, re-enacts a battle between two armies of medieval knights.

5. São João

Agência Brasil

Campina Grande, a city in Paraíba, hosts one of the country's biggest São João parties. The festivities, also called Festas Juninas ("June Festivals"), celebrate Brazilian northeastern culture and welcome visitors with massive amounts of forró music, quadrilha square dances and traditional foods and drinks such as pamonha and quentão.