The first thing that comes to our mind when we talk about Brazil is the beautiful beaches, Rio de Janeiro, samba and bossa-nova, isn’t it? But at this time, our Brazilian team invites us to know a different country, touristic but at the same time simple. The team invited four couples from Instagram to show us the best countryside places you must know and how is their days pass by with Skechers.
A weekend in Rio de Janeiro hills
Clara and Gustavo, from @lugaresqueamamos show Rio from a different perspective. The state of Rio de Janeiro has natural and cultural riches that go far beyond the beautiful beaches. There are many other super cool places to know in the Marvelous City. Our mission was to put lightweight Skechers sneakers on our feet and leave to clear another side of the city.
The first stop was at Mirante Dona Marta, a touristic spot that is very famous due to the beautiful view of Rio de Janeiro. The Mirante has 360 meters and, from the top, you can see the Cristo Redentor, the Pão de Açúcar, the Maracanã Stadium, the Guanabara Bay, the Rio-Niterói Bridge, and the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, among others. Having a free day in Rio de Janeiro, you can also go to nearby places, and feel another way to enjoy your trip, leaving the beaches and the hot weather behind to enter into a mountain range called Serra Fluminense. It’s a colder place and you can know Teresópolis, the city that was the capital of the country and where the emperors built their palaces in the XVIII century.
Just two hours from the city of Rio, Teresópolis boasts its beauty in many ways, whether through the towering mountains or the trails that lead to waterfalls, wells and overlooks with stunning views. Among the attractions are the famous Pico de Deus, Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos and Granja Comary. This last place is the seat of the Brazilian Football Confederation. In just one weekend it was possible to enjoy Rio de Janeiro in different but incredible ways. And at all times our Skechers accompanied us making our walk even more pleasurable and comfortable.
Beautiful horizons from Belo Horizonte
The second couple we invited, Filipe and Renata from @estilofire, show us the charm of Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais State. It´s separated from Rio de Janeiro by mountains and fields where people grow coffee. Because of its history, Belo Horizonte was born modern. As the first planned Brazilian city, in 1897, BH (as we call it), was growing gentle, like its native people. It’s where you’ll find the most receptive and warm people of the country, who are, by far, the best attraction of the city. No visit to BH is complete without a visit to the Pampulha Lagoon, a touristic complex of the city that houses the Pampulha Church—designed by the renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer, the same professional that designed our political capital, Brasilia.
Continuing the ride by the beautiful landscape and architecture, we find the Praça da Liberdade. It´s a synthesis of different styles, bypassing the Circuito Liberdade, recognized as the most important cultural areas of the country. It features 15 buildings including museums, centers of culture and formations that exhibit different aspects of the cultural and artistic universe. Parque Serra do Curral is formed by the mountains that surround the city and holds natural and artistic wonders within beautiful environmental reserves. In recent years Belo Horizonte has gained prominence through the Inhotim Institute, one of the most popular cultural centers in the world. Through all of our explorations wearing Skechers made the journey beyond comfortable.
A romantic walk in Piracicaba, the Brazilian Florence
In the heart of São Paulo state, there is a charming city cut by a magical river where the cupid plays and people fall in love with each other through an eternal dancing night. It is Piracicaba, the Brazilian Florence, the Bride of the Hill, the place where Lorena and Matheus, from the @eaivamosnos, chose for sightseeing. Tourists can note that they arrived in a different place when they heard the strong countryside accent and see all the young people living who study at one of the eight local universities. One of the universities is ESALQ-USP, with an environment full of beautiful gardens and lawns with neoclassical buildings created by Belgian landscape architect Arsenio Puttemans in 1907.
The city grew up around the Piracicaba river, one of the most important rivers of São Paulo. One of its main touristic points is the Engenho Central, listed by historical patrimony (não entendi!), built to replace slave labor by the wage earner and mechanizations. Those who access it through Avenida Beira Rio have the privilege of crossing the Suspension Bridge, from where you can observe the current of the river and the old buildings of the Engenho. Ahead of the Suspension Bridge is the Rua do Porto (Porto Street), famous for its restaurants with traditional fish on the grill. And, next door, there is a good option for walking, “Parque do Rua do Porto”!
These two loved wearing Skechers on this adventure and told us: “What got us out of the comfort of our couch was the comfort of Skechers shoes. When we realized how comfortable the shoes were, we wanted to put them on for a lot of walking. And we did two days of walking in Piracicaba. And when we got home, we did not even feel the need to take out our shoes… No tired feet!”
São Roque, the wine city in São Paulo countryside
Mariliza and Paulo, from @tripadois, visited two cities in São Paulo countryside. They started in São Roque which is an easy place for a short trip to enjoy beautiful walks, varied restaurants and the wines, spirits, distilled, artichokes and sweets produced in the city.
Especially worthy of checking out is the ecological reserve known locally as “Mata da Câmara”, a municipal park in which one can admire the natural vegetation of the Atlantic Forest, with its typical orchids, bromeliads, etc. The area is part of the so-called “greenbelt of the Atlantic Forest”, recognized as a natural heritage of humanity by UNESCO.
An American Settlement in Brazil
Their second stop should be especially interesting to Americans. Did you know that there was an American immigration to Brazil? Yes! Southern survivors of the Civil War started immigration to Brazil in 1867. The chosen city was Santa Barbara d’Oeste, in the São Paulo countryside. Along with their customs and cultures, Americans also brought new agricultural methods and techniques and new religious creeds to Brazil. On September 10, 1871, the first Brazilian Baptist church was founded in those lands. The city is also considered the birthplace of the automobile industry in Brazil, responsible for the production of the first automobile in Brazil in 1956, Romi-Isetta. Mariliza and Paulo laced up their Skechers sneakers and enjoyed the nice weather and saw it as a perfect chance for a workout in the park.
What a trip with so much to see! Brazil is a massive country with varying climates so there’s always somewhere to find great weather any time of year. The transitional spring-like season from now through October is particularly perfect for a visit filled with blooms ahead of the summer heat. Have you ever been to Brazil? Let us know your favorite part of this beautiful South American nation in the comments. And don’t forget to visit skechers.com to find your next perfect pair of comfortable shoes for global exploration!
Filed under: Life & Style Tagged: travel
