São Paulo
São Paulo is one of the largest cities in the world, with about 11 million people living in the city itself and about 20 million in the greater area. Like most big cities, São Paulo has a vibrant cultural life and has many museum's, art galleries, and places of cultural significance. It has several neighborhoods with very interesting nightlife, excellent restaurants, and pretty much anything you might want to find in a big city. The city is also a frequent contender of the worst traffic in the world, so it is probably not worth venturing far away from the subway system. Most international flights connect through the Guarulhos airport, so stopping here won't add so much time to your trip. This is a good option if you expect that 25 hours of continuous travel will simply be too much.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the most famous city in Brazil because of its beaches, mountains, music, culture, and famous carnival in February. It is also an enormous city of nearly 8 million people. Raquel and I have not been there but very much would like to go. The city can be expensive but there are certainly ways to economize. The picture shows a view of the city from Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf). Many international flights connect to Rio de Janeiro. Stopping here is a good option if you expect that 25 hours of continuous travel will simply be too much.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is another big city and the capital of Argentina. It is famous for its architecture, tangos, and culture and food derived from its many Italian immigrants. I recommend the Hotel Viamonte, where we stayed in 2006. Flying between Porto Alegre and Buenos Aires takes about an hour and a half, and may be welcome relief from Portunhol for those of you who speak Spanish.
Florianópolis & Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina has many very beautiful beaches and is a popular destination for both family vacations and students on break. Raquel, my dad, and I once stayed at bombinhas, which is a beach resort on the peninsula. Ingleses is also quite famous. Florianópolis is a beautiful city spread between an island and the mainland and is also worth a visit.
Torres
Torres is a nice place to visit the beach if you don't want to leave Rio Grande do Sul. You can easily catch a bus between Porto Alegre and Torres.
Gramado
Gramado is a small Bavarian themed town that is located about three hours drive from Porto Alegre. There is a regular bus service between the two cities. Gramadu sits high in the hills of southern Brazil and is generally cooler than Porto Alegre, so it may make for a good overnight trip for those wishing to escape the heat. It features many good restaurants and hotels, a park worth visiting, and a festival for Christmas. It is strangely similar to Leavenworth in Washington, only everyone speaks Portuguese.
Uruguay
Uruguay borders Rio Grade do Sul to the South and is a popular destination for Brazilians on vacation. In general, it is quite inexpensive. Its soccer teams generally lose to those from Porto Alegre. People there speak Spanish and are very familiar with Portunhol.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital of Chile and has a population of about 5.6 million people. It is a bit cooler than Brazil during the summer (December) because it sits at 1700 ft. I have never been there but it looks nice and I would like to go someday. The deserts on the Chilean cost also look interesting, and if you go to Chile, be sure to visit the Andes and enjoy the local wine.
Salvador
Salvador was the first capital of Brazil and the capital of Bahia state. It contains some of the remnants of the colonial period, including old cathedrals and a historic district. Salvador sits in a beautiful bay and there are several nice beaches nearby.
Fortaleza
Fortaleza is a big city in the Northeast of Brazil, with about 3.7 million inhabitants. It was, for a time, occupied by the Dutch, and you can still see it occasionally from the architecture. It has sandy beaches, a beach park, and is near many other tropical beaches that are popular with both Brazilians and tourists.
Recife
This city is warm because it is near the equator, and shows the colonial influence of the Dutch. It has beautiful sandy beaches, a historic cathedral and theater, and a modern subway system.
Maceío
Raquel's mother moved to Maceío recently for a university job. It is a very popular tourist destination because it is near some of the best white sand beaches you can find anywhere. There are daily flights from São Paulo, though they can be expensive. Hotels and restaurants in Maceío are fairly cheap, and it's a very nice place to go if you want to swim in the ocean and sit on the beach with a cold caipirinha and a little fried shrimp.
Rio Grande do Norte
Rio Grande do Norte is also famous for its beaches and from what I hear very very beautiful. I have never been there. Flights to Natal (one of the biggest cities in the state) can be expensive. There are many places to scuba dive in Rio Grade do Norte.
Foz de Iguaçu
Foz de Iguaçu is by most measures either the largest or second largest waterfall in the world (Victoria falls in South Africa is the other contender). I have never been there but it looks spectacular, and it's on the short list of places I feel I must visit sometime in my life.
I hope this list is enough to get you thinking. If you feel like going a bit further away, you might consider going to Peru, the Amazon Rainforest, exploring other parts of Argentina or Chile, or spending a bit of time in the Andes.
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