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| My fascination with Brazil and my quest to visit all of its 26 states. (For the record, I have made it to the dozen cities on that signpost.) |
Big Brazil (pop. 212,000,000) has about half the people and half the land of South America
(±1 or 2%)! I've been visiting Brazil often and it's like going to far more than just one country.
Another way to visualize Brazil’s size is to compare its 26 states to countries. Viewed this way, my explorations around Brazil are more like visiting 26 countries!
The states vary considerably in terms of landscapes, cultural heritage, special sites, ethnic composition, politics, and so on.
My current quest is to visit each of Brazil’s 26
● Last summer I saw jaguars, macaws, and giant anteaters in Matto Grosso and Matto Grosso do Sul.
● This month, I visited two more new states — Alagonas and Sergipe (circled in blue on the map below). That puts me at 19 visited, 7 to go.
● In June ’25, my plan is to go to three more states (the red oval on the map) where I’m eager to see the dramatic dunes of Lencois Maranhenses, historic Sao Luiz, and idyllic Jericoacoara.
● That will leave only the four distant and less visited border states in northwestern Brazil for later trips.
In the meantime, here are some recent highlights from Maceió, the capital of Alagonas, and Aracaju, capital of Sergipe — the two smallest states in Brazil.
Maceió, Alagonas
Algoas has about 3,000,000 residents; 1,000,000 live in Maceió.
Maceió’s beaches have an almost mystical reputation among the Brazilians I
talked to (who had never been there!), so I had high expectations. As it
turned out, the beaches were crowded and very nice — but not quite as spectacular as I was expecting. Perhaps
the special appeal is the long offshore reef which creates a big, safe,
“swimming pool” that is wave-free.
Here I am below with the Portuguese “Eu
♥ ___” signs for Praia do Francês, Barra de São Miguel, and, back in the
city, Maceió.
I get chill bumps when I come across one of the many
hundreds of replicas of the Statue of Liberty
around the world. And here she is again, Frédéric Bartholdi’s brilliant
sculpture, shining her light in Maceió.
Bom Jesus dos Martirios Church mixed many architectural styles, but I don’t recall ever seeing a church with spires with swirls like an ice cream cone. Across from it is the Floriano Peixoto Palace, once a government center and now a good museum.
My hotel was by Maceió’s busy Pajuçara Beach lined with coconut trees and a promenade. One afternoon I looked out my window and was surprised to see a Candomblé ritual because this Afro-Brazilian religion is practiced most in Bahia, a state several hundred miles to south.
Candomblé does not have many adherents (under 2% even in Bahia) but its colorful, exotic practices give it a high profile. They worship deities known as orixás. This group, dressed in blue, was probably honoring Iemanjá, goddess of the sea.
Aracaju, Sergipe
Sergipe is Brazil's smallest state but it has over 2,200,000 people. About one-third live in its capital Aracaju (pop. 660,000).
I enjoyed my three leisurely days in Aracaju which was more mellow and less
crowded than Maceió. Aracaju had one of the best and largest crafts markets that I have seen in Brazil. I went early in the morning when it was cool and
not yet busy.
Along the waterfront is a creative array of eight major cultural archetypes of Sergipe. Each sculpture is about 7 meters (23 feet) tall. Across the street is the wonderful Museu da Gente Sergipana which incorporates technology to present the state's traditions, folklore, and daily life.
The city's de facto logo — four arches over "Eu ♥ Aracaju" — was surrounded by Christmas decorations. Ironically, amusingly, or
sadly, across the street was a McDonald's with is own arches.
And More
Before exploring Maceió and Aracaju, I stopped off to visit great
Brazilian friends in Curitiba, spend time in Rio (my Copacabana view below) where an American expat buddy
thrives, and enjoy the insufficiently appreciated beaches and hospitality of
Fortaleza (bottom photo below).
