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South American Ports-What to Do?


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We are making plans for tours on our Celebrity Rio Carnival Cruise leaving in January 2016. We are set with what we want to do at our starting point, Buenos Aires and have already booked our tickets for the Sambadrome in Rio for the Carnival but we are unsure of what, if anything is worthwhile in the other ports. Those ports are:

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Ilhabela, Brazil

Buzios, Brazil

Punta Del Este, Uraguay

Montevideo, Uraguay

 

Any suggestions would help us since this will be the first time to South America for our group of 3 couples. If just walking around the port is the best option, please let us know but if there is something not to be missed, we would appreciate a suggestion. Not looking for anything overly strenuos but walking is no problem. Thanks in advance for any help.

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I only know Montevideo. There was a booth with excursion offers at the end of the pier. Check the excursions the ship offers to see if anything appeals to you as a destination. Nothing did in Montevideo so we decided to walk into the old town which is right there.

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We are making plans for tours on our Celebrity Rio Carnival Cruise leaving in January 2016. We are set with what we want to do at our starting point, Buenos Aires and have already booked our tickets for the Sambadrome in Rio for the Carnival but we are unsure of what, if anything is worthwhile in the other ports. Those ports are:

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Ilhabela, Brazil

Buzios, Brazil

Punta Del Este, Uraguay

Montevideo, Uraguay

 

Any suggestions would help us since this will be the first time to South America for our group of 3 couples. If just walking around the port is the best option, please let us know but if there is something not to be missed, we would appreciate a suggestion. Not looking for anything overly strenuos but walking is no problem. Thanks in advance for any help.

For Punta Del Este, we did a wonderful bike tour. The port is a very nice beach resort. The tour takes you around the entire peninsula.

 

www.biketoursuruguay.com

 

Montevideo, we did a tour with SouthExcursions that included the city and then a nice winery. Excellent tour.

 

South Excursions |

Commercial Department South America

5 Norte 209 (Esq. 5 Poniente) Office N° 05

Viña Del Mar, Chile | Chile Mobile Nº: +(56 09) 7 599 2003

Chile Office: (+56 32) 251-7714 | USA Office: (+1 561) 705-0107

www.SouthExcursions.cl | www.SouthExcursions.com

MDT & Co. LTDA | TourGuidesChile.com

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In Montevideo we did a wine tour with Ryan Hamilton (http://www.thewine-experience.com) (ryan@thewine-experience.com). Was a very relaxing day that we really enjoyed.

In Sao Paulo we toured with Around SP (http://www.aroundsp.com) or(info@aroundsp.com). We were just discussing this tour yesterday and the fact that we were really glad that we had visited this city. This tour was not inexpensive but the guide we had was excellent. We did an overnight here before we went to Rio (we arrived by plane, not ship).

Sounds like you have a great cruise coming up.

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Mark Ilhabela down as a lazy day - very pleasant but not a lot there.

You go ashore by tender - the ship moors in the channel between mainland & island, well-protected so a very very low risk of aborting due to wind or swell & a smooth tender ride.

A two-block village at the tender jetty - a few shops to browse, a few bars & cafes to while away some time, mebbe a longish walk to see the aluminium statues. No suitable beach.

Or a few taxis & vans in the village square to take you to a super little beach (one ramshackle bar) about 20 (?) minutes away, perhaps via a couple of small waterfalls if you want.

 

Montevideo we took a van tour from the port, don't recall the cost but inexpensive, sights included inside the Parliament, a couple of churches, some super statues, and drive-by's of the historic soccer stadium & the town beaches. Back opposite the port gate, there's a large warehouse that's been converted into a ..... well .... I guess you'd call it a "food court" but not like any food court you've seen. A dozen or so steak restaurants with open cooking all in one huge area. Have a wander round it - and see if you can resist the temptation. A few doors away, a tango museum - a waste of time.

 

All this about 4 years ago.

 

JB :)

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Thanks for the ideas but I'll never get my wife on a bike in Punta Del Este so seems like not much of a port. Maybe just get off the ship and walk around for an hour or two. Other ports also don't seem overly exciting (other than Rio). I don't mind a beach but didn't need to travel to South America for that when there are great beaches in the Caribbean. Seems like I may be just as well off in taking a few ship tours and call it a day unless there are a few other worthwhile suggestions.

 

Has anyone been on this cruise and have any other ideas???

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There's more to Rio than one evening at the Sambodromo. In addition to the Carnaval blocos (block parties) in the neighborhoods and the two heights ( the Cristo and Sugarloaf), take a look at the informational site http://www.ipanema.com to get a better idea of the city.

 

Sao Paulo, Brazil is not a port. The port is Santos, at least an hour away, depending on traffic and weather. SP is not a particularly touristic city, more a massive hive of highrise residences and offices, but you can keep yourself busy exploring some of the neighborhoods (Liberdade, Jardins, go up the Banespa or Italia building to see the extent of the skyscrapers) for a day. Or go to a beach near Santos, Guaruja for example.

 

Ilhabela, Brazil is a beach destination. Anything else on offer is a bit of a stretch. Popular and expensive getaway for the more well-off of those zillions of workers swarming the streets of S.P.

 

Buzios, Brazil is a popular, very upscale little beach village not far from Rio. Shop, stroll, eat, beach, see the Bardot statue.

 

Realistically (from reading these cruise itineraries) more culture or spectacular nature in Brazil (charming Colonial mountain towns, jaguars and other wildlife, multiple huge waterfalls, African music and culture, rain fed lakes in miles of sand dunes, Amazon jungle, UNESCO World Heritage areas, and more) requires at least a week or two of travel within the country. I find the coastline of the northeast (Bahia and north) to be the most beautiful and culturally interesting. Quite different from the Caribbean, even if the common denominator is beach.

Edited by VidaNaPraia
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We've done port calls in Montevideo twice and Punta del Este once.

 

In addition to some interesting museums, Montevideo has the wonderful Mercado del Puerto. It was originally a rail station, but now has food stalls and restaurants -- ranging from wonderful empanadas at a small stall with all of about five seats at a counter for those who are not local and want to eat them immediately to lovely sit down restaurants with great service. It is also a very easy walk from where cruise ships are generally docked.

 

Punta del Este is a great beach opportunity, but there is also a lovely walk around the coast with great views and also some wonderful restaurants.

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We've done port calls in Montevideo twice and Punta del Este once.

 

In addition to some interesting museums, Montevideo has the wonderful Mercado del Puerto. It was originally a rail station, but now has food stalls and restaurants -- ranging from wonderful empanadas at a small stall with all of about five seats at a counter for those who are not local and want to eat them immediately to lovely sit down restaurants with great service. It is also a very easy walk from where cruise ships are generally docked.

 

Punta del Este is a great beach opportunity, but there is also a lovely walk around the coast with great views and also some wonderful restaurants.

 

Sounds like Punte Del Este is an ideal place to just relax, walk around and enjoy the sights which is fine with me. Is the area to walk around the coast and experience the great views walking distance from the ship or must we take a taxi. We will be booking a private tour in Montevideo.

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Sounds like Punte Del Este is an ideal place to just relax, walk around and enjoy the sights which is fine with me. Is the area to walk around the coast and experience the great views walking distance from the ship or must we take a taxi. We will be booking a private tour in Montevideo.

There are some things to see at Punte Del Este that are not right in the town/dock area. We are big walkers and bikers and would not mind the walk, but some would be challenged.

 

Here is some good info on the area

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punta_del_Este

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Looking at a similar cruise, with added ports of Parati and Rio Grande, in addition to those mentioned by OP.

 

Anyone with familiarity of these ports? How easy is it to DIY the Brazilian ports (we would probably just stay on Santos)? Will the smaller Brazilian ports end up just feeling like a Caribbean port, or will the Brazilian culture be evident?

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Punta del Este at the tender dock we picked up a taxi/jitney tour (1 or 1.5 hours). It was a great way to see the island. Jitney stopped at Casapueblo an artist's museum and hotel. Was pouring rain so we didn't go in but next time we will.

Montevideo we've done a city tour and then walked around the public market and then back to Constitution Square and the ship.

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Looking at a similar cruise, with added ports of Parati and Rio Grande, in addition to those mentioned by OP.

 

Anyone with familiarity of these ports? How easy is it to DIY the Brazilian ports (we would probably just stay on Santos)? Will the smaller Brazilian ports end up just feeling like a Caribbean port, or will the Brazilian culture be evident?

 

IMO Brazil does not feel anything like the Caribbean.

However, these places the cruises stop are all pretty touristy, both domestic and foreign.

 

Paraty has a small area of Colonial buildings, but not a very good beach. Better to go about 40 min by bus to Trindade for a beautiful beach. You could also take a boat trip around the area, with stops to swim. Boat operators should be waiting when you tender in.

 

Rio Grande? Do SUL? (There are a few Rio Grandes in Brazil.)

Can't tell you much about the south of the country. I prefer the northeast (Bahia and further up the coast).

Or Rio Grande do Norte near Natal?

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  • 3 months later...

We've been to Buenos Aires once and Brazil twice -- all the way up the northeast coast to Manaus. Kind of ambivalent about Buenos Aires, but Rio, Salvador do Bahia, and Recife we like; Fortaleza not so much.

 

We recently booked the following itinerary, canceling next year's Christmas-time Caribbean. Love the idea of celebrating Christmas and New Year's on a cruise.

 

14 Days Coastal Cruises

Norwegian Cruise Line • Norwegian Sun

Buenos Aires, Ilhabela, Rio de Janeiro (overnight), Buzios, Ilha do Maia, Santos, Punta del Este, Montevideo, Buenos Aires (overnight)

1 departure date: Dec 23 2016

Inside from

$1659

$119 per day

 

OceanView from

$1959

$140 per day

 

Balcony from

$2939

$210 per day

 

Suite from

$4429

$316 per day

 

We'll go to Buenos Aires a few days in advance. Very compelling hotel prices, particularly if one pays cash in "blue dollars." We'll stay at The Plaza, a faded lady, Argentina's oldest luxury hotel. On return we may get a cheap day room, depending on what flight schedules mandate.

 

I am looking forward to doing beaches. In Rio, I want to spend the first late afternoon at Copacabana and just see the beach show. The other thing is a return visit to the Sugarloaf. We can do both on our own. Might also take the hair-raising streetcar ride across a slave-built aqueduct to Santa Teresa, an artsy-craftsy gentrifying place in the mountains above Centro. Last time we stayed in Santa Teresa.

 

If I can find my Portuguese book and records, I might try to learn some. Brazil is very difficult without at least some Portuguese.

Edited by barante
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It is hard to believe that Argentina was once rich and thriving. Now it is reliving the economic difficulties that paralyzed it a decade or so ago.

 

Ditto for Brazil, the country of future where the present is the past.

 

Which only means that your greenbacks will go farther, if you pay in local currency traded at a realistic exchange rate.

 

Go South America now!

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Here is a very enjoyable (and long) take at Rio and its beaches.

 

 

70% bs, IMO. And seemingly outdated/old.

And why can't they take a minute to learn to pronounce simple Portuguese names correctly?

The old photos of the city are interesting though.

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Here are some historic photos, including a picture of the viaduct that leads from Centro to Santa Teresa and is used by streetcars . . .

 

http://www.belavistario.com/blog/item/2009/07/brazil-de-janeiro-old-pictures-from-rio-de-janeiro/catid/2

 

Is used? Or was used? You mean the bondinho that has been out of commission since an accident in 2011? (Note that it is almost 2016 at this writing.) The new construction is still not complete, the roadworks are still significantly impacting traffic in the neighborhood, and still inconveniencing local residents, business owners and tourists alike. You can see toys in souvenir shops.

 

 

Btw, this is essentially about the success of government programs to end hunger, contrary to what that 'old' video claims when interviewing that girl selling on the beach,:

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That happened after our second visit. Truly time to go back.

 

Here is the film, The Black Orpheus, a French master's love song to Rio (This is the complete version, with English subtitles). Excellent footage of old Centro, Santa Teresa and the famous streetcar. The main male character is a streetcar operator.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwn4vYR_3Y4

 

As a result of the success of Orpheu Negro, bossa nova became the rage.

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Friends of mine trained and danced with the choreographer of that 1959 version.

 

Here are some scenes from the more updated 1999 version, Orfeu, with musical heart throb Tony Garrido and the famous Zeze Motta:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s5OesWs9pDs. (And here with the world renowned Bahian singer/ composer Caetano Veloso)

 

I also recommend the several mini-series of Cidade dos Homens (City of Men), the more "real life" version of City of God, that follow the daily lives of two young Rio favela dwellers from children to young men. They are all found on YouTube (in Portuguese).

Edited by VidaNaPraia
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If you have the opportunity to visit Colonia de Sacramento from Montevideo as we did on a Celebrity shore ex a few years ago I highly recommend it. Lovely colonial town, wonderful lunch included. We will be back in Montevideo next month and I see it is not offered by Seabourn. This time we will do a walking tour of the city and eat chivito.

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If we pick up a taxi in Punta Del Este (I'm challenged to walk distances) do we pay in USD , credit card or local currency? Is it easy to find a taxi or tour van at the port?

 

Hi,

They accept US. You will notice that most of cabs are BMW:-)

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