Brasil in our summer

[mjd]

I've only been to Brazil in between January and April. What differences would I find if I were to visit in July or August? I'm interested to know the weather, if Rio beaches are as popular, etc.

[trilingual]

July and August are the southern winter. Of course, Rio is about as far south of the Equator as Puerto Vallarta is north of the Equator, so we're not talking about very cold temperatures. But there are occasional Antarctic fronts sweeping up from the south that will bring the temperatures down to the 60s some days, with a damp wind that makes it seem colder. But that's not typical, and even when a cold front comes through, it rarely lasts for more than a few days, and then temperatures go back up to the 70s or low 80s. That means that some days are beach weather, others are better for shopping/sightseeing. This is also a less rainy time of year. You probably should plan to pack a couple of long-sleeve shirts, a light cotton sweater or sweatshirt and a light jacket for the occasional cool/windy day or evening.

 

July is the winter break in the Brazilian school year, so it's a mini-high season for local travel. (The real high season, of course, is the Brazilian summer, from Christmas through Carnival). August is usually very quiet. The beaches during the low season tend to be very tranquil on weekdays and crowded on nice weekends. The cultural season will be in full swing. The saunas tend to have just about the same number of guys year round, but since there are fewer tourists there will be keener competition for your business! For those who don't like really hot weather, it's an ideal time of year to visit, and there are a number of M4Mers who really prefer Rio this time of year. Truly, there's no bad time of year to visit Rio -- it's worthwhile any time of year. But the tourist scene is definitely quieter during the off seasons, and that may be appealing to some travelers.

[Guest msclonly]

A couple of weeks ago, the beaches were very busy on the weekends.

The weather had some cool moments, but it was not different from San Diego in the 70's during the day.

Ipanema beach seemed more crowded, but it is a narrower strand of snad and the 'Boulevard is only a couple of lanes in each direction with the apartments closer to the beach, so that the overall feeling was one of tightness. Copa is definitely more comfortable with the wide open spaces.

 

 

Definitly cooler and next to no humidity, then late Oct was last year.

[safarilover]

I´m in Brasil now, and enjoying it. Last week (7th. - 14th.) I was in Rio, up to Saturday weather OK, sunny and temp in low 70s F. Ocean was OK for swimming. Sunday was cool, cloudy, Copa beach was empty.

 

Monday 21st. I flew to Iguaçu Falls, quite cold that evening, people wearing coats and sweaters in the hotel dining room for dinner! Except me, I didn´t bring a coat for this trip. Next 2 days weren´t cold like that, but sunny, nice.

 

Now I´m in Salvador, it´s warmer than Rio was, but occasional rain for short periods.

 

Hope that helps.