Is January a good time to visit Brazil? Yes, January is a very good month for a sun and beach holiday in Fernando de Noronha and in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas, although the sea might be quite rough. Olinda is great to visit for a Brazilian culture and city break.
Additionally, for more sun and beach holidays January is also a good time to visit Jericoacoara, Bahia, Costa Verde with the beaches around Rio. This is the month when turtles are nesting in Bahia.
January is great for adventure holidays, hiking and waterfall chasing in Chapada Diamantina and Chapada dos Veadeiros.
It is also summer in the south, so the beaches of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul are perfect for some rest and relaxation. However, it is not the best time to go on a hiking trip in the canyons of Aparados da Serra.
In January the temperature around Rio are between 23-29°C. It is a wet month, however the rainfalls are short and usually happen towards the evening.
January is also a wet month in the Amazon. But, the level of the water rises and you can navigate in canoes between tree branches. January is the best time to experience varzeas, which is not possible from April to October during the dry season when the water recedes.
January is also a rainy month in the Pantanal. It is the time when the jaguars are climbing the trees so it is easier to spot them.
Iguazu Falls is huge in January, with big volume of water. Sometimes the trails are closed and it can be cloudy. On the other hand, this is the best time to really experience the raw power of the falls from a boat and get really wet.
January might not be the best month to visit the colonial towns of Minas Gerais as it is hot and humid.
Hotels along the Route of Emotions are usually closed in January and the lagoons in the Lençóis Maranhenses national park are mostly empty. The rainfall which starts during this time will slowly refill them till summer.
