From deserted beaches and muddy trails to towering canyons, twisting mountain passes, and one of the world’s greatest waterfalls, southern Brazil has all the ingredients for an unforgettable motorcycle adventure. And these photos prove it.
When you picture adventure biking in South America, chances are your mind wanders towards the Andes, Patagonia, or perhaps the wild landscapes of Peru. But Brazil? Maybe not.
Well, take one look at these photos and you might find yourself adding another destination to your bucket list.
Experienced adventure bikers Michnus Olivier and his wife Elsebie explored southern Brazil aboard a pair of Suzuki DR650s, discovering a country where you can ride beaches, forests, dirt roads and spectacular mountain passes, all within a few days.
You can read the full story of their adventure in the July/August issue of Adventure Bike Rider magazine. Get your copy today with FREE UK postage HERE.
In the meantime, here is a small selection of the spectacular photos of riding in Brazil you’ll be able to feast your eyes upon in the magazine.
Riding Brazil’s wild beaches
Michnus and Elsebie’s Brazilian adventure began at Barra do Chui on the border with Uruguay, where the plan was to ride north along the Atlantic coast.
Getting onto the beach proved rather more difficult than expected, with deep sand and muddy swamps swallowing their fully loaded motorcycles.
But eventually they found the ocean and, at low tide, miles of firm sand opened up ahead. With barely another person in sight, the pair were able to ride along the water’s edge with nothing but the South Atlantic for company.
Into the mountains
Turning inland revealed another side to Brazil.
The Serra Geral mountain range is a spectacular landscape of lush forests, enormous plateaus and deep canyons, criss-crossed by seemingly endless dirt roads.
Among the highlights were the towering cliffs of Canyon Itaimbezinho, which drop more than 700m, and the dramatic landscapes surrounding Canyon Indios Coroados.
And then there were the roads.
The Serra da Rocinha mountain pass delivered curves and spectacular views, while the legendary Serra do Rio do Rastro snakes its way through the mountains in a seemingly endless succession of bends.
Escape civilisation
Southern Brazil is the kind of place where it’s remarkably easy to leave civilisation behind. Turn off the asphalt and endless dirt roads disappear into forests and farmland, linking tiny towns through landscapes that can feel wonderfully remote.
There are stretches where it’s just you, the bike and a ribbon of red earth vanishing towards the horizon.
That sense of isolation is a huge part of the appeal. With no traffic, no crowds and few signs of modern life, you can simply pick a trail and see where it takes you. And in a country as vast as Brazil, getting away from it all doesn’t take long.
Saving the best until last
There was still one rather spectacular sight waiting for Michnus and Elsebie before they left Brazil.
Sitting on the border of Brazil and Argentina, close to Paraguay, Iguazu Falls is one of the world’s great natural wonders.
The couple spent two days exploring the falls from both countries, including the extraordinary Devil’s Throat, where an enormous volume of water plunges around 80m into the mist below.
After beaches, swamps, forests, dirt trails, canyons and mountain passes, it was quite a way to finish a motorcycle journey. And perhaps the most remarkable thing is that Michnus and Elsebie had explored only a tiny fraction of an absolutely enormous country. Adventure biking in Brazil, anyone?
And remember, you can read the full story of Michnus and Elsebie’s Brazilian adventure in the July/August issue of Adventure Bike Rider magazine. Get your copy today with FREE UK postage HERE.
