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Photo copyright: Jeff Bale
This special tour to Brazil, a land of staggering beauty,
focuses on the unique gardens and public works of the late
Roberto Burle Marx, one of the great landscape architects of
the 20th century. Starting in Rio de Janeiro, one of the
world's great cities, we visit some of Burle Marx's best
public and private gardens, including his own magical estate
and studio near Rio and properties rarely open to visitors.
We also see fine examples of his work in the mountains
around Petropolis, in Belo Horizonte, and in Brasilia, the
nation's capital city and a Mecca for Modernist architecture
and design. Brazil, of course, has a rich and fascinating
history, and we include overnight stops and time for
sightseeing at some of the country's best-preserved colonial
towns, including Ouro Preto and Paraty, both of which are
UNESCO world heritage sites. In putting together
this unique tour we have worked closely with the Burle Marx
office in Rio de Janeiro. They have helped us gain unique
access to gardens seldom seen other than in photographs.
This tour thus represents a rare opportunity to see some
of Burle Marx's most exciting and renowned gardens.
Land Tour Price:
12 Nights -- $4975.00 (all flights within Brazil are
included in the land price; international flights are not
included. Please check with our office before booking
flights)
Single supplement: $875.00
Meals included: all Breakfasts (B), 3 Lunches (L), 5
Dinners (D)
Limited to: 18 members.
Travel Documents: American citizens need a
visa when traveling to Brazil. Please check with your
nearest Brazilian consulate or the Brazilian embassy in
Washington DC for further information.
ITINERARY
October 8 (Wednesday) --
Depart
Depart
on your overnight flight to Rio de Janeiro.
October 9 (Thursday) -- Arrive Rio de Janeiro,
Botanic Gardens, and Corcovado
On
arrival in Rio de Janeiro, the 'Marvelous City,' we transfer
to our hotel in the city's smart Ipanema district. After
time to relax, we enjoy a cable car ride up Sugar Loaf
Mountain for panoramic views of the city. We return to the
hotel and meet this evening for a welcome dinner. (D)
October 10 (Friday) -- Tour of Burle Marx's Public
Gardens and Landscapes in Rio de Janeiro and a Private Burle
Marx Garden
We spend
this morning touring the landscapes, parks, and public
spaces of Roberto Burle Marx, including the groundbreaking
Ministry of Education and Health building roof garden,
Flamengo Park, the Museum of Modern Art, and Copacabana
Promenade. We
then travel out to the edge of Tijuca Forest, the world's
largest urban wood, for lunch at a private weekend
residence with a garden designed by Burle Marx in 1974.
Laid out around a delightful low-slung house in a clearing
in the forest, the lush garden features fine borders,
densely planted shrubs, a stream, and a natural swimming
pool. Time permitting, we will also visit the nearby
Museu do Açude, the former
private residence industrialist Castro Maya, now home to a
fine collection porcelain and a charming garden.
Night in Rio de Janeiro. (B,L)
Photo copyright: Jeff Bale
October 11 (Saturday) -- Sitio Burle Marx and Instituto Moreira Salles
This morning we head along the ocean highway, past lush
Atlantic tropical forests, to the former house and gardens
of Roberto Burle Marx in Barra de Guaratiba. Our tour of
the estate, which Burle Marx bought in 1949 to store his
large collection of plants, will include the magical
gardens, his art-filled, ranch-style house and studio, and a
chapel dating back to the 16th century. We stop for lunch
at a restaurant owned by personal friend of Burle Marx,
following which we visit the Instituto Moreira Salles
cultural center, a former private residence with a charming,
recently restored garden designed by Burle Marx in 1951.
Night in Rio de Janeiro. (B,L)
October 12 (Sunday) -- Free
in Rio de Janeiro
Following a leisurely
start, during which you might want to browse in the weekly
craft market close to the hotel, we visit the city's
botanical garden, with its stately 200-year old palms and
5,000 different plant species. Later in the day we pay a
visit to two exclusive private residences with charming
gardens. Night in Rio de Janeiro.
(B)
October 13 (Monday) -- Three Private Burle Marx
Gardens
After breakfast, we leave Rio de Janeiro and
journey into the mountains surrounding Petropolis, Brazil's
former imperial city, now a popular resort with a refreshing
climate and magnificent views. We visit three of Burle
Marx's most famous private gardens -- the first a terraced
garden carved out of a steep sloping site; another with bold
mass planting, winding paths, curvilinear water features,
and a magnificent valley setting; and the third a
characteristically striking design laid out around a
magnificent Oscar Niemeyer house. Our hotel this evening
is located in the mountains between Petropolis and
Terezopolis. (B,D)
October 14 (Tuesday) --
A Private Burle Marx Garden and Travel to Areias
Before leaving the
Petropolis area, we visit another well-known Burle Marx
private garden, beautifully set overlooking unspoiled
countryside, with sweeping perennial beds of a single
species, expanses of grasses, and a sinuous pond. We then travel into neighboring Sao
Paolo state to be within striking distance of tomorrow's
garden, and check into our hotel. (B,D)
October 15
(Wednesday) -- Private Estate with Burle Marx
Garden and Paraty
This
morning we complete our journey to a remote private estate,
a former coffee plantation on the edge of the mountainous
Itatiaia National Park, where we see another memorable Burle
Marx garden with cascades and pools, and bold hardscapes.
Following lunch with the delightful owner, we travel to
Paraty, a tranquil coastal village with wonderfully
preserved 18th century buildings, lush Atlantic rainforests,
and wonderful beaches. Night in Paraty. (B,L)
October 16
(Thursday) -- Paraty
This morning you are free to explore the historic colonial
center of Paraty, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Later we
board a private boat for a cruise through the clear waters
of Paraty Bay. Night in Paraty. (B)
Photo copyright: Jeff
Sainsbury
October 17 (Friday) -- Fly to Belo Horizonte,
CACI, and Ouro Preto
Following breakfast we drive back to Rio de Janeiro for our
flight to Belo Horizonte, from where we journey by bus to
the Contemporary Art Centre of Inhotim (CACI). Designed in
part by Burle Marx, this private museum is a stunning
combination of art, architecture, and landscape, comprising
a complex of white buildings arranged around three
artificial lakes and embellished with dramatic plant
compositions. We then transfer to Ouro Preto, arguably
Brazil's most beautiful town, situated high in the hills of
Minas Gerais. Ouro Preto was at the center of the gold rush
in the 18th century, a fact attested to by the wealth of
wonderfully ornate Baroque buildings that line the city's
quaint cobblestone streets. Night in Ouro Preto. (B,D)
October 18 (Saturday) -- Ouro Preto
We spend this morning with a
local guide exploring the delightful old town of Ouro Preto,
little changed since the 18th century. The afternoon is set
aside for independent sightseeing. Night in Ouro Preto. (B)
October 19 (Sunday) -- Belo Horizonte, Pampulha, and Fly to Brasilia
Leaving
Ouro Preto, we travel to Belo Horizonte, Brazil's third
largest city, to see sites associated with Burle Marx,
including the recently-restored Mangabeiras Park, the
Usiminas building, and the incredible Modernist Pampulha
complex, designed in the1940s in conjunction with architect
Oscar Niemeyer. We then board the plane for our evening
flight to Brasilia, Brazil's capital city known for its
Modernist architecture and design. Night in Brasilia. (B)
October 20 (Monday) --
Brasilia
We spend
today exploring the buildings, plazas, and public works of
Niemeyer and Burle Marx, including the magnificent Palacio
do Itamaraty, other showpiece ministry buildings, and the
Metropolitan Cathedral. We also visit the TV Tower for fine
views of this fascinating city, work on which started in
1957 and was completed in only three years. We return to the
hotel and later enjoy a farewell dinner. Night in Brasilia.
(B,D)
October 21 (Tuesday) -- Depart
This morning we transfer to the airport for the flight to
Sao Paolo to connect with our flights home. (B)
Included in the
tour price:
-- 12 nights accommodation in first class hotels with
private bathroom
-- tour coach throughout with P.A. system and
air-conditioning
-- internal Brazilian flights: Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte to Brasilia, Brasilia to
Rio de
Janeiro.
-- entry to all gardens and sites as per the itinerary
-- all breakfasts and other meals as indicated in the tour
itinerary
-- services of tour manager, usually Jeff Sainsbury, from
Rio de Janeiro Airport until departure of return flight
-- tips for hotel porters, bellmen, doormen, waiters at tour
meals, and sightseeing guides
-- arrival and departure transfers (certain restrictions
apply; please ask for details)
Not included in the tour price:
-- transatlantic airfare and airport taxes
-- excess baggage charges
-- personal expenditure such as room service, telephone
calls, drinks, and optional activities
-- meals other than those specified in the itinerary
-- tour manager and driver gratuities
-- travel insurance
-- any other items not specifically included |
