Biology Field Studies in Southeastern Brazil

To register to the program, please connect with your faculty leaders for details.

São Paulo
2 days, 1 night

• São Paulo CulturalTour: We will start our tour through the main points of the city center, such as the Sé Cathedral, Páteo do Colégio (the site of the foundation of the city of São Paulo). From the city center, we will pass through the Japanese Neighborhood area, to feel the Japanese side of São Paulo. From there, we will pass through one of the most sophisticated areas of the city, the Paulista Avenue area and the neighboring region called the Gardens, with the most famous shops in the world.
• Butantã Institute Tour: Instituto Butantan is a Brazilian biologic research center located in Butantã, in the western part of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Instituto Butantan is a public institution affiliated with the São Paulo State Secretariat of Health and considered one of the major scientific centers in the world. Butantan is the largest immunobiologicals and biopharmaceuticals producer in Latin America (and one of the largest in the world). It is world-renowned for its collection of venomous snakes, as well as those of venomous lizards, spiders, insects and scorpions. By extracting the reptiles’ and insects’ venoms, the Institute develops antivenoms and medicines against many diseases, which include tuberculosis, rabies, tetanus and diphtheria

Ilhabela 
4 days, 4 nights

• North Island and Toca Waterfall: Enjoy a tour by Land Rover passing by the famous beaches of the North island. Later, visit Toca Waterfall. The Toca Waterfall is one of the most well-known and traditional points of the island. There is a strong natural shower, approximately 3 meters in height and a toboggan about 50 meters in extension, the greater one of the islands. Visitors enjoy “surfing” standing on the waterslide. The zip lines and a suspension bridge bring even more excitement to the adventures of the Toca Waterfall. A large grotto gives the name to the place – Toca. The river passes through the grotto into the rocks forming a small slide
• Schooner Tour: With a capacity of up to 120 people, the charming and imposing Schooner crosses the seas heading north of the island providing a panoramic view of the Ilhabela coast and the San Sebastian Canal. The first stop will be at Praia da Fome, the only sea accessible beach with 150 meters of beauty ideal for a dip in the water! Continue to the beautiful Jabaquara Beach with about 300 meters of clear sand and two streams of fresh water.
• Jeep Tour: Embark on an unforgettable adventure to one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil, Praia de Castelhanos. The road cuts through Ilhabela State Park, where you can enjoy the pure Atlantic Forest, with a gazebo and waterfalls along the water.
• White Water Trail: Located at the beginning of the road of Castelhanos, this trail is easily accessible, well-marked, and starts along the guardhouse of the boundaries of Ilhabela State Park. Three paths lead to several crystal-clear waterfalls with pools and showers and a picnic area.

Ilhabela 
4 days, 4 nights

• Paratay Tour: Unlike other colonial cities, the Paraty architecture has character, originality and definition forming a harmonious architectural ensemble from the 18th century. Irregular sidewalks, thick decorated walls, colonial houses with balconies of worked iron, Masonic culture makes them return until the days of the colony. The city of Paraty today is a National Historic Landmark and World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO, and even more, a natural heritage for being 65% of the area of the municipality within the national park of Serra da Bocaina.
• Trekking Mamanguá: The tour begins in Paraty Mirim Beach where we board a motorized boat to Praia Dos Cruzeiros, the Saco do Mamangua (approximately 40 minutes). We begin on a trail through the Atlantic Forest to the Peak of Mamangua (approximately 2 hours). The Manmangua bag has a very jagged coastline, forming 33 small sandy beaches connected by rocky headlands, five small stones submerged rocks, and two islands. The hills and mountains surrounding the Mamangua are occupied by the Atlantic Forest. This environment consists of the integration of different forest ecosystems, the mangrove, and a laugh (fjord) tropical. With interdependent elements forming an efficient chain, the system plays an important ecological function of marine nursery. Reaching the Peak, we stop for an hour rest to enjoy the breathtaking landscape. We will then walk (approximately 40 minutes) to the Beach Cruise where we can swim on the beach. After, we will return via boat to Paraty Mirim.
• Kayaking Tour: Paddle the warm, sheltered waters of the bay of Paraty on this guided kayak trip to islands and beaches. Swim, snorkel, see wildlife in the mangrove and escape the boat-tripping crowds.

Rio de Janerio
2 days, 2 nights

• Prainha Beach: On the way to Rio, stop for a visit to Prainha Beach and enjoy the beauty of Brazilian coastline.
• Rio de Janerio City Tour: Our tour will start early in the morning. After crossing Rebouças Tunnel we will reach Cosme Velho residential district from where we will board a cogwheel train which, will take you up the 710 metres to the Statue of Christ. The 20-minute ride gives you just enough time to enjoy the lush scenery and take in some of that fresh mountain air of the Tijuca Forest. But keep your eyes open: every so often you can catch glimpses of Rio way below. Finally, at the top of several flights of steps you are beneath the almost 40-metre tall statue of Christ with the whole of Rio at your feet. The spectacle is truly incredible. The return journey will be by car across Tijuca Forest until we reach Santa Tereza, a bucolic residential district with narrow streets and very much known in Rio de Janeiro for fine arts and artist galleries. Continue to Sugarloaf Mountain, in the Urca district, about ten minutes from Copacabana. The cable car trip is in two stages: The first goes to Urca Hill, 220 metres high, and then a short walk to the other side leads you to the second station for the next part of the ride, up to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain itself. The top of Sugarloaf Mountain, 396 meters high, has been landscaped and includes several pathways and a bar.