South

The states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul make up the most European region of Brazil, having been colonised largely by Germans, Italians and immigrants from Eastern Europe, many of whose traditions have been preserved, along with the influences of the Spanish colonisation of the nearby countries of Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.

One of the world's most impressive nature monuments is located at the meeting point of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay: the Iguaçu Falls. Iguaçu means "Great River" in the indigenous Guarani language and there could hardly be a more fitting name. After rising in the Brazilian highlands near Curitiba, the Iguaçu river runs westward on a 1,100 km journey, receiving some 30 tributaries on its course to the plateau where, just before merging with the great Paraná river, it falls thunderously over an 80m-high cliff in virgin forest.

Set in a National Park of the same name, the Iguaçu falls are the most spectacular in South America. A total of 275 falls cascade over a precipice that is 3km wide, sending up an endless wall of spray laced with rainbows. At the heart of this unforgettable scene is the Devil's Throat, where 14 separate falls join forces.