World Cup Brazil 2014 - Touristic Guide - Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba and Natal

This post contains information about the host cities Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba and Natal.

To see more information about other host cities, check the following posts:

Intro, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Brasília e Manaus

Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Fortaleza e Cuiabá

Salvador

Arena Fonte Nova

Host of the best games of group matches, Salvador was the first capital of Brazil and for a long time the biggest city in the south hemisphere. Therefore, it's a city with a lot of history and interesting things to visit.

Arena Fonte Nova is located in the city center, close to tourists sights and with easy access. It's important to remember that Salvador doesn't have subway, so it would be wise to go to the stadium a few hours before the match.

Matches in Salvador

06/13, 16h - Spain x Netherlands (Group B)
06/16, 13h - Germany x Portugal (Group G)
06/20, 13h - Switzerland x France (Group E)
06/25, 13h - Bosnia x Iran (Group F)
07/01, 17h - 1st Group H x 2nd Group G (Round of 16)
07/05, 17h - 1st B or 2nd A x 1st D or 2nd C (Round of 8)


Budget Hostels

Pelourinho (Historic Center), despite of being a very touristic and famous district, has difficult access because of its really narrow streets and can be quite dangerous at night. So, for those who want to go out at night, it's better to stay in other districts, like Barra or Rio Vermelho.

Here are some hostels with reasonable prices:

Che Lagarto
F Design Hostel
Albergue Rio Vermelho
Hostel Porto
Hi Albergue do Porto
Galeria 13 (Pelourinho)

The first five are located in Barra or Rio Vermelho, the last is in Pelourinho.


What to see besides the stadium

Elevador Lacerda, Forte São Marcelo,
Mercado Modelo and Baía de Todos os Santos

Salvador is a really good city to party, with lots of fun things to do. The best districts to go out at night are Rio Vermelho (the most bohemian in the city), Barra and Pituba. Pelourinho has lots of typical music concerts, like Olodum, and capoeira.

You have to try acarajé, typical food from Salvador, and other dishes mostly sea food. People from Bahia are known for liking spicy food, so some dishes can be really spicy. Better ask before ordering whether it's spicy or not.

Close to Salvador there are some beautiful beaches worth visiting, like Praia do Forte, Ilha de Itaparica, Costa do Sauípe and Imbassaí.

Must see places during the day

- Pelourinho, Igreja de São Francisco, Elevador Lacerda, Mercado Modelo and Forte São Marcelo
- Farol da Barra and Praia do Porto da Barra
- Igreja do Senhor do Bonfim and Ponta de Humaitá
- Praia do Flamengo, Itapuã and Farol de Itapuã

Belo Horizonte

Mineirão

The state of Minas Gerais is known for its delicious food and its famous Pão de Queijo (Bread of cheese). Belo Horizonte is a relatively new city and very modern.

Mineirão Stadium, stage of great games between Atlético-MG and Cruzeiro (local soccer teams), is located near Lagoa da Pampulha and UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais) campus.

The stadium is a little far from city center, and there are no subway stations nearby. So it's recommended to arrive early to the game.

Matches in Belo Horizonte

06/14, 13h - Colombia x Greece (Group C)
06/17, 13h - Belgium x Algeria (Group H)
06/21, 13h - Argentina x Iran (Group F)
06/24, 13h - Costa Rica x England (Group D)
06/28, 13h - 1st Group A x 2nd Group B (Round of 16)
07/08, 17h - Winner Quarter-finals 1 x Winner Quarter-finals 2 (Semifinal 1)



Budget Hostels

These hostels are close to the city center, but far from the stadium:

Laranja Mecânica Hostel
Lá em Casa
Ginga Hostel
Hi Belo Horizonte


What to visit besides the stadium

São Francisco de Assis Church in Conjunto
Arquitetônico da Pampulha

Besides going to restaurants to enjoy the food, it's worth to visit some of the city monuments. Belo Horizonte has a very interesting architecture.

Belo Horizonte has a very friendly atmosphere, it's a good idea to go out at night to a bar or restaurant to enjoy some of it. The most bohemian district is Santa Tereza, but there several other good options, like Savassi for instance.

Must go places

- Lagoa da Pampulha
- Conjunto arquitetônico da Pampulha
- Praça da Estação
- Praça 7 de Setembro

Curitiba

Arena da Baixada

Curitiba is the biggest city in south of Brazil and is one of the capitals with the highest rate of quality of life in the country. The public transportation works very well, so it's very easy to get around the city without a car.

Arena da Baixada Stadium is one of the most modern stadiums and it's being renovated and expanded for the World Cup.

It's in a good location and has easy access.

Matches in Curitiba

06/16, 16h - Iran x Nigeria (Group F)
06/06, 19h - Ecuador x Honduras (Group E)
06/23, 13h - Spain x Australia (Group B)
06/26, 17h - Algeria x Russia (Group H)


Budget Hostels

Curitiba Casa Hostel
Motter Home Curitiba Hostel
Curitiba Backpackers Hostel


What to visit besides the stadium

Jardim Botânico

Curitiba offers lots of cultural options and parks with interesting things to do. It's also considered one of the rock'n roll capitals in Brazil, always hosting important concerts.

In the Batel district you can find lots of pubs with rock music and bars with good food and drinks. Curitiba is the coldest capital in Brazil, and since the World Cup will take place during the winter, it's a good idea to bring coats.

Must visit places

- Jardim Botânico
- Museu Oscar Niemeyer
- Bosque do Papa
- Castelo do Batel
- Centro histórico

Natal

Arena das Dunas

Closest city to Europe, Natal is also known as land of the dunes. It has beautiful beaches, landscapes and it's very hot even during the winter, because it's near the Equator. Due to its peculiar geography, Natal is sunny almost all year long and when it rains, it doesn't last long.

Arena das Dunas, with a capacity of 32.000 people, is located between 2 main streets in the city and it's surrounded by bars and restaurants that can serve the fans before and after the matches.

Matches in Natal

06/13, 13h - Mexico x Cameroon (Group A)
06/16, 19h - Ghana x USA (Group G)
06/19, 19h - Greece x Japan (Group C)
06/24, 13h - Uruguay x Italy (Group D)


Budget Hostels

Albergue da Costa
Republika Hostel
Che Lagarto Hostel Natal


What to see besides the stadium

Forte dos Reis Magos

Natal is rich in natural beauty. Its beaches and dunes are a good option to visit, even during the winter. And don't forget to enjoy the nice typical food.

The beach Praia de Ponta Negra is the favorite of tourists, where you can find good bars and discos.

In the neighborhoods Cidade Alta and Ribeira there are historic constructions and good options to go out.


Must visit places

- Forte dos Reis Magos
- Praia de Ponta Negra
- Dunas de Genipabu
- Praia de Via Costeira

See also

Other host cities:
World Cup Brazil 2014 - Touristic Guide - Intro, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Brasília and Manaus
World Cup Brazil 2014 - Touristic Guide - Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Fortaleza e Cuiabá

All the blog posts in English

Blog posts in French

This post in portuguese:
Copa do Mundo 2014 - Guia turístico - Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba e Natal

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A big thanks to Gustavo Miranda who helped me with the translation into English.