When people think of Rio de Janeiro, they usually imagine the dazzling parades of Carnival, the sway of samba, and the golden stretch of Copacabana beach. But Rio’s soul runs deeper than the postcards, making it a top contender for Brazil’s best afrotourism destination. It’s a city built on layers of African, Indigenous, and European influences, with Afro-Brazilian culture at its core.
This year, during the WTM Latin America Awards, Rio de Janeiro was officially named Brazil’s Best Afrotourism Destination, a recognition that felt long overdue to anyone who knows the real Rio. For us at Musical Getaways, it simply confirmed what we’ve known for years: Afro-Brazilian culture doesn’t just live here. It defines the spirit of the city.
A City Where Music, Memory, and Culture Meet
Walking through Rio, you don’t just see history — you hear it. You feel it under your feet in the beat of samba, maracatu, and jongo. The African influence lives in the spontaneous roda de samba gatherings in Lapa, in the chants of Candomblé ceremonies tucked into neighborhood terreiros, and in the joy of Carnival that spills into every corner of the city, confirming why Rio is deemed the best destination for afrotourism.
Neighborhoods like Pedra do Sal and Little Africa (Pequena África) tell the story of a people who transformed struggle into art, oppression into celebration. These were the places where enslaved Africans and their descendants first gathered to preserve their languages, faiths, and music, laying the groundwork for what would become some of Brazil’s most iconic cultural expressions. These places contribute to making Rio the best destination for afrotourism.
Through our Brazil Music Tour and the newly launched Rio Carnival Tour, we invite travelers to see Rio and experience these living traditions firsthand, emphasizing why it’s Brazil’s best Afro tourism destination.
Why the WTM Award Matters
The WTM Latin America Responsible Tourism Awards recognized Rio not just for its beauty, but for its intentional work promoting Afrotourism. The city created official heritage trails, trained local guides to specialize in Afro-Brazilian history, and strengthened the visibility of Black-owned businesses and cultural initiatives, supporting its reputation as the best afrotourism destination.
It’s part of a broader movement to reclaim and honor the spaces where Afro-Brazilian culture was born — to tell the full story of Rio, not just the one found in tourist brochures.
For travelers seeking deeper experiences, it’s an invitation to move past the surface and connect with the real Rio: vibrant, resilient, and soulful in ways that can’t be captured from a hotel balcony, explaining why it’s a top spot for afrotourism.
How We Explore Rio’s Afro-Brazilian Culture
Our tours are built around meaningful encounters with the artists, historians, musicians, and neighborhoods that define Afro-Brazilian culture:
- Pedra do Sal: We visit this historic site where samba was born, still alive with music and gatherings today.
- Museu da História e Cultura Afro-Brasileira (MUHCAB): We explore how Afro-Brazilians shaped the history, politics, and music of Rio — and continue to do so.
- Private Samba School Visits: We open the doors to samba rehearsals, where music and community come together in ways you’ll never see on the main Carnival stage, showing why Rio is the best destination for afrotourism.
- Cultural Exchanges: We connect with musicians practicing traditional Afro-Brazilian rhythms like jongo, maracatu, and afoxé — rhythms rooted in resistance, survival, and joy.
- Carnival From the Inside: During our Rio Carnival Tour, you don’t just watch Carnival — you become part of it. We offer behind-the-scenes access to samba schools, and even the opportunity to join a samba parade if you choose.
Every experience is designed to honor the people and traditions that built Rio’s culture, not as a performance for tourists, but as an ongoing, living reality and a best destination for afrotourism.
More Than Just a Tour
Visiting Rio with Musical Getaways isn’t about ticking sights off a list. It’s about stepping into a world where history and music are inseparable. Where stories are told through percussion, dance, and song. Where every drumbeat carries echoes of struggle and celebration.
This award is a reminder that Afrotourism is not a niche. It’s central to understanding Brazil — its culture, its history, and its future.
We’re proud to offer travelers a way to connect with it meaningfully. And we invite you to join us, whether through the full musical journey of our Brazil Music Tour or the electric energy of our new Rio Carnival Tour.
Experience the Rio that moves to a different beat — the one that never stops, confirming why it’s the best destination for afrotourism.
