Brazil World Cup Travel Advisory: Manaus, Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre
June 18, 2014 in 2014 FIFA World Cup - Security Update
MANAUS
City Description
Manaus is the capital city of the state of Amazonas in northern Brazil. It is located on the north bank of the Negro River, 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the confluence of the Negro and Solimões rivers. Due to its location in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, access to the city is primarily through boat or airplane. As of 2014, the city’s population is 1.9 million, making it the most populous in the Brazilian Amazon area and the 7th most populous in the country.
Security
While Manaus is fairly safe, MS Risk advises all travellers to remain vigilant at all times. Always avoid deserted streets, especially after dark.
Transportation
International Airport
Eduardo Gomes International is the airport that serves Manaus. The airport has two passenger terminals, one for scheduled flights and the other for regional aviation. It also has three cargo terminals.
Highways
There are two federal highways that connect Manaus with the rest of the country. There is a paved road that heads north, BR-174, and which connects Manaus to Boa Vista, the capital of the State of Roraima, and to Venezuela. The BR-319 heads south and connects Manaus to Port Velho, the state capital ofRondônia. Access to this highway however requires a ferry crossing to Careiro, across the Rio Negro and River Amazon, which take about forty minutes. BR-319 is only paved for about 100 kilometers (62 miles) to Castanho. After that, the highway is not paved and cannot be used.
The two major state highways are the AM-010 and the AM-070. The AM-010 heads east, to Itacoatiara, Amazonas at the banks of the River Amazon. The AM-070 heads south and reaches Manacapuru, which lies at the banks of the Solimoes River. Both roads are paved and operate all year round.
PORTO ALEGRE
City Description
Porto Alegre is the capital and largest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population in 2010 was 1,509,939, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. The city lies on the eastern bank of the Rio Guaiba, where five rivers converge to form the Lagoa dos Patos.
Security
MS Risk advises all travellers to the city of Porto Alegre to remain vigilant at all times. Watch out for robbers near the city’s Historic Centre, particularly on rua dos Andrads and near the bus station.
During the night, MS Risk advises travellers to avoid the following areas: the inside and surroundings of Farroupilha park, which is the city’s largest drug dealing spot; the Historic Centre near the UFRGS Centro university campus, particularly along rua Sarmento Leite; the southern unlit area of Marinha park and Harmonia park. Most of these places are known to be drug dealing spots and should be avoided.
Transportation
International Airport
Salgado Filho International Airport serves flights operated by major Brazilian airlines to many areas in Brazil and South America.
Metro
Porto Alegre has a metropolitan train system, known as Trensurb, which links the downtown area to cities north of the metropolitan area, including Canoas, Esteio, Sapucaia do Sul, São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo. Trensurb has nineteen stations, with a total extension of nearly 40 kilometers (25 miles).
Highways
There are two federal highways in the city: BR-290 and BR-116, both of which run close to the city’s northern and northwestern border.
- BR-290: Runs east-west across the state, linking the northeast coast of the state to the Uruguay-Argentina-Brazil border. It runs close to the northern border of the municipality.
- BR-116: Is a longitudinal highway which runs northeast-south across the state, linking Porto Alegre to several satellite cities and other Brazilian capitals to the north, and Pelotas and Uruguay to the south.
RIO DE JANEIRO
City Description
Rio de Janeiro, or Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, and is the 2nd largest city of Brazil and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America. There are approximately 6.3 million people living within the city proper, making Rio de Janeiro the 6th largest city in the Americas and the 26th in the world.
Security
Rio de Janeiro continues to experience high incidences of crime. Tourists are particularly vulnerable to robberies and street thefts, especially in the evenings and at night, in areas adjacent to major tourist attractions. Although crime occurs throughout the year, it is more frequent during Carnival and the weeks prior, as tourists begin to arrive. It is therefor likely that the crime rates will increase during the World Cup and in the weeks prior to its start.
There have been attacks, including shootings, along the trails that lead to the Corcovado Mountain and in other parts of the Tijuca Forest.
If robbed, do not attempt to resist or fight back. Instead you are advised to relinquish your personal belongings. At all times, MS Risk advises you to pay close attention to your surroundings and the behavior of those nearby. There have been reports of thieves and rapists slipping incapacitating drugs into drinks at barks, hotel rooms and street parties.
MS Risk advises that you choose your lodging carefully, considering the location, security and the availability of a safe to store your valuables. Do not answer your hotel room door until you positively confirm who is on the other side as there have been several incidents where mass holdups of guests have occurred at hotels and hostels in the city.
Rio de Janeiro’s favelas have become a popular tourist destination. A favela pacification programme, instituted in 2008, installed police stations in some favelas, primarily in the Zona Sul area, however most favelas continue to exist outside the control of city officials and the police. Travellers to favelas are urged to exercise caution when entering any “pacified” favelas and are advised to not travel to any favelas that have not been “pacified” by the state government. Travellers should be advised that even in some “pacified” favelas, the ability of police to provide assistance, especially at night, may be limited.
MS Risk advises all travellers to remain vigilant while on the roads, especially at night. There have been shootings and carjackings on the Linha Vermelha, which links the airport to the Southern Zone of the City. Motorists in Rio de Janeiro should be especially vigilant at traffic lights and when stuck in traffic. Carjackings and holdups can occur at intersections, especially at night.
Incidents of crime on public transportation are frequent, and at times have involved violent crimes. When travelling by yellow taxi, you are advised to onlyuse taxis that openly display company information and phone numbers as well as red license plates. MS Risk also advises travellers to not use public vans.
Transportation
International Airport
The City of Rio de Janeiro is served by the following airports:
- Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport: Which is used for all international and most of the domestic flights. The airport is located 20 kilometers (12 miles) from downtown Rio.
- Santos Dumont Airport: This airport is mainly used to travel to São Paulo, with some short- and medium-haul domestic flights and general aviation. The airport is located on Guanabara Bay, which is just a few blocks from downtown Rio.
- Jacarepaguá-Roberto Marinho Airport: This airport is used by general aviation. The airport is located in the district of Baixada de Jacarepaguá, within the municipality of Rio de Janeiro approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city center.
Highways
Rio de Janeiro has roads that lead to all neighbor States. Some roads, including Via Dutra to São Paulo, and a portion of the BR-101, which covers the Rio-Niterói bridge, have been chartered to private enterprises. While the quality of the highways has greatly improved in recent years, this has resulted in a significant increase in toll fairs.
Metro
Rio de Janeiro has two subway lines with 42 kilometres (26 miles) and 32 stations, along with several commuter rail lines. The two lines serve the city seven days a week. The first line runs from General Osório in Ipanema to Uruguai Station in Tijuca while the second line runs from Botafogo, sharing ten stations with the first line, and terminates at Pavuna in northern Rio.
SuperVia connects the city of Rio de Janeiro with other locations Greater Rio de Janeiro with surface trains.
