The south of Brazil looks almost European. The weather is cold in the winter and the people are much whiter. There's some German influence mixed in with Portuguese blood but the people still smile more than in Europe.
Sao Paolo is the biggest city and is in fact one of the largest metropolises in the world with around 25 million people squashed into a concrete jungle. Most Brazilians live there only for the money as there's precious little else going for it other than the good nightlife. The Paulistas are a smart bunch though and if you meet them in the rest of the country on vacation they'll be good company.
Rio de Janeiro is the hedonistic city. It's on the beach and this brings a relaxed feel to much of the city. The south zone of the city is incredibly picturesque and has the beaches you've seen on all of the postcards. Ipanema beach is full of hot bodies on a weekend and the Cariocas (inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro) have made worship of the body into a religion. Rio is pricey for the traveller but needs to be seen to understand Brazil.
North from there you have the hill state of Minas Gerais where the people speak quickly and have a reputation for being intelligent. It's not quite mountains though and so there always seems to be something missing. No beaches either.
Bahia is now overrun with tourism and on many of the beaches you'll hardly hear anyone speaking Portuguese. The Goa trance scene moved to some of the beaches like Trancoso and Arriel d'ajuda and many of the beaches here like Morro de Sao Paolo are backpacker refugee camps. Salvador is the capital and is very African and black. It's a claustrophobic, edgy city where white travellers are seen as targets. Carnival rocks here but is hardly a relaxed way to go about things.
Maceio and Joao Pessoa are the capitals of the next states moving north and have beaches with beautiful water nearby. They're very sleepy though and feel like suburbia made into a town. All the action is around tinny little malls and the odd alternative bar where everyone goes.
Receio has it's charms but is very dangerous and you'll have more fun in nearby Olinda, a beautiful colonial town that's big enough to absorb tourism and still function as a city in its own right. This is a centre for artists and musicians but the beaches are too dirty to swim here.
Natal is a lot more funky but still, if you go to Brazil you're unlikely to want to pass too much time in cities. The best places to hang out are the cool little beach towns where everyone goes on weekends. Place like Pipa, Jericocoara and Canoe Quebrada attract a lot of alternative Brazilian types and young people out to party and get laid.
Many travellers head off to the Amazon in search of jungle and Indians. Jungle there's plenty of but the Indians aren't too interested in meeting up with backpackers in search of an ethnic experience. Guides can take you to small villages and if you speak Portuguese and are patient you have a fighting chance of getting a glimpse of indigenous culture. The river boats between Belem and Manaus are a hell trip.