See Brazil for more than soccer

As Brazil prepares to play host to the World Cup tournament June 12 through July 15, it also is preparing to show off both its well-known and more obscure cities, including Sao Paulo, Salvador and Fortaleza.

While the biggest matches will be played at the legendary Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, the 12 tournament cities have been given major face-lifts. Stadiums, of course, have been built or refurbished. But artisans also have restored the famous mosaic sidewalks by hand. New shopping districts have been constructed. Public transit in some areas has been expanded.

Tickets for the matches are scarce at this point, according to World Cup Brazil officials, but that shouldn’t deter visitors from exploring the cities where the games will be held.

Here are some ways to enjoy Brazil’s World Cup cities:

Brasilia

The nation's capital, built in an area that formerly was desert, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. This mid-century marvel, with its scissors-shaped highways, has grown into a city of 4 million, filled with diplomats, many of whom are English speakers. Visitors will want to see the unconventional buildings conceived by the late architect Oscar Niemeyer, including the Congress and government palace Itamaraty, which offers guided tours in English daily.

Don't miss: Nature lovers can visit the Parque Nacional, which features two swimming areas fed by hot springs.

Belo Horizonte

Gold and mining history touch nearly every part of the centralized state of Minas Gerais. Even the stadium, scene of the 1950 World Cup, is called Minerão. The area also is filled with remnants of the rich colonial period and is dotted with baroque churches covered in the product of the region’s signature ore.

Don't miss: A day trip to Ouro Preto, a former mining capital and now a UNESCO heritage site, to see some of the famous gold-leafed churches such as Nossa Senhora do Rosario.

Cuiaba

Among the smallest of the World Cup cities, Cuiaba is the capital of Mato Grasso, and is considered the Southern gate of the Amazon. The highlight here is Patanal Matogrossense Wetlands National Park, a swamp region and wildlife conservation area with frontier that extends to Bolivia and Paraguay. Visitors will find thousands of species of birds and waters teeming with piranhas, anaconda and alligators.

Don't miss: A day trip to Chapada dos Guimaraes, a town sitting 1,000 feet above sea level that boasts canyons and waterfalls.

Curitiba

Pronounce the largest city in the state of Paraná "Cu-REE-Chee-Bah." The planned stadium, Arena da Baixada, is among the World Cup venues reported to be plagued by construction delays and at risk of not being completed by the start of the tournament. However, even if all the seats aren't installed in time, visitors still can head to the eye-shaped Oscar Niemeyer Museum, which celebrates visual arts, architecture and design.

Don't miss: Dining in the ethnic neighborhoods such as Little Italy, which exist thanks to the tremendous influx of Ukrainian, German and Italian immigrants during the early 20th century.

Fortaleza

Beaches are a major draw in Brazil's fifth largest city, with miles of coastline. Iracema and Praia Futuro are among the most famous, with locals tending to show up in the afternoon and stay all night. On the beach, try your head and feet at a pickup game of volfute, a hybrid of soccer and beach volleyball, before heading over to the nearby World Cup stadium, known as  "the Big Castle."

Don't miss: Dancing in the hip nightclubs, where you'll hear the sounds of the Afro-Brazilian mix of pop and samba called axé, as well as forró, which is Brazilian country music.

This city in the northern region of Brazil was the country's first capital, and natives like to say, "If you haven't been to Salvador, you haven't been to Brazil." Founded in 1549, it is filled with colonial architecture in happy pastel colors, with sharp spires and wrought-iron terraces. Head to Pelourinho, the old district square, to see young people perform the martial art of capoeira, to make a wish outside the Church of Nossa Senhor Do Bonfim, or to hear the sambas played by the children of Escola Olodum during one of their afternoon rehearsals.

More than 80 percent of the people in the state of Bahia are of African descent, making Salvador the most African city outside Africa. History buffs will want to visit the nearby town of Praia do Forte to see the ruins of Castelo D'Avila. Built in 1551, this fort was the arrival point for countless slaves trafficked from West Africa.

Don't miss: Acarajé (Ah CAR ah JAY), the addictive little fritters formed from black-eyed peas, onions, bell pepper, celery and some crab or chicken, and sold on streets and beaches by the turbaned Baianas.

Sao Paulo

The Western Hemisphere’s largest city can be overwhelming. This economic center of 20 million people is vast, and snarled with traffic. (It helps to have friends in high places who can transport you via helicopter.)

Still, Sao Paulo is vibrant, fashionable and sophisticated. Culturally, the city is a standout, with rows of museums. If can't see a match, visit Museu do Futebol, an interactive museum that tells the history of Brazil through soccer. Take a walk through the sculpture garden in Ibirapuera Park, Brazil's largest. Spend the day at the Pinacoteca, a museum that emphasizes Brazilian art, or Museu Afro-Brasil, another museum that was built in 1951 to pay tribute to Brazil's enslaved and Africa-descended populations through visual arts, sculpture, textiles, jewelry, pottery and photography.

Don't miss: Museu Lingua Portuguesa, a graphically brilliant center that explores the history of Portuguese in Brazil, where visitors can learn how the sounds, accents and music are heavily influenced by African and Amero-Indian words.

Rio de Janeiro

Tourists flock to Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, but the surfing is best at Praia Pirinha, near Barra de Tijuca, where many of the 2016 Olympics venues will be built. Cariocas still applaud when the sun sinks into the Atlantic, so climb one of the rocks on the bay and watch the sunset.

It is difficult to take a bad picture in the Cidade Maravilhosa, so consider a morning ferry ride around the bay for great views of Sugar Loaf Mountain, or set your time-lapse camera for images from the top of the Cristo statue or of the sun setting near Arcos de Lampos.

Visitors who want to relax between soccer matches can take a day trip to Paquéta, a quiet island community off the coast, with a gorgeous beach and no cars. Get around the area by boat, horse-drawn carriage or bicycle.

Don't miss: Feijoada, a stew of beans with beef and pork and Brazil's national dish, served on Wednesdays and Sundays. We don't think there is a better version in Rio than at the restaurant Simplesmente, in the artsy Santa Teresa neighborhood.

Porto Alegre

This city in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul is less touristy, but home to some of Brazil's friendliest people. Grab a bike from the shared racks in the city center, then check it in across from the free Fundaçao Iberê Camargo museum, a contemporary art center that aims to preserve the work of the painter for whom it is named. The museum is located across from Guaiba Lake and near the Beira-Rio stadium. Day-trippers can drive into the canyons to visit Bento Goncalves national park. You'll want to spend a least a couple of days there, as its valley is the center of Brazil's wine region, Vale dos Vinhedos.

Don't miss: The market in the center of the city. Here, you can buy bacalhau, the dried cod that is found in many Brazilian dishes.

Manaus

This capital city in the state of Amazonas is situated within the world’s biggest rain forest, making this region a treasure of ethnography and biodiversity. Take a tour to see the Meeting of the Waters, a point where the dark Black River and the light Solimoes River run side by side without mixing.

Visitors who have some time away from Amazona Stadium can spend a day at Museu do Indio, which features a collection of more than 3,000 artifacts produced by native tribes in the Amazon region. The Dessanas tribe welcomes visitors, but their village near Manaus is accessible only by boat, a trip that can be arranged by tour groups.

Don't miss: The more than 100-year-old fish market Mercado Municipal Adolpho.

Recife

Pronounced (Huh-CEE-fee), the capital of Pernambuco state is known for its culture and nightlife. Antigo Recife, the old city, is filled with colonial architecture and is surrounded by glorious beaches, where it isn’t unusual to see wild horses running among the coconut palms.

Shoppers will want to see the Casa da Cultura, a former prison that has been transformed into a shopping area for folk art and handicrafts.

Don't miss: Grab an umbrella and take dance lessons at Paço do Frevo. This colorful museum is dedicated to the history of the bouncy dance reminiscent of a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade.

Natal

Natal is nicknamed Cidade do Sol or "Sun City," and it is probably best experienced outdoors. Visitors can take in the marine life at Maracajáu park, which features 3 miles of coral reef. Swimming, surfing and parasailing are among the water sports. Natal is also known for its sand dunes, including those at Dunas Park. In nearby Genipabu, the gigantic sand dunes that surround fresh water lagoons can be traversed by dune buggy or imported camel.

Don't miss: Natal's beautiful beaches, including Ponta Negra, which is lined with charming bed-and-breakfasts called pousadas. Turn off your cellphone and relax by the ocean.