Brasília was inaugurated on 21 April 1960 as Brazil's purpose-built capital, replacing Rio de Janeiro. Urban planner Lúcio Costa laid the city out in the shape of an aeroplane, with Oscar Niemeyer designing its curved concrete government buildings and Roberto Burle Marx its landscapes. The modernist plan earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987, unusual for a 20th-century city. Sitting at 1,172m on the central plateau around the artificial Lake Paranoá, Brasília is linked to an 1883 prophecy by Italian saint Don Bosco, who described a future city between the 15th and 20th parallels near a lake — a coincidence striking enough that he became its patron saint.
Nights sit around 17°C and afternoons around 31°C, though some days reach 34°C.
Brasília barely changes season: afternoons sit around 28°C and nights around 17°C most of the year.
Some October days reach 33°C, and some July nights drop to 9°C.
There is a clear wet season from October – April, peaking in November with around 253 mm. The dry months run from May – August.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. The air stays clean through the year.
Days stretch to about 12.9 hours of light in December and shrink to 11.1 in June — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
For what you're after, the best months in Brasília are August – September. Expect fast internet (361 Mbps) and a moderate cost of living (about €1000 a month).
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