Independent but rewarding program

I loved my semester in Belo Horizonte, affectionately referred to as "BH" by its residents. Though not located on the seaside, it has a unique accent, culture, and culinary tradition that are definitely worth getting to know as a study abroad student. The people in BH are especially welcoming, which I discovered in my day-to-day interactions with others and my fantastic host family. And as the third largest city in Brazil located in a beautiful state with lots of day/weekend-trip worthy sites, you will never run out of things to do.
This study abroad program is very independent, which can be positive or negative depending on what type of experience you're looking for. I studied in Spain for one semester with a much more highly structured program, and though they offered far more in terms of cultural adaptation support I felt as though I only superficially engaged with the culture. With Middlebury, there are very few students at each program location which forces you to make friends with Brazilians. I loved the freedom and managed to create a life for myself in BH, with routines and relationships with local people and places. If you're looking for a self-driven program that offers an authentic experience in Brazil, this is the program for you.
A note on language skills: I went into this program with a moderate/high language ability in Portuguese, and this enabled me to quickly adapt to the new cultural environment. Part of the reason I loved BH was that there is not a large English-speaking population, which allowed me to practice Portuguese all the time. That being said, I've heard from other students with lower language abilities upon arrival who had a very difficult first few months due to the low level of support from the program.