There’s more to Brazil than carnival. Whether you are a laid-back beachcomber or die-hard partier, Brazil has a beach for you!
The largest country in South America, Brazil has over 4,600 miles of coastline and is home to hundreds of amazing beaches. We had the chance to explore many of them during the two months we spent beach-hopping from Sao Paolo to Natal.
Below are the 8 most beautiful beach towns we visited.
Leslie and Jake befriending sea urchins off the coast of Maceio, Brazil.
>> Is your favorite Brazilian beach missing from this list? Share it with other readers by leaving a comment below!
#8. Trindade
Trindade is the quintessential beach town. Dreadlocked hippies roam the beaches selling handcrafted jewelry, vacationers sip beer at beachfront cafes, and more adventurous travelers hike up rock formations for stellar views of the coastline. Trindade offers great swimming, hiking and fine white sand. What more could you ask for in a beach destination?
#7. Paraty
Just a 45-minute public bus ride from Trindade is the colonial town of Paraty, an excellent base of operations for your Brazilian beach vacation. You can easily fill your days snapping photos of 18th century buildings, eating traditional Brazilian meals, visiting neighboring beaches and going down the natural “waterslide” (a boulder sitting in the middle of a waterfall). Four nights is more than enough to experience the local attractions– but you might find it hard to tear yourself away!
#6. Praia da Pipa
This laid-back beach town is a 2-hour bus ride from the northern city of Natal. Popular among European tourists, it is known as a good place to swim with dolphins. If you are looking to get close to these intelligent mammals, simply walk to the public beach, wade in and wait for an encounter. (To maximize your chance of a dolphin sighting, bring a flotation device so you won’t tire as quickly and can spend more time in the water). If hiking is more your style, head to the Ecological Sanctuary to walk in the forest; don’t miss their miniature labyrinth, which is surprisingly challenging. You wouldn’t come to Brazil just to visit Pipa, but it is a pleasant stop on the Brazilian coast.
#5. Maceio
When you think of Brazilian beaches, this port city in Alagoas state would not come to mind. It is barely mentioned in the Lonely Planet and we didn’t encounter any American tourists during our stay. However, Maceio offers the comforts of an urban destination (like business hotels and solid public transportation) with beautiful, uncrowded beaches. Fishing boats line the shore and offer to ferry visitors to a nearby reef for about $9 each (depending on your ability to haggle in Portuguese).
#4. Praia do Gunga
We took a boat excursion from Maceio to the island of Praia do Gunga, considered one of Brazil’s most beautiful beaches, for under $10 per person. Since this area isn’t geared toward international tourism, a working knowledge of Portuguese or Spanish will help you get by. We became friendly with a Brazilian couple at our hotel in Maceio and they helped us to book this boat trip. While there may be a language gap, Brazilians are usually very friendly and willing to help!
#3. Ilha Grande
This island is located just off the coast of Rio de Janeiro but is a world away. You won’t find chain hotels or cars plying the cobblestone streets and the main activities are swimming, hiking, indulging in decadent desserts and having a drink in the village square. Most hostels and family-run guest houses (known as “pousadas”) are located on the hills surrounding the square; they are affordable and typically include a homemade breakfast. The beaches are adequate (and perhaps the best you will find so close to Rio de Janeiro), but we were more attracted to the hiking trails that led to a swimming hole, an aqueduct and the ruins of a colonial prison.
#2. Morro de Sao Paulo
Located off the coast of Salvador de Bahia, this island is known for its nightlife. While it is a required stop on the Brazilian backpacker trail, Morro de Sao Paulo is not filled with 18 year old “gap year” students; in fact, when we visited most travelers were Argentine. The island is safe, laid back and charming; since cars are not allowed, local men offer to transport your luggage on wheelbarrows. Each beach has a unique character and we enjoyed exploring them all. It’s easy to walk from one beach to the next, although you may have to keep tides in mind when you make your crossing. Morro de Sao Paulo is the perfect compliment to the bustling city of Salvador, which offers rich Afro-Brazilian culture and delicious cuisine.
#1. Fernando de Noronha
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… Fernando de Noronha has the most beautiful beaches in the world! This remote archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean can only be reached by by plane from the mainland cities of Recife and Natal. Tourism on this UNESCO World Heritage Site is restricted and a visitor’s fee is required in order to preserve the abundant marine life, which includes dolphins and sea turtles. As a result, you can spend hours hiking or swimming without seeing another traveler. You won’t find a Marriott here; most visitors stay in locally-owned guesthouses known as pousadas that offer homemade breakfast and tourist tips. Off-shore snorkeling is allowed at most beaches and scuba diving is excellent. We brought our own snorkel gear and came across giant sea turtles about 10 feet from the beach. This is not a budget destination– but it is well worth the cost of the flight and entry fee.
For more info
To learn more about Brazil’s beach destinations, visit the Brazilian tourism website or follow Visit Brazil on Twitter (@visitbrasil) or Facebook.
We fell in love with Brazil during our beach-hopping adventure and are always looking for new areas to explore. If you have a favorite Brazilian destination, please share your pick by leaving a comment below! If you are reading this via email or RSS subscription, click on Downtown Traveler to leave a comment.
Wow the beaches are so gorgeous! And the sky so blue.. but most importantly, you looked super hot in that pic with Jake! You go girl! 🙂
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Thanks for your comment on our Brazil post! You are very sweet 🙂
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This is a very nice place to have a vacation and holidays with…The photos you have posted are all awesome!I really love the second beach…
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I have not been to Brazil – yet! This is a great beach guide with beautiful photos.
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Thanks for your comment! You MUST go to Brazil– it is amazing! And so culturally and ethnically diverse 🙂
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beautiful photos !
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These photos make me want to go back!
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You’re missing Jericoacoara – Ceará
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Yeah we heard great things about Jericoacoara and wanted to visit but didn’t have time to make it that far north. Next time!
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Nice picks, but havent you gone to the “ecological route” in Alagoas? Its near Maceio, theres a city called São Miguel dos Milagres and the Patacho beach is just amazing. In my opinion this part is the most beautiful of Brazilian coast (I am Brazilian.
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I haven’t done the ecological route near Maceio. Sounds interesting!
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I’m a fan of Paraty. That quaint little town with cobblestone streets, and rocky beach is another world.
Did you not get to Florianopolis?
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No, we didn’t get a chance to visit Florianopolis but the beaches there do look gorgeous. We were unable to get that far south unfortunately.
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Leslie, whenever I see the word “Brazil” my eyes always perk up. It is on my “bucket List”. Haven’t decided when yet. I, too, am a NYer now in the South. Love travel. Have some appreciation for art – music, paintings, etc. Thanks, Leslie, for posting those beach pics. You guys look great! Trindade and Gunga were my favoritesto look at.
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Thanks Veronica! Trinidade and Gunga are great beach destinations. I highly recommend a Brazilian vacation– I can’t wait to go back 🙂
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Beautiful photos, but u should go to Boipeba, near of Morro de São Paulo. Its more beauty and authentic than Morro. 🙂
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Thanks for the tip about Boipeba. Would love to check it out on our next trip to Brazil 🙂
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Unfortunately you guys hadn’t visited Jericoacoara beach, also called by “Jeri” placed in northeast state of Ceará. That is another beautiful beach in Brazil. Porto de Galinhas in Pernambuco state and Barra da Lagoa in the city is Florianopolis, state of Santa Catarina could be mentioned also. Great Brazilian beaches guide!
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Thanks for the tips – a few other people have mentioned these same beaches that we missed. Unfortunately we didnt have time to get that far north or south, but we definitely will hit them up next time we go!
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The next time you come visit Brazil, you must go to Santa Catarina state. It’s plenty of amazing beaches, untouched nature and beautiful people!
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Thanks for the tip to visit Santa Catarina! Will have to check it out on our next Brazil visit 🙂
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Fernando de Noronha really is the number one.. I really hope we can have a chance to visit Brazil too.. Thanks for sharing this beautiful pictures of beaches..
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Yeah Noronha stands out amongst every beach area we’ve ever visited in the world. It’s too bad it’s pricey and difficult to visit but I guess that’s a big reason it’s so pristine and not crowded.
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Haven’t you been in Sao Paulo? We have a lot of pretty beautiful beaches in the Northeast Coast. You have to try this cities: Sao Sebastiao e Ubatuba. Some beaches in the Southeast Coast is nice to visit too like Santos, Guaruja and Ilha Comprida.
= )
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Thanks for the tip! We did visit Sao Paulo but didn’t have a chance to visit those beaches. Next time!
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I’ve got to get to Brazil one of these days…the beaches look phenomenal.
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Brazil is amazing!!! You have to go– the culture, food, people and beaches are wonderful.
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It is sad that my partner does not have the same appreciation for beaches. I am happy that he makes an effort to go visit them though. I just so love the photos of the places you have been. I will remember each one and hope to visit them someday.
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just an information: “BrazilTour” is not the official site of tourism of Brazil. They use the official logo, but they aren’t from government.
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Thanks Victor. Do you know the official tourism website for Brazil?
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http://www.brasil.gov.br/brazil/home-en
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Very informative post. Get to know something new and very informative. Love to read more posts like this.
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Ar, the beaches look amazing! Wish I was there now…
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Brazil is close to number one on my “must-see” list. I hope to get there, sooner, rather than later. When I do, I’ll be looking for beaches. So, thanks for writing this article. All of the other stuff I’ve read about Brazilian beaches seems so much more touristy – these sound like the gems. Cheers!
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Excellent compilation. really liked it….Wow…what amazing, fantastic beaches…
Very informative post… Great job
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Thanks for sharing these great pictures. It’s nice to see those green landscapes while having a fun time swimming in those beaches. 🙂
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I’ll be heading to Brazil in January and can’t wait to check out some of these beaches! So many great options!
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We’re jealous! Brazil is such a beautiful country– enjoy your trip 🙂
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Great article. I’ve been to Parity and stayed in Trindade, which we loved though it can be quite rainy in a rain forest!!
For those looking for more sunshine I recommend Saquarema on the costa do sol northeast of Rio, towards Buzios without the glitz and tour boats. We stayed at the Masai just outside of town and used bikes to get everywhere, really nice friendly fishing village and stunning beach
I am looking for an authentic beach town north of Salvador, praia do forte looks promising but I don’t want anything too glitzy or Euro feeling.
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