To state the obvious: Brazil is a huge country. After 2.5 months we managed to travel most of the coast from Fortaleza to Porto Alegre, with a 3.5 week stopover in Florianopolis (to reset after 6 months on the road) and two small trips inland to check out Chapada Diamantina & Iguacu Falls. The below are our top picks from the places we've seen, but by no means cover off all of Brazil. Bonito, The Pantanal and the Amazon are already on the travel hit list for the next trip to Brazil.
#10
Shane: Breakfast bread
In a crafty, sneaky, genius move I renamed cake to 'breakfast bread' to trick my already boarder line horrible rig into not knowing it was consuming cake at 7 o'clock every morning. Strange at first.... I quickly caught onto the awesome normality of eating 'breakfast bread' along side the more traditional early morning dishes of eggs, toast and cereal. |
Becky: Porto de Galinhas
"Galinhas" translates to "hens" and you will see them everywhere. Almost every store and restaurant has a themed hen carved out of wood sitting at the entrance. The small town is lined with beaches and there are rock pools to explore. Relax at one of the beachside restaurants, where the plastic chairs are on the sand. |
#9
Becky: Olinda
An hour bus ride north of Recife, Olinda is a complete contrast to the modern city. The old centre is full of churches, colourful buildings and an amazing viewpoint back towards Recife. Keep an eye out for some interesting street art and some giant puppets (Gigantes) waiting patiently in the balconies for the next carnival celebration. |
Shane: Maragogi
The eastern coast of Brazil is littered with perfect beaches with crystal clear water. Most claim to be the most beautiful beach in Brazil. Maragogi is a small town that has every right to make that claim. The main beach of the town is nice but walking north along the coast is where you'll find postcard beaches that run for miles and that aren't too overcrowded, like Praia de Antunes. You can also take a catamaran from Maragogi a few kilometres off the coast and go snorkeling and swimming in the shallow reef. |
#8
Shane: Salvador
Once the most important city of Portugal's province of Brasil, Salvador has a historical centre that intrigues. Beautiful churches lined with cobble stone streets and colourful European inspired buildings that now house restaurants, bars and craft stores- it's not hard to lose yourself in the winding streets. |
Becky: Blumenau
Blumenau seems out of place in Brazil, since it could have been taken directly from somewhere in Europe. There is a heavy German influence in the architecture, culture, beer and population- summarized perfectly at the start of October each year when they host the second largest Oktoberfest in the world, with over 700,000 attendees. |
#7
Becky: Paraty
Paraty is a step back in time. The small cobblestone streets, horse drawn carriages, and white buildings with a flash of colour make exploring the old historic centre truly charming. Once a month on the full moon (and to a lesser extend every night) the streets are designed to flood with the rising tide in the harbour. The sidewalks are raised and people continue on a s normal, avoiding the floodwaters. On a nice day, hire a small colourful boat from the harbour to take you out exploring. |
#6
Shane: Florianopolis
Only just an island, connected by a short bridge to the mainland, is the beautiful cityof Florianopolis. Known for its surfing beaches, diving and hiking the island offers everything from a night out in the city to a isolated beach bonfire. Public transport takes you to every corner of the island and makes it really easy to explore. |
Becky: Ilha Grande
Located between Rio and Paraty, Ilha Grande is a must visit for anyone doing the coastal circuit. Easytransfer is a great option for door to door service between the three locations. Lopes Mendes beach was once voted one of the top 10 beaches in the world and is a 2 hour hike from the main town, past several other beaches and through the forest inhabited by howler monkeys. |
#5
Becky: Florianopolis
Floripa is a city island that has a little bit of everything to offer. The centre is a typical large city centre, in contrast to Barra de Lagoa, a small fishing village only 40 minutes away on the east side of the island. There are several good hiking trails and beaches all along the coast that offer surfing, kitesurfing, beach bars and restaurants. Lagoa de Conceicao is the place to go for nightlife, with several bars, music venues and a food truck park. |
Shane: Ilha Grande
A 45 minute ferry ride from mainland Brazil, this beautiful island can melt away any worry you could think up for yourself with beaches, hiking, wildlife, boat trips and cocktails. Foot traffic only, you can lose yourself in the little haven and forget an outside world exists. Don't miss it. |
#4
Shane: Chapada Diamantina
A few hours bus ride from Salvador, the national park is impressive and a nice change of pace from city life. The small town of Lencois is where most people base themselves and venture out during the days to go hiking, swimming and exploring. Isolated swimming holes with natural waterfalls and jump rocks make for a perfect day by the water. Or hiking to the top of the largest free fall waterfall in Brazil where the views are hypnotizing. If nature is your thing, Chapada is for you. |
Becky: Chapada Diamantina
A small town called Lencois is a good starting point for exploring Chapada. There are several hiking routes nearby that make for easy day trips. We hiked to the top of the tallest waterfall in Brazil- Cachoeira da Fumaça- which offered an incredible view. Sunset from on top Morro do Pai Inacio is also a must. |
#3
Becky: Rio de Janeiro
Rio is an incredible city where you could easily spend weeks. Each neighbourhood offers something a little different and there are several must see tourist spots (including Christ the Redeemer, Selaron Steps, and Sugarloaf). Spend some time in Copacabana, Ipanema, and a Friday night in Lapa drinking cheap caipirinhas near the arches. |
Shane: Foz do Iguaçu
After already visiting Victoria falls in Africa and Niagara Falls in Canada I wasn't sure whether Iguazu could offer anything more. How foolish I was. Iguazu not only stands up to but in my opinion tops the former. The falls are shared by Argentina and Brazil. Most people visit both sides and from reports Argentina is the pick if you have to choose. I didn't get that choice and because of a rapidly filling passport I only visited the Brazil side but I left completely satisfied. A must see, words wouldn't do it justice. |
#2
Shane: Jericoacoara
Colourful, unique and isolated, Jeri is tucked away and situated amongst rolling sand dunes like a deserted paradise. Sand streets dissect the colourful building that range from restaurants, bars, craft and souvenir stores and tour operators. The main beach is a kite surfing oasis and people travel from all corners to enjoy beach life and climb the sunset dune to watch the Emerald flash sunset, one of few places in the world this natural phenomenon can be witnessed. Side note: Be sure to take cash with you because Jeri has no ATMs |
Becky: Foz do Iguaçu
The waterfalls of Iguacu are the most impressive I have seen (even over Victoria Falls and Niagara). The number of waterfalls and distance covered is expansive, and each view is as breathtaking as the last. It is worth exploring both sides- Brazil (half a day) and Argentina (a full day). Brazil has more panoramic viewpoints (and more coatis!) and Argentina lets you wander through closer to the action. It can be a bit challenging/expensive to get to Iguacu from elsewhere in Brazil, so if possible plan your travels in advance to cut down on the travel costs. |
#1- Our Favourites
Becky: Jericoacoara
Affectionately called "Jeri", this white sand haven is a little piece of paradise. To reach the small town you have to take a 4x4 jeep through the dunes. The streets are literally made of sand (I didn't wear shoes for the 4 days we were here) and it's impossible not to relax. There are some nearby natural attractions (the rock arch, sunset dune, Paradise lagoon) to entertain when you feel like getting up out of the hammock for a few hours, along with water sports, unbelievably blue water and white sand beaches. This is one place you won't want to leave and will find yourself booking "just one more night". |
Shane: Rio de Janerio
Rio de Janeiro quickly climbed my all time incredible cities list and sits comfortably in the top 3. Diversity in every aspect from landscapes to culture. Nestled between mountains, ocean and bay along with the impressive Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf mountain, the exterior is impressive even before you start to scratch the surface to discover the unique personality of every suburb and favela. The city is alive every minute of the allotted 24 hr day. Exercise and partying seem to be what consumes most locals' free time, but no matter your taste or pleasure you'll be sure to find it here. Side note: Every city has an underbelly so be mindful of your belonging (especially at the beach) and don't carry anything of value unless it's a necessity. |
And our least favourites...
Shane: São Paulo
São Paulo has more inhabitants then Australia and as you can imagine a city of this magnitude struggles with pollution. Museums, restaurants and bars are rife throughout São Paulo but are nothing special and wouldn't be enough to make me go back. The river Pinheiros is one of the most polluted I've ever seen and stinks like moldy cheese wrapped in seaweed being cooked with an iron. A candidate for superpowers or instant death if any poor soul ever fell in. |
Becky: "It's the best beach in Brazil"
There are a lot of beaches in Brazil...A LOT of beaches. And Brazilians seem to pride themselves on knowing or living near "the best" one. Unless you are a real beach bum, while beautiful, after awhile they all kind of seem the same. My advice: do your research, pick a few, and don't try to see them all or you will spend weeks and weeks trying to cover them all off. And don't worry too much about missing the rest- you will find white sand, blue water and beach bars in almost all beaches you visit along the Brazilian coast. |
Questions about travelling in Brazil? Email us and we will be happy to help!