10 Best Beaches in Brazil
What are the Most Popular Beaches in Brazil?
Brazil is home to some of the best and most breath-taking beaches in the world. In this guide, you’ll discover stunning shores from the iconic beaches of Rio de Janeiro to the serene sands of more remote destinations along its vast coastline. Strong winds and currents make many of the country’s beaches popular for surfing and wind sports, while shores protected by reefs and lagoons offer calmer waters for swimming and snorkelling.
This list highlights the best beaches in Brazil. From Santa Catarina in the south all the way north to a freshwater beach in the Amazon Basin, read on to explore some of the best that the country has to offer.
1. Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro
An iconic beach destination
Categoría: Fotos, Gastronomía, Compras
The world-famous Ipanema Beach is a breath-taking landscape of white sands and clear waters bordered by the Dois Irmãos mountains. While the upscale Ipanema district is filled with high-end shopping and dining, its diverse beach is known as a lively gathering place for residents from all over the city.
Several postos divide up the beach, with the central Posto 9 drawing the most crowds and offering the best views. It’s the preferred spot of the young and fashionable as well as the LGBTQ crowd and an older artist community. Head to Posto 7 for the best surf, and Posto 10 to join a match of frescobol, a popular Brazilian game resembling tennis played on the beach.
Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro
2. Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro
World-famous party beach
Categoría: Parejas, Fotos, Gastronomía
The party is always on at Copacabana Beach, a 4-kilometre stretch of golden sand in Rio de Janeiro. It has been a symbol of the city since becoming a hotspot for celebrities and tourists in the 1930s and 40s and continues to be a favourite spot for swimming, sunbathing and socialising.
Stroll the black-and-white Portuguese stone promenade until you find your place in the sun. The southern side of the beach tends to be quieter, while the northern side is lined with barracas selling acai bowls and renting beach umbrellas. When you’re ready for a coffee or cocktail, walk over to the bustling Avenida Atlântica, which borders the beach.
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro
3. Praia do Rosa, Florianópolis
Whale watching in the south of Brazil
Categoría: Familias, Fotos
Praia do Rosa in the southern state of Santa Catarina offers a tranquil alternative to the raucous beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Situated in a crescent-shaped bay surrounded by gently sloping green hills, the sandy inlet is favoured by families and nature lovers. The beach is also well known as one of the best surf spots in southern Brazil, with consistent and powerful waves, especially in the winter months.
The surrounding area is rich in biodiversity, providing habitats to hundreds of bird species including shorebirds and hummingbirds. Whale watching is a popular activity from July through November when southern right whales can be seen making their seasonal migration.
Praia do Rosa, Florianópolis
4. Praia do Aventureiro, Ilha Grande
Idyllic island escape
Categoría: Aventura, Viajes diferentes, Fotos
Ilha Grande’s Praia do Aventureiro offers beachgoers the rare opportunity to truly disconnect from the world. This unspoiled beach is one of the island’s most remote, accessible only via boat or hiking trails. You shouldn’t expect mobile phone service, but what you can expect is a quiet afternoon staring out at glassy, seafoam-green waters from the shade of a coconut palm.
The typical visitor to Aventureiro is, aptly, the adventurous type: campsites are the area’s most common accommodation. Pitch your tent on the sand, build a beachside campfire and fall asleep staring up at the stars. The beach’s curved shape and surrounding rocks provide natural protection from strong ocean currents, resulting in calm waters ideal for swimming and snorkelling.
Praia do Aventureiro, Ilha Grande
5. Praia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha
A journey to a remote paradise
Categoría: Aventura, Fotos, Viajes diferentes
Ranked among the most beautiful beaches in the world, Praia do Sancho is a slice of heaven on Earth. You’ll have to pay your dues to see this lauded destination. There’s a fee to enter the Parque Nacional Marinho de Fernando de Noronha, the UNESCO-recognised park where the beach is located. There’s a strenuous descent to the beach, not for the claustrophobic, down 2 steep ladders through narrow crevices in the cliffs followed by 200 rocky steps.
The payoff is spectacular. Soft, golden sands slope from the rust-tinted cliffs into waters of dazzling clarity. A diver’s paradise, the calm waters at Praia do Sancho are teeming with colourful fish, turtles and manta rays. So, bring your snorkelling mask and flippers.
Praia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha
6. Praia de Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte
Scenic coastal enclave
Categoría: Aventura, Fotos
Praia de Pipa, a 90-minute drive from the city of Natal, attracts a diverse, bohemian crowd. The town, a small fishing village until a few decades ago, has embraced the influx of visitors drawn to its stunning cliff-backed beach. Live music fills the streets in the evenings, and friendly locals man the bars until the early hours of the morning.
To make the most of your visit to Pipa, take the Rota do Sol, that’s the Sun Route, a gorgeous 2-hour drive along the coast that passes a host of beaches and lookout points. Try surfing and kite surfing that the activities of choice in this region where the winds and the currents tend to be strong.
Praia de Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte
7. Ilha do Amor, Alter de Chao
White sand beach in the Amazon Basin
Categoría: Aventura, Viajes diferentes
Within the lush rainforests of the Amazon in the far north of Brazil, the Ilha do Amor looks and feels like an island in the Caribbean. The ’Island of Love’, located in the village of Alter do Chão, is actually a sandbar that emerges from the Tapajós River when the water levels fall in the dry season, which is August through December.
This is a popular holiday spot among Brazilians, who you’ll see lounging around tables stuck in the sand. Thatched-roof huts selling refreshments line the centre of the sandbar. Bordered by the river on one side and a calm lake on the other, the beach’s warm, clear waters are ideal for a swim.
Ilha do Amor, Alter de Chao
8. Mirror Beach (Praia do Espelho), Trancosco, Bahia
Ample space for sunbathing at this remote destination
Categoría: Parejas, Familias, Fotos
Mirror Beach sees fewer crowds than the more well-known beaches in the northeastern state of Bahia, meaning this is one palm-fringed shore you can have mostly to yourself. An hour’s drive from Porto Seguro, the secluded beach town of Trancosco has a few charming pousadas, or guesthouses in English, but otherwise few amenities. If you’re travelling on a budget, pack a lunch for this outing. If not, indulge in a dish of spicy moqueca de camaroes from the beachside restaurants.
The beach is at its best at low tide, when the ocean collects in natural pools that reflect the sky. These pools are full of marine life and corals, making for an excellent spot to snorkel and explore.
Mirror Beach (Praia do Espelho), Trancosco, Bahia
9. Muro Alto Beach, Porto De Galinhas
Family-friendly spot for swimming and snorkelling
Categoría: Familias, Gastronomía
Muro Alto Beach is 3 kilometres of palm-lined sands facing a shallow-water reef. Muro Alto, meaning ’high wall’, refers to the reef wall that runs parallel to the shore, creating a series of natural pools. The calm waters make this a great beach for families with young children, and the clear waters offer excellent visibility for snorkelling.
The beach is lined with resorts and condominiums which have staked out private beaches along Muro Alto. Enjoy food and beverage service delivered to your lounge chair on the sand or make use of resort water sports equipment like jet skis and stand-up paddleboards.
Muro Alto Beach, Porto De Galinhas
10. Jericoacoara Beach, Ceará
Wind sports and sand dunes in protected parkland
Categoría: Fotos, Vida nocturna
Often referred to simply as ’Jeri’, Jericoacoara Beach is characterised by its laid-back atmosphere. In the daytime, the beach is a popular destination for kitesurfing and windsurfing; at night, the surfers turn up the music and party on the sand.
Part of Jericoacoara National Park, the beach is surrounded by protected landscapes like migrating sand dunes and freshwater lagoons. Pedra Furada, a natural stone arch that stands where the sand meets the ocean, has become a symbol of the area. For a spectacular view of the sun dipping below the horizon, climb to the top of Duna do Pôr do Sol, the Sunset Dune.
Jericoacoara Beach, Ceará
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