Top 5: Beaches in Brazil

Brazil has a huge coastline with it beaches. This list features the best five stretches of sand in the country.

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Porto da Barra, Salvador, Bahia

In the northeastern state of Bahia lies the old city of Salvador, famous for its Afro-Brazilian population and stunning carnival celebrations. There are plenty of beaches in town, but Porto da Barra is one of the few that face west, meaning you can see great sunsets.

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Lopes Mendes, Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro

Around 150 kilometers west of the city of Rio de Janeiro is Ilha Grande, a former prison colony island where cars are prohibited to this day. As a result, the spectacular beaches around the island are reached by hiking through the jungle or taking a boat. Lopes Mendes is a great spot and isolated to boot.

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Forno Beach, Sao Paolo

Surfers flock to the former slave trading town of Buzios to catch the waves at the numerous beaches. Forno has been kept isolated from the crowds due to its distance from town and the unmarked trail that leads to it. Rock formations make for great snorkeling.

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Campeche, Florianopolis

A guide to beaches in Brazil would seem empty without a mention of the city of Florianopolis, which has 42 different stretches of sand to choose from. Campeche stands out from the crowd for its surfing and kitesurfing.

Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil © Lazyllama | Dreamstime

Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro

It’s impossible not to mention Ipanema, despite the fact that it is so well known. Things can get a bit busy, but where else in the world can you laze around on a beach immortalized in song, on the coastline of the most visited city in the southern hemisphere.