Nothing beats the energy you’ll find at beaches in Brazil. As you relax on the sand, with a freshly-cut coconut sitting heavy in your lap, you’ll be surrounded by the vibrant energy of that the country is known for. On these slices of sand, Brazil is undeniably at its best.
At a typical Brazilian beach, travelers mix and mingle with locals on vacation (or on their lunch break), and vendors comb the beach selling everything from hats and sundresses to grilled cheese on a stick, while soccer balls fly in the air and music seems to come from every direction. There are many beaches, though, where nature is the prevailing landmark with offshore reefs, massive lagoon-filled dunes, and empty stretches of sand surrounded by rainforest. Others, meanwhile, are hotspots for water sports, drawing in visitors with perfect conditions for surfing and kiteboarding. In most cases, you’ll never be too far from a barraca, or beach bar, stirring ice-cold caipirinhas.
If you plan your travels around perfect slices of sand, then this guide is for you. Here, we outline 10 of the best beaches in Brazil, from the resort town favorites that are busy for good reason to the far-flung paradises and bohemian enclaves that are worth going the extra mile for. (We even laid them out in order from north to south, for your planning ease.) Wiggle your toes into these sands and you’ll see—so many of the best beaches in the world are right here in Brazil.
Lagoa Bonita, Parque Nacional dos Lençois Maranhenses
How to get there: Fly into São Luis, then grab a bus or drive the 3.5 hours to a park entry point like Barreirinhas
The dry and windy climate of the Brazilian Northeast forms dunes all over the coast from Natal to Jericoacoara, but no place is more striking than Lençois Maranhenses. This national park consists of vast fields of rippling white sand, and the frequent rainfall between January and June creates small lagoons that collect in the lowest parts of the dunes. No wonder it regularly tops lists of the best places to visit in all of South America. Book a buggy tour of the park so you can swim in these marvelous freshwater pools. Lagoa Bonita, which you can only access after a steep climb uphill, is one of the park’s best sunset spots.
