Exploring the Coast

This is the trip for those who think white grains of silicon assembled together by the seaside is the sole and perfect definition of paradise. Brazil is especially blessed with beaches: urban beaches, party beaches, surfing beaches, and wild, desolate, and lonely beaches. This tour takes a short splash on all of them.

Days 1-3: Rio de Janeiro

Start in Rio de Janeiro, and spend a couple or a few days experiencing the beach culture of the cidade maravilhosa. There are dozens of kilometers of beach, all of them within the city limits. Key beaches to explore include Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, São Conrado, Barra and the Grumari.

Days 4 & 5: Salvador

From Rio, take the plane to Salvador. Enjoy the colonial architecture and the music scene for a day, but don't forget to test out the music and dining on Salvador's best urban beach, Stella Maris.

Days 6-10: Morro de Sao Paulo and Boipeba

From the Bahian capital take the catamaran south 2 hours and party for a day or two in Morro de São Paulo. In this little beach resort even the streets are made of sand. Then take a short boat trip one island south to relax for a day or two on Boipeba, one of the most relaxed and isolated beaches on the Bahian coastline.

Days 11-16: Natal to Fortaleza by Dune Buggy

From Boipeba, take the boat back to Morro and catch a plane back to Salvador airport in time to make a connecting flight to Natal, a city surrounded by sand. Rent a dune buggy and explore the sand, sea, and massive sand dunes that stretch from the city's edge hundreds of kilometers north. Better yet, make a 4-day journey by beach buggy with Buggy & Cia to Fortaleza.

OR

Days 11-16: São Luis and Lençóis Maranhenses

Either way, your next leg should be by plane to São Luis. It's worth spending a day wandering this historic city, before catching a plane or bus for the town of Barreirinhas, gateway to the Lençóis Maranhenses. The Lençóis are not so much beach as a vast Sahara-like desert of perfect white-sand dunes, laced with countless rainwater lakes. You can hike the dunes, swim in the lagoons, and visit the wild, untouched coast nearby.

Days 17-20: Florianópolis

Returning to São Luis, catch a long flight down to Santa Catarina, and spend some days on the southern, surf-crazy island of Florianópolis. Rent a car and drive to the southern tip of the island and feast on fresh oysters.