By Gabriel Eronmosele, Erons Travel, Fargo, ND
Brazil is enormous, and its beauty comes in several very different forms at once: dramatic landscapes, deep musical roots and big-city energy, all sharing the same map. In Rio de Janeiro, golden beaches sit beneath sheer granite peaks and city rainforest. São Paulo is the financial capital and a culinary heavyweight that moves at a nonstop, world-class pace. Up north, Salvador de Bahia is the Afro-Brazilian heart of the country, with pastel colonial squares and drumming in the streets, while Trancoso’s palm-lined coast offers barefoot, understated luxury.
Whether you come for colonial architecture, a beach escape or the spectacle of Carnival, this is a country that stays with you. Here’s how I help clients plan it.
Image courtesy of Raphael Nogueira on Unsplash
What to know before you go
Brazil involves long distances, its own currency habits, city-specific safety precautions and real seasonal swings. Getting these basics right is what keeps the trip smooth.
Money and tipping
- The currency is the Brazilian Real (BRL).
- Credit and debit cards and contactless phone payments are accepted almost everywhere, but a little cash is handy.
- Restaurants routinely add an optional 10% serviço (service charge) to the bill.
- Rounding up for taxi drivers and tour guides is customary and appreciated.
- If you need an ATM, use a secure one inside a bank branch or hotel.
Language
Portuguese is the official language, and locals warmly appreciate even a few words. English is common at upscale hotels and major sights but much less so in neighborhood spots, markets and small towns, so a translation app or simple phrasebook really helps.
- Olá or oi: hello
- Obrigado / obrigada: thank you (male / female)
- Por favor: please
- Com licença: excuse me
- Tudo bem?: how are you?
- Sim / não: yes / no
- Não falo português: I don’t speak Portuguese
- Você fala inglês?: do you speak English?
Airports
São Paulo and Rio are Brazil’s main long-haul gateways, and each has extra airports for domestic flights. Many flights within Brazil route back through these two cities, so know which airport your connection uses.
- São Paulo: Guarulhos (GRU) is the main gateway, with flights to Los Angeles, Chicago and Mexico City. Leave extra time for the city’s notorious highway traffic to and from the airport. Campinas (VCP) is a secondary hub with flights around South America and to Europe, plus Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. Congonhas (CGH) handles mostly domestic flights.
- Rio de Janeiro: Galeão (GIG) has flights to New York City, Miami and Dallas. Santos Dumont (SDU) connects to cities across Brazil.
- Salvador: Salvador International (SSA) has domestic and regional routes, plus transatlantic flights to Lisbon, Madrid and Paris.
- Trancoso: Fly into Porto Seguro (BPS), roughly 90 minutes away.
Getting around
For easy, low-stress transportation and sightseeing, I recommend private drivers or guided tours. Registered taxis are easy to find in the cities, but skip unmarked street cabs for safety.
When to go
- December–March (summer): Peak season on the coast, with hot beach days and Carnival.
- April–May and October–November (shoulder): Mild weather, smaller crowds and lower hotel rates.
- June–August: Generally drier in the Pantanal and parts of the Amazon; southern Brazil can be cooler and less predictable.
- June–September (winter): Rio’s drier season, with warm days and cooler evenings. Bring light layers for São Paulo’s occasional chilly days.
How long to stay
Because the country is so large, seven days is the minimum for pairing two cities without spending the trip in transit. Ten nights to two weeks is the sweet spot, enough to link three or four destinations without rushing.
What to pack
- Lightweight linen, light cotton and quick-dry fabrics for the warm, humid climate.
- Rio: relaxed beachwear by day, with a cover-up once you leave the sand.
- Salvador: tropical and colorful.
- Trancoso: barefoot-luxury resort wear.
- São Paulo: more cosmopolitan, so polished smart-casual, tailored pants and dark denim.
- A light jacket, sweater or rain shell in the winter months.
- Comfortable, sturdy walking shoes (non-negotiable).
- Modest clothing for historic and religious sites.
Safety, visas and health
- Safety: Stay extra alert in big cities and tourist districts. Keep phones, expensive jewelry, high-end cameras and luxury watches out of sight. Avoid beaches and poorly lit streets after dark, and don’t enter favelas.
- Visas: Brazil’s entry rules are strict. Many nationalities, including U.S. and Canadian citizens, need an electronic visa (e-Visa) before boarding.
- Food and water: Drink bottled or filtered water and be cautious with unpeeled raw fruits and vegetables.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio is squeezed dramatically between granite peaks and the Atlantic, mixing a lively beach culture with rainforest inside the city. Copacabana traces its famous golden arc along Avenida Atlântica, with the wave-patterned black-and-white stone promenade and busy beach kiosks. Next door to the west, Ipanema feels more polished, with stylish boutiques, upscale restaurants and the sunset crowd at Arpoador rock. Up on the hill, bohemian Santa Teresa has winding cobblestone streets, grand 19th-century mansions, art studios and the historic yellow bondinho (tram) clattering over the Lapa Arches. Above it all, Christ the Redeemer stands atop Corcovado inside Tijuca National Park, and the Sugarloaf cable car looks out over Guanabara Bay.
Where I recommend staying in Rio
Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel: Opened in 1923 on Copacabana Beach, this landmark is still Rio’s grand, glamorous address, with a huge semi-Olympic pool, Michelin-starred dining and attentive, high-touch service.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Hotel Fasano Rio de Janeiro: Right on Ipanema Beach, this mid-century modern retreat draws a very stylish international crowd, and it’s best known for its rooftop infinity pool and bar facing Two Brothers mountain.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Santa Teresa Hotel – MGallery Collection: Set in a restored 1850s coffee plantation estate in the Santa Teresa hills, this peaceful hideaway swaps the beach for tropical gardens, sweeping views over the city and Guanabara Bay, a secluded pool and a well-regarded spa.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Janeiro Hotel: On the calmer sands of Leblon, this design-led boutique hotel is all about understated eco-luxury: bright rooms, clean timber finishes, panoramic ocean views and a lively rooftop pool deck.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
São Paulo
São Paulo runs on nonstop urban energy, landmark architecture and world-class food. Avenida Paulista is the main artery, home to the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and its striking suspended glass box, plus financial towers and pedestrian promenades. Leafy, upscale Jardins and Pinheiros hold the country’s most celebrated restaurants, cocktail bars and independent design shops. Vila Madalena is the creative, bohemian counterpoint, with the mural-covered Beco do Batman alley and lively botecos (bars). To the east, Liberdade is the center of the city’s large Japanese community, with lantern-lined streets, ramen shops and street-food markets. For green space, Ibirapuera Park combines wide lawns and walking paths with modernist buildings by Oscar Niemeyer.
Image courtesy of Isabel Gonçalves on Unsplash
Where I recommend staying in São Paulo
Hotel Fasano São Paulo: In leafy Jardins, the brand’s flagship channels classic Italian elegance with exposed brick, dark wood and leather, and it remains a favorite of international business and luxury travelers.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Rosewood São Paulo: Part of the Cidade Matarazzo complex near Avenida Paulista, this ambitious hotel is a cultural hub in its own right, with indoor gardens, Philippe Starck interiors, a major art collection and five restaurants and bars.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Palácio Tangará, Oetker Hotels: Hidden in the greenery of Burle Marx Park, this grand European-style mansion feels like an urban resort, with spacious rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a calm Sisley spa and fine dining.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Hotel Unique: This copper-and-concrete Jardins landmark looks like an upside-down ship’s hull. Its highlight is Skye, the buzzing rooftop pool, bar and restaurant with 360-degree views of the skyline and Ibirapuera Park.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Salvador
Salvador de Bahia, set on the broad sweep of All Saints Bay, is the soul of Afro-Brazilian culture, rich in music, dance and food. The historic upper city, Pelourinho, is the core of the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Salvador: pastel buildings, cobblestone squares and gilded churches such as the lavish Church of São Francisco. The streets ring with Olodum drummers, impromptu capoeira circles and food vendors. The Art Deco Elevador Lacerda links the upper historic quarter to the lower city and Mercado Modelo, a busy waterfront crafts market. Down the coast, the Farol da Barra lighthouse anchors popular city beaches, makes a classic spot for Atlantic sunsets and marks the start of the Barra–Ondina Carnival circuit.
Where I recommend staying in Salvador
Hotel Fasano Salvador: In a landmark 1930s Art Deco building overlooking All Saints Bay, this hotel blends classic elegance with Bahian heritage. A rooftop infinity pool, a spa and a signature Italian-Bahian restaurant make it an easy, relaxing base in the historic center.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Trancoso
Trancoso pairs rustic bohemian charm with low-key luxury. Its centerpiece is the Quadrado, a large, car-free grassy square lined with colorful traditional houses and topped by the white São João Batista church looking out over the Atlantic. At sunset, lanterns light the square and the old cottages become upscale boutiques, candlelit open-air restaurants and stylish cocktail bars beneath huge mango trees. Below the clifftop village, boardwalks and sandy paths lead to wide, palm-lined beaches such as Praia dos Coqueiros and Praia dos Nativos, where easygoing beach clubs serve fresh seafood and cold coconut water beside calm, warm water.
Image courtesy of Caio Rodrigues on Unsplash
Where I recommend staying in Trancoso
Hotel Fasano Trancoso: On a quiet, unspoiled stretch of Itapororoca Beach, this minimalist compound sets low-slung buildings into native Atlantic Forest, with private bungalows, two ocean-facing pools and two restaurants, including beachfront Praia Trancoso.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa: This eco-luxury retreat is made up of restored centuries-old fishermen’s casas on the Quadrado plus newer garden casas. Its emerald-green quartz pool, organic spa and beach lounge are barefoot luxury at its best.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Club Med Trancoso: On top of dramatic red cliffs, this large all-inclusive resort suits families and active travelers, with excellent kids’ clubs, access to the nearby clifftop Terravista Golf Course, trapeze facilities and a scenic footbridge straight to the beach.
Iguazú Falls
On the Brazil–Argentina border, a subtropical rainforest opens up to reveal one of the most powerful natural wonders on earth. The Brazilian side, in Foz do Iguaçu, gives you the big-picture view: one main walkway follows the canyon rim with sweeping looks across the cascades, ending on a raised boardwalk that reaches right into the Devil’s Throat (Garganta do Diabo), where water pours into a U-shaped chasm. Beyond the main trail, Macuco Safari jet boats run into the base of the falls, helicopters fly overhead, and you may spot toucans, coatis and butterflies.
Image courtesy of Douglas Lopez on Unsplash
Where I recommend staying at the falls
Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel: The only hotel inside Brazil’s Iguaçu National Park, this classic 1950s Portuguese-style pink palace has a heated outdoor pool, fine dining and a calm spa, plus exclusive access to the falls before and after the park closes to the public.
- Preferred-partner access may apply at this property when you book through me. Ask me for details for your dates.
Cruising to and around Brazil
A cruise is a great way to see Brazil’s huge 4,600-mile Atlantic coastline and the Amazon Basin. Rio is a top cruise hub, both a major embarkation port and a headline stop, with ships docking near the lively downtown museum district.
Ocean itineraries usually follow the coast, linking commercial hubs such as Santos (about two hours from São Paulo) with the Afro-Brazilian cultural capitals of Recife and Salvador. Colonial Paraty and island-paradise Ilhabela are tender ports. Farther north, ships sail the Amazon River, stopping at river ports such as Alter do Chão, known for white-sand river beaches, and the jungle city of Manaus.
Three types of Brazil itineraries
- South America coastal sailings: From short mini-cruises to 18+ nights. Many luxury sailings run between Rio and Buenos Aires, combining Salvador and Santos with scenic beach towns.
- Amazon River voyages (7 to 30+ nights): Nature-focused trips that sail from the Caribbean and Atlantic into dense jungle tributaries.
- Grand Voyages and World Cruises (30 to 100+ nights): Usually include an overnight in Rio, a true bucket-list stop.
Cruise lines I recommend
Azamara Cruises: Built around “Destination Immersion,” this upscale line uses small, club-like ships and schedules late-night and overnight port stays so you can enjoy local culture and nightlife after the big ships leave.
- Preferred-partner access may apply on select sailings with this line. Ask me for details for your dates.
Viking Cruises: Viking pairs some Caribbean sailings with Amazon River stops. Its understated, Scandinavian-designed ships are adult-focused and inclusive, with guided shore excursions, enrichment lectures and a private veranda in every stateroom.
- Preferred-partner access may apply on select sailings with this line. Ask me for details for your dates.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises: This ultra-luxury, all-inclusive line works Brazil into South American coastal sailings, Amazon River journeys and multi-month World Cruises, with all-suite accommodations, gourmet dining and complimentary shore excursions.
- Preferred-partner access may apply on select sailings with this line. Ask me for details for your dates.
Oceania Cruises: Destination- and food-focused, Oceania often combines Brazilian ports with world voyages, Caribbean sailings and Antarctic trips. The ships are refined but relaxed, with roomy cabins and some of the best food at sea.
- Preferred-partner access may apply on select sailings with this line. Ask me for details for your dates.
MSC Cruises: The biggest name along Brazil’s coast, MSC offers European style, water parks, multi-course dining and the exclusive MSC Yacht Club, an upgraded enclave with private dining and dedicated butler service.
Brazil’s history and culture
Indigenous peoples, including the Tupi, Guarani and Yanomami, lived across the land from the Amazon Basin to the Atlantic coast, with sophisticated farming, hunter-gatherer and trade networks. Portuguese colonization brought enslaved Africans and built profitable economies around sugar (16th–17th centuries), gold (18th century) and coffee (19th century). Enslaved people resisted continuously, through uprisings and by founding independent free settlements called quilombos. Slavery was abolished in 1888, and Italian, German, Japanese and Middle Eastern immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries diversified the population further.
From that history came a vibrant national culture shaped deeply by Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous heritage. In the mid-20th century, modernism remade the country’s image, from the smooth sound of bossa nova to Oscar Niemeyer’s bold, utopian buildings in the new capital, Brasília. Candomblé, capoeira, dendê oil and feijoada all show how Brazil’s art, music and daily life carry a living legacy of resilience and reinvention.
What to eat and drink
- Feijoada: The national dish, a rich, slow-cooked black bean stew with salted beef, cuts of pork and smoked sausage, served with white rice, garlicky collard greens, farofa (toasted cassava flour) and orange slices.
- Pão de queijo: Small golden rolls, crisp outside and chewy inside, made with tapioca flour and sharp regional cheese.
- Churrasco: Gaucho-style barbecue, especially picanha (top sirloin cap), salted coarsely and roasted on long skewers over charcoal or wood.
- Brigadeiro: A fudgy chocolate truffle of condensed milk, cocoa and butter, rolled in chocolate sprinkles.
- Açaí bowls: Deep-purple puree from native Amazon palms, served thick and cold like sorbet, usually topped with banana and granola, often with strawberries and condensed milk.
- Caipirinha: The national cocktail: muddled lime and sugar over crushed ice with a generous pour of cachaça, a bold spirit distilled from fermented sugarcane juice.
Festivals worth planning around
- Carnival (February or March, nationwide): The national spectacle before Ash Wednesday, with lavish samba parades, sound trucks and huge neighborhood block parties.
- Festival de Parintins (June, Parintins): Three theatrical nights retelling the boi-bumbá folk tale and Amazonian and Indigenous legends, as rival teams Garantido (red) and Caprichoso (blue) compete with puppets, elaborate floats and toada folk music.
- Festa Junina (June, nationwide): Rooted in European harvest traditions and Saint John’s Day, with decorated streets, traditional dress and quadrilha square dances around bonfires.
- Rock in Rio (every other September, Rio): One of the world’s biggest music festivals, filling the Cidade do Rock over several days with multiple stages of global and Brazilian acts.
- Oktoberfest Blumenau (October, Santa Catarina): South America’s largest German festival celebrates the region’s 19th-century European roots with folk dancers, traditional outfits and craft beer gardens.
- Réveillon / New Year’s Eve (December 31, nationwide): Millions dress in white for peace in the new year, most famously on Copacabana Beach, and jump seven waves at midnight for luck.
Things to do in Brazil
Between famous landmarks, Afro-Brazilian rhythms and sunny beaches, Brazil mixes natural wonder with real cultural depth. These are the experiences I suggest by city.
Rio de Janeiro
- Corcovado: Take the century-old rack railway through Tijuca National Park to the 98-foot Art Deco Christ the Redeemer and its 360-degree views.
- Sugarloaf Mountain: Ride the glass cable car up to watch the sun set behind Christ the Redeemer, looking over Guanabara Bay and Copacabana.
- Hang gliding: Launch from the wooden ramp at Pedra Bonita, glide over mountainsides and beachfront estates, and land on Pepino Beach.
- Helicopter tour: See the beaches, landmarks and mountains of the Marvelous City from above.
- Jardim Botânico: Founded in 1808, this peaceful 130-acre garden holds more than 6,500 tropical plant species, with wild toucans and marmosets overhead.
- Feira Hippie de Ipanema: Every Sunday in Praça General Osório, Rio’s biggest open-air arts and crafts market brings hundreds of artisans selling leather goods, painted canvases, semi-precious gem jewelry and regional clothing.
- Nightlife: Meet under the white arches of the Lapa Aqueduct and try traditional live samba halls such as Rio Scenarium.
- Beaches: People-watch on Copacabana’s boardwalk, join the footvolley games in Ipanema or spend a calmer, upscale day in Leblon.
- Museums: The Museum of Tomorrow explores science and sustainability, and the Rio Art Museum (MAR) shows contemporary exhibitions on the city’s history and social fabric.
São Paulo
- Museums: MASP is famous for its glass-and-red-concrete building hovering above an open plaza on Avenida Paulista. The historic Pinacoteca covers 19th-century and contemporary Brazilian art, and Oscar Niemeyer’s Pavilhão da Bienal hosts the renowned São Paulo Art Biennial.
- Art galleries: Casa Triângulo (a pioneering contemporary gallery showing experimental work since 1988), DAN Galeria (an eclectic mix of modern Brazilian artists) and Zipper Galeria (lively emerging talent).
- Japan House: A sleek cultural center for contemporary Japanese art, technology, design and food, honoring São Paulo’s status as home to the largest ethnic Japanese population outside Japan.
- Shopping: Leafy Rua Oscar Freire has fashion flagships, Brazilian designer boutiques and sidewalk cafés. Shopping Iguatemi, Brazil’s oldest mall, offers luxury brands, fine dining and upscale personal shopping.
- Ibirapuera Park: The city’s top green space, with walking and cycling paths, shady lawns and lakes, and major institutions including the Afro Brasil Museum and the Museum of Modern Art (MAM).
Salvador
- Pelourinho Historic Center: Walk the cobblestones and steep hills of this UNESCO World Heritage quarter, full of pastel buildings, artisan workshops and street performers.
- Churches and monasteries: The Monastery of São Bento, founded in 1582, was the first Benedictine monastery in the Americas. The nearby Church and Convent of São Francisco, known for its gold-leaf interior and blue azulejo tiles, is closed for restoration and expected to reopen in 2029.
- Elevador Lacerda: Ride this 236-foot city elevator, built in 1873 and given its Art Deco look in the 1930s, between the Upper Town (Cidade Alta) and Lower Town (Cidade Baixa).
- Mercado Modelo: Hundreds of stalls in this busy historic market sell Bahian crafts, lace, wood carvings, leather goods and souvenirs.
- Afro-Brazilian music: Salvador is a UNESCO Creative City of Music. Listen for high-energy Axé pop, percussion-driven Samba-Reggae, the revolutionary 1960s Tropicalismo sound and the sacred, Candomblé-inspired Afoxé rhythms of street processions.
Trancoso
- Beaches: Relax in the calm, warm tide pools of palm-lined Praia dos Coqueiros; kayak or stand-up paddleboard at Praia dos Nativos, where the Trancoso River meets the Atlantic; or day-trip to Praia do Espelho for its multicolored cliffs and clear reef pools.
- The Quadrado: Wander the huge grassy square and its brightly painted fishermen’s cottages (casinhas), which turn into candlelit boutiques, galleries and open-air restaurants after dark.
- São João Batista Church: Visit this simple whitewashed 17th-century church on the clifftop above the ocean.
- Praia de Itaquena: Hike or ride horseback to this wild, protected coastline in an environmental preservation area, an important sea turtle nesting site.
Where to eat in Brazil
Brazil’s food scene runs from Michelin-starred tasting menus to neighborhood botecos, top-tier sushi counters and wood-fired steakhouses. Here are my picks.
Rio de Janeiro
- Oseille: Sixteen seats around an open kitchen and no printed menu, serving modern cooking that applies French technique to seasonal Brazilian ingredients.
- Maria e o Boi: A relaxed, contemporary steakhouse that reinvents Brazilian meat culture with creative regional sides.
- Miam Miam: Chef Roberta Ciasca’s modern comfort food in a beautifully restored 1930s Botafogo townhouse.
- Café 18 do Forte: An oceanfront brunch spot inside historic Copacabana Fort, loved for its views, fresh pastries and artisanal Brazilian coffee.
- Lasai: A sleek, intimate open kitchen with a tasting menu that changes daily, built on organic produce from the chef’s own gardens.
- Oro: Open-fire cooking and two tasting menus that turn Brazilian ingredients into beautiful small bites.
- Braseiro da Gávea: A much-loved, high-energy neighborhood classic with a no-frills vibe and expertly grilled meats.
- Malta Beef Club: A celebrated steakhouse for dry-aged prime beef from top producers in Brazil and Uruguay.
- Haru: An unpretentious sushi bar widely seen as one of Rio’s best for authentic Japanese food.
- Pope Ipanema: A stylish trattoria serving contemporary Italian comfort food with a lively beachside crowd.
São Paulo
- A Figueira Rubaiyat: An iconic spot built around a century-old Bengal fig tree, serving premium grass-fed beef and fresh seafood.
- A Casa do Porco: A buzzing downtown restaurant with a multi-course tasting menu of artisanal charcuterie, wood-roasted whole pig and inventive nose-to-tail dishes.
- Evvai: Three Michelin stars for creative “Oriundi” cuisine, where Italian tradition meets native Brazilian ingredients.
- D.O.M.: The legendary two-Michelin-star flagship that put native Amazonian ingredients and modern Brazilian cuisine on the global fine-dining map.
- Maní: A Michelin-starred, delicate take on modern Brazilian flavors in a calm white townhouse with a lush courtyard.
- Modern Mamma Osteria: A lively, always-packed Italian favorite known for elevated comfort food.
- Jequitibá: Traditional regional comfort food from across Brazil, with a polished modern touch.
- Keito: A quiet, highly respected Japanese institution for sashimi, omakase and classic hot dishes.
- Tan Tan: A trendy, dim, sleek bar pairing Japanese and East Asian street food with an award-winning cocktail list.
- Chimichurri Parrilla: A relaxed industrial-style Argentine grill for wood-fired steak, empanadas and choripán.
Salvador
- Origem: Fully devoted to Bahian cooking, with a seasonal tasting menu of local produce, sustainable seafood and Indigenous ingredients.
- Amado: Elevated coastal Brazilian food in a restored historic warehouse over All Saints Bay, with sweeping water views.
- Restaurante Casa de Tereza: A vibrant, art-filled hotspot for Afro-Brazilian comfort food, with Bahian art and rotating exhibitions.
- Coco Bambu: A lively seafood restaurant known for its big menu of family-style platters.
- Soho: Contemporary Japanese food on the Bahia Marina pier, with glass floor panels and a romantic sunset view.
Trancoso
- Restaurante Zukka: Near the Quadrado, serving seafood, handmade pasta and grilled meats with Bahian flavors.
- Benito Café e Restaurante: A cozy, stylish spot for artisanal coffee and fresh juice in the morning that becomes a Mediterranean-style bistro at night.
- Almar Trancoso: Refined oceanfront dining focused on fire-grilled seafood, local produce and chilled wine.
- Capim Santo Trancoso – Pousada e Restaurante: A pioneer of elevated Bahian-fusion cooking, set in a tropical garden on the Quadrado.
- Restaurante Casa Rabanete Trancoso: A charming spot right on the Quadrado, known for its buffet of Bahian comfort food.
Add-on trips
Extending a Brazil trip opens up desert lagoons, remote marine sanctuaries, modernist architecture and deep Amazon rainforest.
Image courtesy of gabriel xu on Unsplash
- Brasília (1.5–2 hour flight from São Paulo or Rio): Built from scratch in the 1950s, this UNESCO-listed capital has one of the world’s largest concentrations of Oscar Niemeyer’s visionary modernist architecture.
- Itacaré (2-hour flight from São Paulo, then about an hour’s drive): A surf town on Bahia’s Cocoa Coast with dense Atlantic Forest, secluded beaches and high-end eco-resorts such as Txai Resort Itacaré and Barracuda Hotel & Villas.
- Pantanal (2.5-hour flight from São Paulo): This vast flooded plain and tropical wetland offers boat safaris and guided 4×4 outings with outstanding chances to see wild jaguars, giant river otters, capybaras and hyacinth macaws.
- Lençóis Maranhenses (3.5-hour flight from São Paulo or Rio): Near São Luís on the northeast coast, this national park has sweeping white dunes and seasonal freshwater lagoons that usually peak between May and August, depending on rain.
- Manaus (4-hour flight from São Paulo or Rio): The remote jungle city deep in the Amazon is the main gateway for rainforest lodges and river cruises, and for the nearby “Meeting of the Waters,” where the dark Rio Negro and pale Solimões run side by side for miles without mixing.
- Fernando de Noronha (4-hour flight from São Paulo): A pristine volcanic archipelago off the northeast coast with strict visitor and environmental limits that protect its sanctuary status, plus world-class diving, dolphin encounters and secluded beaches.
If not Brazil…
If what draws you is Brazil’s mix of dramatic coastline, city energy, musical heritage and relaxed beach culture, these destinations share a lot of that spirit:
- Los Angeles: From the Santa Monica and Venice boardwalks to the sunny Hollywood Hills, LA has Brazil’s casual outdoor lifestyle, health-minded dining and creative culture.
- Sydney: Bondi and Manly anchor a big beach and surf scene, with world-class harborside dining, iconic modern architecture and nearby national parks as a polished Southern Hemisphere alternative.
- Cape Town: Table Mountain and Lion’s Head frame beaches like Camps Bay, while a rich music scene, world-class winelands an hour inland and layered historic sites echo Brazil’s landscapes and social depth.
- Greece: See the Acropolis and Athens’ lively historic squares, then unwind at the upscale beach clubs, seaside restaurants and turquoise water of the Athens Riviera.
- Mexico: Mexico City matches São Paulo’s scale, modern dining and art; Oaxaca has the culinary heritage, historic plazas and artisan traditions that recall Salvador; and surf towns like Puerto Escondido have Trancoso’s bohemian beach feel.
Ready to plan Brazil?
Want to see how these places fit together on the ground? My day-by-day Brazil itinerary for Rio and Salvador puts it into a sample week.
This guide first appeared on Fora Travel.
Contact Erons Travel to plan your Brazil trip, from the right hotels to flights, drivers and add-on extensions.
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