Beach hopping in Brazil was one of the absolute highlights of my ten month epic adventure around the world.

When I was planning my extended adventure I knew that I would need what I dubbed a holiday from the holiday. Some time to not be constantly moving from place to place. Some time to relax, recuperate and rest.

The blissful, beautiful beaches of Brazil fit the bill perfectly.

So after travelling close to six months I spent close to six glorious weeks beach hopping in Brazil. These are my top 7 places for beach hopping in Brazil.

1. Caraiva

Caraiva completely and utterly stole my heart!! I was gone at first sight being rowed across the small river to the small hamlet that is Caraiva.

Caraiva can be found on Brazil’s Bahia coast and it is remote.

First you need to reach Arrial D’Ajuda before taking a bus down dirt roads for a few hours. At the end of that road is a small clearing where small wooden boats are manoeuvred across the river.

Vibrant tropical plants line the river and across that river are bright colourful buildings lining the main street.

The small village has no cars or motorbikes and the streets are sand – definitely my kind of place.

And it was in Caraiva I was introduced to forro at a beachside bar, an extremely seductive dance.

2. Boipeba

If you’re looking for beaches that stretch endlessly into the distance lined with oh so many palm trees and next to no people then Ihla de Boipeba is for you!

This is paradise found with more than 20kms of gorgeous coastline.

Boipeba Island is one of the islands of the Tinharé archipelago in the south of the state of Bahia.

Hot top – there is no bank or ATM on the island.  Most of the hotels, restaurants and shops should accept credit cards, but to be safe bring some cash with you.

To reach this idyllic island I took a speedboat from Valença. It took about an hour.

3. Ipanema/Leblon, Rio de Janerio

The beaches of Rio de Janerio are world famous with Copacabana being the most famous. But I much preferred Ipanema which streched into Leblon.

Not only was the water and sand way cleaner but the streets behind the beach were full of cool shops, restaurants and bars.

This is Rio at it’s best!

4. Ilha Grande

Ilha Grande is a mountainous, jungle covered island ringed by gorgeous beaches.

One of these beaches, Praia Lopes Mendes, is considered one of the best beaches in Brazil and with super soft fine white sand offset against azure water it’s easy to see why.

To reach Praia Lopes Mendes you can take a boat from the main village but I highly recommend the three hour walk through the jungle instead.

5. Morro de Sao Paulo

Morro de Sao Paulo is touristy and a party island. There’s a different party here every night of the week and my hostel was full of Argentineans on summer holidays!

I had so much fun partying on the beach until sunrise.

6. Arraial D’Ajuda

If you’re looking for chic shops, restaurants and some nightlife to go with your beaches look no further than Arraial D’Ajuda.

But beware that also means crowds (and rubbish!). However, if you’re prepared to walk a little bit you can find a quieter section of sand, rubbish free.

7. Florianopolis

When people talk about the beach at Florianopolis they could actually be referring to up to 42 beaches on Ilha de Santa Catarina. This place is huge!

In six nights I only visited Praia Mole, Praia Barra de Lagoa, Praia da Joaquina and Praia do Campeche.

Also, Florianopolis has a reputation as a party destination.

Worth a Mention – Trancoso

I only spent an all too short hour in Trancoso’s cute quadrangle and didn’t make it down to the beach. But from the little I saw I left wishing I had more time in this uber cool hangout.

Practical Information for Beach Hopping in Brazil

• Caraiva – I stayed at Memoan Hostel whilst in Caraiva. It’s right next to where the row boats arrive and perfect for a lazy beach stay. To get to Caraiva a bus from Arraial D’Ajuda takes 2 to 3 hours to where you’ll be met by row boats.

• Boipbea – The awesome Abaquar Hostel with one of the yummiest breakfasts on my travels is where I called home for six nights whilst on Ilha de Boipeba. Highly recommended.

 

• Rio De Janerio – I absolutely loved my stay at Lemon Spirit Hostel in Leblon. I spent 11 fun-filled nights during Carnaval at Lemon Spirit. It’s two blocks from the beach and has the best staff ever!!

• Ilha Grande – Yes, it’s a little bit of a walk up a hill but the garden circled HI Holandes is a nice hostel for a stay on Ilha Grande.

• Morro de Sao Paulo – I’m not usually a fan of chain hostels but Che Lagarto on Morro de Sao Paolo delivered on a super fun place to stay while on the party island.

• Arraial D’Ajuda – Hostel Maloca was my home away from home for many, many nights and that was all because of the incredible staff. Highly recommended all because of the extremely helpful and friendly staff,

• Florianopolis – I stayed at Geckos Hostel in Lagoa da Conceicao. I loved the location of this hostel as it meant I could choose a different beach to visit every day. The facilities were also pretty good but my whole stay was completely overshadowed by being ravaged by bed bugs on my first night! Simply awful!!

 

 

 

Are you thinking about beach hopping in Brazil? Hopefully my post has given some inspiration and somethings to choose from!