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Brazil

The-Southeast Arraial-Do-Cabo Brazil


Arraial do Cabo, 45km east of Saquarema, is surrounded by gleaming white sand dunes and offers all the beauty of Búzios with half the fuss. The sign at the town entrance proclaims that this is ‘where the sun spends the winter, ’ and indeed, it’s easy to feel that this little town at the end of the peninsula is a charmed world unto itself. Arraial is home to a working fishing port, Porto do Forno, which lends it a welcoming working-class demeanor. Funny little lighthouse statues at intersections around town also add a touch of charm. Some of the best beaches – pristine swaths of gorgeous sand and bright-green waters – are within an easy 15-minute stroll of the downtown bus station, while others are just a short boat ride away.

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Brazil

The-Southeast Cananeia Brazil


Smaller and prettier than neighboring Iguape, Cananéia has an even longer lineage. Founded in 1531, it’s considered one of the oldest European settlements in Brazil, and while the bulk of the old town was built in the 19th century, there are a few buildings that date to the 16th century, such as the Igreja São Batista (Praça Martim Afonso de Souza; 9am-noon, 2-6pm Wed-Sun). Unfortunately, many buildings in the town are in varying states of disrepair.

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Brazil

The-Southeast Ilha-Grande Brazil


Ilha Grande (Big Island) has dazzled visitors for centuries. Some 150km southwest of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s third-largest island has tropical scenery and gorgeous beaches. Its hillsides are covered in lush forests, important remnants of the rapidly disappearing Mata Atlântica ecosystem.

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Brazil

The-Northeast Maceio Brazil


One of the hot, up-and-coming destinations in the Northeast, Maceió is a navigable modern city set on some truly beautiful beachfront. It has a small but buzzing bar and restaurant scene and fairly laid-back streets; it’s also the gateway to wonderfully idyllic shoreline to the north and south. On the city’s beaches, vivid, emerald-hued water laps the powdery sands that are lined with palms and brightly painted jangadas (traditional sailboats). By night, local residents follow the meandering beachside path as it weaves past thatched-roof restaurants and palm-shaded football pitches. Maceió’s sights are relatively few, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy a great meal, catch some rays and soak up the relaxed atmosphere.

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Brazil

The-Central-West Ponta-Pora Brazil


It’s a strange feeling to cross a street and change countries, but you can do just that in Ponta Porã, a bustling little border town divided from the Paraguayan town of Pedro Juan Caballero by Av Internacional. The beer changes from Skol to Pilsen and prices on electronics are slashed – other than that, it’s hard to even notice there is a border here (Portunhol vernacular is rampant). It once prospered as a center for the yerba maté trade in the late 19th century; now it caters to Brazilians by the truckload, who flock to the Paraguayan shopping centers. It’s a get-in, get-out town – if you spend more than one night here, it had better be due to ­hospitalization.

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Brazil

The-Northeast Sao-Luis Brazil


The historic center of São Luís is an enchanting neighborhood of steamy cobbled streets and pastel-colored colonial mansions, some handsomely restored, some still deep in tropical decay, and 1100 of them on the Unesco World Heritage list. It’s a charming area with a unique atmosphere, and also has one of the best concentrations of museums, galleries and craft stores in the Northeast. But Maranhão’s capital is more than just this colonial heart. São Luís is also the reggae capital of Brazil, it is home to the highly colorful and unusual Bumba Meu Boi festivities, and it has a lively beach scene.

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Brazil

The-Southeast Ubatuba Brazil


Draped with the rich flora of the Mata Atlântica (Atlantic rain forest), the peaks of Serra do Mar provide a dramatic, emerald green backdrop to the winding Ubatuba coastline. This region has become a preeminent resort for well-heeled Paulistanos, with its elegant beach homes and a number of stylish hotels and pousadas, especially south of the town. Heading north toward neighboring Paraty in the state of Rio de Janeiro, beaches tend to be harder to reach but also wilder and more pristine.

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Brazil

The-Northeast Arraial-Dajuda Brazil


Atop a bluff overlooking an enchanting stretch of coastline, Arraial d’Ajuda is a peaceful tourist village with indisputable appeal. Its narrow paved roads and dusty lanes wind beneath large, shady trees, with lovely pousadas and open-air restaurants hidden among the greenery. Solid, brightly painted façades surround its plazas, and the air remains tinged with the scent of tropical vegetation. In the past, Arraial was the playground of the wealthy, which isn’t far removed from the upmarket tourists the town tends to attract. More recently, however, a new wave of international backpackers and nouveau hippies have brought a little diversity to the idyllic surroundings. Consequently, there’s a good range of eating and sleeping options, covering all budgets. There’s also decent nightlife (at least during the high season), both in town and down on the beach.

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Brazil

The-South Canela Brazil


While lacking Gramado’s sophistication, Canela has a small town charm of its own. Centered around a leafy green square, the village center is anchored at one end by an impressive Gothic Catedral de Pedra (stone cathedral). The streets are lined with shops and cafés. And though they are not as chic as those in Gramado, Canela offers a wider range of budget accommodations and more convenient access to the state parks, which are popular hiking spots.

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Brazil

Ilha-Grande-And-Vila-Do-Abraao Brazil


The fabulous island retreat of Ilha Grande owes its pristine condition to its unusual history. First it was a pirates’ lair, then a leper colony and, finally, a prison for some of Brazil’s most violent and deranged criminals. All that remains of those days are some half-buried stone foundations, but the island’s unsavory reputation kept developers at bay for a long time. Consequently, beautiful tropical beaches and virgin Atlantic rain forest (now protected by the federal government) abound on Ihla Grande, and there are still only a few settlements on the island.