Category: 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.

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.

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.

Valença is a colonial fishing town on the banks of the Rio Una, historically the site of Portuguese struggles with both indigenous tribes and the Dutch. For most it is simply the gateway to Morro de São Paulo, but it has its own little-known secrets. Local shipbuilders maintain 15th-century techniques to such a degree that the town was chosen to produce a replica of the Spanish galleon La Niña for the American epic film 1492 (1992) about Christopher Columbus’s journey.

Deliciously off the beaten path, Barra Grande is a remote, tranquil fishing village at the northern tip of the Peninsula de Maraú. It has the same charm and tree-shaded magic that originally attracted bohemian types to similar sand-street villages further south, but it hasn’t yet experienced a tourism boom. With a fair number of pousadas and restaurants, Barra Grande makes a great base for checking out the rest of the peninsula. Much of the village closes in winter.

Caravelas is a calm fishing town on the banks of the mangrove-lined Rio Caravelas. Though it has a friendly, down-home Carnaval and a pleasant enough atmosphere, the primary reason visitors come here is to visit the Parque Nacional Marinho de Abrolhos and other offshore reefs.