Beaches and Wellbeing
If you're looking for some of the best beaches in Brazil, look no further than Alagoas! In the Around Alagoas section you'll find all the information you need. If you're also going to Rio, please check the Rio de Janeiro section to find out about the beaches over there!
Fernando de Noronha
If you are looking for something extraordinary and a little bit of adventure, then you should consider Fernando de Noronha, 1h hour flight away from nearby Recife. The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a delicate ecosystem. Visitors are restricted, but the lucky few are rewarded with unrivaled beaches and soothing warm waters filled with dolphins and sea turtles, making Noronha one of the world’s top diving destinations. On land, hike the ecological trails of Jardim Elizabeth, the Esmeralda Coast or Sancho Bay, which culminates in a climb up a steep set of stairs carved into the split of a cliff.
With its crystalline water, rich marine life and spectacular tropical landscapes, this archipelago is one of the most stunning places in Brazil. Guia Quatro Rodas Praias , Brazil's 'Beach Bible', awards five stars to just four beaches in the whole country – and three of them are right here.
The marine and coastal environment is well preserved, thanks largely to the Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park and conservation projects based here. It's a wonderful place for doing things based both in water (diving, surfing, snorkeling) and on land (hiking, horseback riding, touring) and has a reputation as one of Brazil's top 'eco' destinations. Prices here are high due to the cost of transporting goods from the mainland. But as a guaranteed highlight of any trip to Brazil, Fernando de Noronha is well worth the expense. Best beach in the world according to Trip Advisor!
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Jericoacoara
Jericoacoara is a small fishing village, mecca of windsurfing and kitesurfing, in Ceará, Brazil. Located around 300 km west of Fortaleza. Jeri, as it is better known, is the kind of idyllic place where many travelers end up deciding to stay for longer than they had originally planned.
Jericoacoara, known to its many friends simply as ‘Jeri,’ magnetizes travelers with its perfect combination of hard-to-reach location (access is only by unpaved tracks through the dunes), stunning coastal scenery, exciting activities, good-value pousadas and restaurants, and fun nightlife. The village’s sandy streets are wedged between a broad beach, a series of grassy hills and the majestic Pôr do Sol (Sunset) dune, a towering mountain of sand that affords one of South America’s most stunning sunsets. It is here each evening that Jeri’s allure climaxes: a crowd swells – drinks in hand from an enterprising local with a cocktail cart – to what is allegedly one of the earth's few locations where you can see the rare phenomenon known as the ‘Emerald Sunset,’ when the tip of the setting sun turns bright green for the final instant before it slides below the horizon. Bring your camera! |
Jericoacoara's isolated position, inside a far-flung national park at the top edge of the country, is unique. Hopefully the new Jericoacoara airport, 30km away in Cruz municipality – possibly opening in 2014 – will not lead to a transformation that shatters its otherwordly allure. The airport is at least well outside the national park.
Jeri itself is closed to unauthorized vehicles, though there is still more traffic than there should be. The main streets (of sand) run parallel to each other, westward towards the beach. In the middle is Rua Principal. To the north are Rua do Forró (where buses arrive) and then Rua da Igreja (also called Rua da Matriz); to the south (the dune side) are Rua São Francisco and Rua das Dunas. Most visitors arrive from Fortaleza, changing vehicles in Jijoca, the nearest town to Jeri with paved roads. Then a 40-80 minutes ride passing through humble rural areas, with cashew-nut trees and farm animals on both sides of the road. Fortaleza is only an hour flight away from either Maceió or Recife. |
Trancoso |
Ilha Bela |
Part of a historic area in the south of the Sate of Bahia (730km south of Salvador) and sitting atop a grassy bluff overlooking fantastic beaches, Trancoso embodies a certain rustic sophistication that captivates style-minded travelers – indeed, much of the village looks straight out of a Travel & Leisure spread.
The area was the first piece of land spotted by the Portuguese and is deemed to be the place where Brazil has been "discovered"- to the awe of the natives. Porto Seguro ("Safe Harbour"), the area where the Portuguese first stopped and nearby Arraial have become major tourist hubs. Trancoso is smaller in scale than Arraial, with a relaxed air, an assortment of pretty guesthouses, a postcard-worthy church overlooking the ocean, and irresistible open-air bars and restaurants surrounding the grassy (and car-free) quadrado (square). Though the place caters to rich tourists, the sight of the candlelit quadrado at night remains magical. The main attraction of Trancoso are the white sandy beaches with natural swimming pools formed by reefs at low tide. Another popular attraction is the Quadrado or the main square that is bordered by colorful houses and a white little church overseeing the Atlantic Ocean. The Quadrado, colorful houses and Church are UNESCO protected. Porto Seguro International Airport is an hour drive away from Trancoso and an hour flight away from Salvador. |
Rising steeply from the narrow strait that divides it from the continent, the 350-sq-km Ilhabela (Beautiful Island) earns its name from its volcanic peaks, beautiful beaches, dense tropical jungle and some 360 waterfalls. Almost 85% of the island has been turned into a park and Unesco-protected biosphere, which shelters a remarkable profusion of plant and animal life, including toucans and capuchin monkeys. A haunt of pirates in the 16th and 17th centuries, its waters are scattered with shipwrecks, many of which make for excellent diving. The island also proffers jungle hiking, windsurfing and beach-lazing.
It's only over an hour drive away from the city of Sao Paulo. To get to Ilhabela it is necessary first to go to São Sebastião (the city on the coast, not the island), where a ferry boat, located at the end of Al. São Sebastião (downtown) departs. There are buses from São Paulo that stop at the ferry boat point, if you are not up to walk 1 km from the São Sebastião intercity bus terminal. Ferry boats depart every 30 min. between 06:00-00:00, and every 1 hour between 00:00-06:00. The duration of the crossing is 15 min. Pedestrians can get into the boat for free. For cars, the fee is R$ 15 (R$ 22,50 on weekends), and half the price for motorbikes. On high season, a queue of up to 1 hour for vehicles is expected. |