Brazil Tours & Travel

Few countries can boast an amazing coastline of tropical beaches, with one beach better than the next. Brazil can. Brazil’s coastline is over 4500 miles long and studded with great many beaches in scores of popular tourist resort areas but that’s just scratching the surface, as there are still countless many other, secluded and pure paradise beaches left and craving to be discovered.

No way can one cover the entire length of Brazil’s beaches in one sitting, best take it in strides. Let’s start with Rio de Janeiro. Of course what comes to mind are the city beaches. Names like Copacabana and Ipanema have definite ring to it, and many beaches there are within city limits indeed. But let’s leave Rio to its own chapter and head out of Rio de Janeiro.

Going north of Rio, though geographically it is east on Sun Coast first, the first area of splendid beaches is the Cabo Frio – Buzios area, with some three dozen fantastic beaches within twenty miles of coastline, many in secluded coves.

Buzios is the focal point beach area of the young and restless, with great beaches and great nightlife. Put on the map by Brigitte Bardot in late 60s Buzios is hopping day and night. Beaches of note are Forno, Tartaruga, Brava, Azeda and Azedinha.

There are nice beaches around Cabo Frio and Arraial do Cabo, another small town nearby, but Ilha do Farol, a fine island close to Arrial, with clear water and underwater grotto, attract more divers and surfers than swimmers looking for comb seas.

Before Cabo Frio there are several lagoons separated from open ocean by sandbars with couple nice beaches, though Saquarema is prime surfers’ beach resort.
If you seek fine beaches and need sumptuous nightlife, don’t mind spending some money and want to play, head to Buzios, but be prepared Buzios is not a budget playground. There are some quality pousadas to stay in and you will eat well though not cheaply.

If you want cheaper and more choices in lodging opt for Cabo Frio, the biggest town in this part of the coastline east and north of Rio de Janeiro.

While in the last three decades of the 20th century Brazil had experienced high inflation rates on continuous basis and had to change currency number of times, over the last couple years value of Brazil’s currency has gotten stronger. In circulation for last fifteen years, the real, Brazil’s currency, has been strong and steady against the dollar for most of 2008. This had not been due to dollar’s weakness but contrary, due to steady foreign investment pouring into Brazil, spurred by Brazil’s strong economy namely over the last couple years, with GDP growth rates over 5% annually. Though this year’s economic meltdown decreased demand for Brazilian exports, and the value of real dropped to 2.31 Real to a dollar, the Brazilian government has successfully managed to reverse the trend since. It lowered the interest rates in order to boost the credit supply and bring back investors and the real has been rebounding, currently at 1.76 Real to US$1. If Brazil’s economy will continue its resurgence, real is poised to gain on the dollar some more which will inherently increase the cost of travel and tours to Brazil in 2010.

Brazil is a large country with infinite number of hotels, pousadas, hostels and campgrounds and this is not the website to attempt provide detailed database of lodging available. Rather we’ll randomly list what comes along as worthwhile reference though perhaps later we may attempt a summary.

When in Rio and staying in the Santa Teresa District, very useful association to consult for available bed-and-breakfast options many of which are indeed housed in splendid historic buildings is the Cama e Cafe Association. This is their website: http://www.camaecafe.com.br, and here is their new address:

Cama e Café, Rua Laurinda Santos Lobo, 124 – Santa Teresa
Bairro: Santa Teresa
Rio de Janeiro, RJ – Brasil
CEP: 24240-290
Tel: (21) 2225-4366 e (21) 2221-7635