It’s not just in Rio that a beach break can make the perfect end to a Latin American holiday. Michelle Jana Chan outlines the options. (Picture: the world's best beaches).
Imagine a solitary hammock strung between two palms; bleached-white powdery sand; silver fish leaping out of an azure sea. Where are you? You're probably thinking of the Maldives or Phuket or Tahiti. How about South America? Some of the world's best beaches are in a region more often associated with Inca ruins, jungle and carnival.
Fernando de Noronha provides just a fraction of Brazil's beautiful beaches
Brazil has a coastline of more than 4,000 miles, ranging from steamy islands in the north-east to rugged, surf beaches in the south. Some stretches are being readied for charter flights and expansive resorts; others are being smartly developed with the long term in mind.
Among the latter is the island of Fernando de Noronha, off the north-east coast. It is the same distance from Britain as Barbados, but the hottest weekend destination for Brazil's bohemian jet-set, who fly in from overcrowded São Paolo and Rio.
The island probably doesn't look too different from when the Portuguese explorer Amérigo Vespucci stumbled across it more than 500 years ago, rising from the jade-green Atlantic with dramatic rock formations, pristine beaches and sweeping bays filled with hundreds of spinner dolphins. Its future looks secure, too. Visitor numbers are capped, movement around the island is monitored and it is hard to obtain permission to build - all policies that have helped make it one of the country's most desirable weekend destinations.
Christiana, a tourist from Rio, told me: "It's our dream. It's the same price as a vacation in New York or London, but everyone wants to come here." I took off from Recife on the mainland, flying an hour north, which set me back £200. The runway on Fernando de Noronha stretches almost the entire breadth of the island and was an old military airstrip used by the Americans during the Second World War. At the tiny terminal, we queued to pay the mandatory green tax, which at £8.50 per person per day is again not cheap by Brazilian standards, but no one seems to mind. When the word about Fernando de Noronha gets out, the price tag can only go up.
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I stayed at the pousada (guesthouse) Solar de Loronha, beneath the landmark Morro do Pico rock, which rises like a gleeful thumbs-up. The best way to get around is by beach buggy and half a day traversing the potholed roads is enough to get your bearings and find your favourite beach.
Sanchos is probably the island's most perfect: a languorously sensual crescent of golden sand with just one set of footprints the day I visited. I draped my clothes over a branch and went for a swim with my guide, Fabio, a serious free diver who casually descended 65 feet with one breath. The aquarium-style visibility means that non-divers can see what is usually reserved for the subaqua sort.
Surfers head to Cacimba do Padre, where the tumbling waves attract international players. Atalaia is for children, who can gaze upon friendly, tropical fish playing in shallow tidal pools. My favourite was Baia do Sueste, where snorkelling on the western side of the bay virtually guarantees sightings of green turtles. I saw at least a dozen, each the size of a dining-room table, and they were completely unbothered by my overexcited splashing.
Fernando de Noronha is special, but it isn't unique. Around the curvaceous rump of Brazil is the old colonial capital of Salvador, a bustling base for beach-bumming around sultry Bahía state. The best known spot is Morro de São Paolo, a former hippy hangout on the island of Tinharé, with a few stylish but simple pousadas. More intriguing is Boipeba island, a short boat-trip away and Brazil's barefoot-chic beach experience. Like Fernando de Noronha, it is also an environmentally protected area, with an economy shifting from coconuts and fishing to small-scale tourism.
A few more luxurious pousadas are opening at Moreré, but it's all fairly basic on the beach. Former fishermen arrange snorkelling trips while grandmothers prepare "moqueca" stews, made of palm oil, coconut milk and prawns, which their grandsons serve in makeshift eateries. At low tide, the same boys can be seen kicking a ball around the expansive beaches, which are punctuated by goalposts. You can spot the next Ricardo Kaká while lazing in tidal pools between the sandbanks, beside an offshore floating bar serving cold beer and caipirinha cocktails.
Brazil's north-east offers the ideal rest cure for tourists wanting to wind down after exploring archaeological ruins or trekking in the jungle. The beaches - plus our selection below from around the continent - can provide the perfect way to round off a holiday.
Imagine a solitary hammock strung between two palms; bleached-white powdery sand; silver fish leaping out of an azure sea. Where are you? You're probably thinking of the Maldives or Phuket or Tahiti. How about South America? Some of the world's best beaches are in a region more often associated with Inca ruins, jungle and carnival.
Fernando de Noronha provides just a fraction of Brazil's beautiful beaches
Brazil has a coastline of more than 4,000 miles, ranging from steamy islands in the north-east to rugged, surf beaches in the south. Some stretches are being readied for charter flights and expansive resorts; others are being smartly developed with the long term in mind.
Among the latter is the island of Fernando de Noronha, off the north-east coast. It is the same distance from Britain as Barbados, but the hottest weekend destination for Brazil's bohemian jet-set, who fly in from overcrowded São Paolo and Rio.
The island probably doesn't look too different from when the Portuguese explorer Amérigo Vespucci stumbled across it more than 500 years ago, rising from the jade-green Atlantic with dramatic rock formations, pristine beaches and sweeping bays filled with hundreds of spinner dolphins. Its future looks secure, too. Visitor numbers are capped, movement around the island is monitored and it is hard to obtain permission to build - all policies that have helped make it one of the country's most desirable weekend destinations.
Christiana, a tourist from Rio, told me: "It's our dream. It's the same price as a vacation in New York or London, but everyone wants to come here." I took off from Recife on the mainland, flying an hour north, which set me back £200. The runway on Fernando de Noronha stretches almost the entire breadth of the island and was an old military airstrip used by the Americans during the Second World War. At the tiny terminal, we queued to pay the mandatory green tax, which at £8.50 per person per day is again not cheap by Brazilian standards, but no one seems to mind. When the word about Fernando de Noronha gets out, the price tag can only go up.
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I stayed at the pousada (guesthouse) Solar de Loronha, beneath the landmark Morro do Pico rock, which rises like a gleeful thumbs-up. The best way to get around is by beach buggy and half a day traversing the potholed roads is enough to get your bearings and find your favourite beach.
Sanchos is probably the island's most perfect: a languorously sensual crescent of golden sand with just one set of footprints the day I visited. I draped my clothes over a branch and went for a swim with my guide, Fabio, a serious free diver who casually descended 65 feet with one breath. The aquarium-style visibility means that non-divers can see what is usually reserved for the subaqua sort.
Surfers head to Cacimba do Padre, where the tumbling waves attract international players. Atalaia is for children, who can gaze upon friendly, tropical fish playing in shallow tidal pools. My favourite was Baia do Sueste, where snorkelling on the western side of the bay virtually guarantees sightings of green turtles. I saw at least a dozen, each the size of a dining-room table, and they were completely unbothered by my overexcited splashing.
Fernando de Noronha is special, but it isn't unique. Around the curvaceous rump of Brazil is the old colonial capital of Salvador, a bustling base for beach-bumming around sultry Bahía state. The best known spot is Morro de São Paolo, a former hippy hangout on the island of Tinharé, with a few stylish but simple pousadas. More intriguing is Boipeba island, a short boat-trip away and Brazil's barefoot-chic beach experience. Like Fernando de Noronha, it is also an environmentally protected area, with an economy shifting from coconuts and fishing to small-scale tourism.
A few more luxurious pousadas are opening at Moreré, but it's all fairly basic on the beach. Former fishermen arrange snorkelling trips while grandmothers prepare "moqueca" stews, made of palm oil, coconut milk and prawns, which their grandsons serve in makeshift eateries. At low tide, the same boys can be seen kicking a ball around the expansive beaches, which are punctuated by goalposts. You can spot the next Ricardo Kaká while lazing in tidal pools between the sandbanks, beside an offshore floating bar serving cold beer and caipirinha cocktails.
Brazil's north-east offers the ideal rest cure for tourists wanting to wind down after exploring archaeological ruins or trekking in the jungle. The beaches - plus our selection below from around the continent - can provide the perfect way to round off a holiday.
Southern Brazil.
Down in the south, the climate cools and there is a distinctly Mediterranean feel to the fishing villages, markets and seafood restaurants. The island of Santa Catarina, flanked by long, golden beaches, is a perfect base for exploring the coast.
An hour south is Praia do Rosa, renowned for its surfing and the destination of wealthy Argentinians. The Vida Sol e Mar has stylish, glass-fronted villas (skip the cabins out back) and a surf school, where 30-year-old Rodrigo guarantees to have you standing up during your first lesson. During the cooler months of July to October, the whale-watching is at its best; the southern right whale comes here to give birth.
For serious pampering, an hour north of Santa Catarina is Ponta dos Ganchos resort, where the slickest rooms have private saunas and plunge pools. The beach is nothing more than a flick of a sandy cove, but the decks, hammocks and loungers more than make up for it.
Add on to a trip to Iguazu Falls, or to a city break; it can be reached with direct flights from São Paolo, Rio, Buenos Aires and, from next season, Santiago, Chile.
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