Land in the capital of Samba and enjoy a few days visiting the city and beaches. 

Things to do:
Check the full guide for Rio here

Stay:
I loved the historical part of town, Santa Theresa is a beautiful and safe neighbourhood to stay in. You’re also close to Lapa where you’ll find the best nightlife in the city. If you’d rather stay by the beach I would recommend Leblon or Ipanema over Copacabana. As the latter is very touristy and, in my opinion, a little rundown. I also really liked staying in Lemme at Aquarela do Lemme hostel & guest house. The views are beautiful from there.

Travel:
2.5h to 4h from Rio. You can get a private transfer or else get a bus from Rio Novo station to Conceição de Jacareí, then a boat from there directly to Ihla Grande

Things to do:
This beautiful island has gorgeous beaches made of fine white sand and clear blue waters. You can chill, go on hikes to remote beaches or even go on a boat tour around the island. We did the boat tour and found it a bit too touristy for our liking. Also, it was all in Portuguese so we didn’t get any insights from the guide. If you’re after some peace and quiet by the beach, I would recommend doing one of the hikes instead.

Travel:
4h drive from Rio, count about 6h+ by bus


Things to do:
It’s a marvellous old colonial town with a rich history. I would recommend, first and foremost, to do the walking tour. You can then do a jeep tour around the nearby waterfalls and cachaca distillery. The local alcohol of Brazil used in Caipirinhas comes from Paraty so it’s a great place to try and buy Cachaca. Lastly, I would recommend doing a boat trip on the river. You can either book in advance or show up at the pier and negotiate directly with one of the local sailers.

Travel: 6h by bus from Paraty, you can book it directly on Busbud

Things to do:
A lot of people give this city a miss in Brazil. I personally quite liked it. The locals were very friendly and you’ll find amazing restaurants here along with beautiful museums. I would recommend staying in Vila Madalena, it’s a hip neighbourhood with lots of bars, cafes and graffitis. It’s also one of the safest spot in town too.

Eat at… Banana Verde, a lovely vegetarian restaurant.

Travel:
Overnight bus from São Paulo or direct flight

Things to do:
Floripa is a surfer’s and nature lover’s paradise. It’s got great waves and even better hikes. The main things to do then will be: surfing, hiking, paddle boarding, kayaking. It’s also great spot for digital nomads. The Selina has a great setup and offers discounted rate for long stays too.

Travel:
Flight from São Paulo and return to Rio de Janeiro. This is the quickest option. If you’re not time poor but cash poor, the bus is also an option but will take 16h+.

Things to do:
The falls are the main attractions here. I, honestly, didn’t love these. I found them very touristy and I felt like I was at an amusement park more than anything else. If you are planning on going I would recommend going yourself, the tour felt overpriced and pointless, just get a taxi there yourself and back. The guide only spoke Portuguese as well so we didn’t get added value insights either.

I would recommend going to the bird sanctuary first then walk down to the falls. The Brazilian side offers the best overall views of the falls. The Argentinian side, on the other hand, will get you closer to the falls and there’s more hiking involved so it feels a little less built up.

Travel:
Catch a flight or bus from Florianopolis or Iguazu straight to Rio de Janeiro. You can also do this by bus but count at least 20hours for the journey.

Things to do:
Wind down before your flight in one of the most beautiful cities in Brazil. You can never get bored in Rio, there’s always something to do there!