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A stunning view of São Paulo's skyline reflected in the calm waters of Ibirapuera Lake, surrounded by lush greenery.

South America

Backpacking Brazil

Brazil is South America's largest country, and Rio de Janeiro, with its beaches and mountain viewpoints, is its best-known backpacker hub.

Photo: Jean Gois / Pexels

Hostel destinations in Brazil

A stunning view of São Paulo's skyline reflected in the calm waters of Ibirapuera Lake, surrounded by lush greenery.

São Paulo

Brazil's giant city of street art, food halls, live music and late nightsA picturesque view of the beach and ocean waves at Florianópolis, Brazil, offering a serene coastal landscape.

Florianópolis

An island of beaches, lagoon cafés, surf and hiking trails in southern BrazilStunning aerial shot of clear turquoise waters and moored boats along Ilha Grande's lush coastline in Brazil.

Ilha Grande

A car-free Atlantic forest island of beaches and trails, reached by boatBeautiful cobblestone street in Paraty, Brazil, with colonial architecture illuminated during dusk. Perfect travel destination.

Paraty

A cobbled colonial town between the sea and the Atlantic forestVibrant tapestries hang in historic Pelourinho, Salvador, Bahia.

Salvador

Afro-Brazilian culture, colonial Pelourinho and live music on the Bahia coastA cyclist rides through a park with a view of the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro

Beaches, mountains and samba: Brazil’s most famous city for backpackers

Hostels and backpacking in Brazil

Brazil covers a huge area, from the Amazon basin to the waterfalls of Iguaçu and the beaches of the north-east, so most backpackers pick one region rather than trying to see it all. Rio de Janeiro is the classic starting point, with Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Sugarloaf Mountain and the Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado.

Hostels in Rio cluster near the beaches of the South Zone and in the hillside neighbourhood of Santa Teresa, and many organise samba nights, football trips and hikes. Elsewhere, beach towns along the coast have relaxed hostels and pousadas. Portuguese, not Spanish, is the language, which makes a phrasebook or translation app especially useful.