Città e Spiagge del Brasile: Salvador, Jericoacoara, Rio & Buzios

Salvador da Bahìa holds the African soul of Brazil, set on the bay of Todos os Santos along the northeastern coast. The heart of this identity is the Pelourinho, a UNESCO World Heritage historic centre — a maze of cobbled lanes and pastel-coloured mansions crowned by the gold-encrusted Baroque church of São Francisco. The Elevador Lacerda links the upper and lower town, while the drumming of Afro-Brazilian groups such as Olodum sets the rhythm of daily life. The city thrives on capoeira, candomblé and a spiced cuisine of acarajé, moqueca and palm oil. The beaches of Porto da Barra and the lighthouse complete a visit. Salvador unfolds through faith, rhythm and colour, the spiritual capital of an authentic, exhilarating Brazil.

Fortaleza opens onto the Atlantic as one of the liveliest cities of northeastern Brazil, capital of Ceará state. Its long sweep of urban beaches — from the bustling Praia de Iracema to the touristy Praia do Futuro, famed for the barracas where you feast on crab and fried fish — sets the rhythm of local life. Along the shore, the handicrafts market and the Centro Cultural Dragão do Mar express the city's creative soul. From here, excursions head out to Ceará's wilder beaches, such as Canoa Quebrada with its red cliffs and Cumbuco with the dunes where you can ride buggies and kitesurf. In the evening, forró sets everyone dancing to the accordion's beat. Fortaleza welcomes you with tropical warmth and the inexhaustible energy of the sea.

Golden dunes, emerald lagoons and not a single paved road: Jericoacoara is a former fishing village lost in northeastern Brazil, reachable only by off-road vehicle across the sand. Its streets are packed earth and sand, lit in the evening by soft lamps that make it one of the rare places without public lighting. Each day people climb the great Duna do Pôr do Sol to watch the sunset, while kitesurfers harness the steady winds that made the spot famous. Nearby, Lagoa do Paraíso and Lagoa Azul invite you to float in their warm waters, lounging on hammocks set in the shallows. Jericoacoara enchants with its wild simplicity, a refuge for souls seeking nature, wind and freedom.

Rio de Janeiro unfolds along a jagged coastline where mountains cloaked in Atlantic rainforest plunge straight into the ocean, in one of the most spectacular urban settings on Earth. The "Cidade Maravilhosa" thrives on the contrast between the rhythm of its beaches and the grandeur of its geography. Its symbolic heart is Corcovado, crowned by the statue of Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) watching over the city with open arms, while the Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) is reached by cable car for a sweeping view across Guanabara Bay. At its feet stretch the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, with their wave-patterned Portuguese mosaic promenades, kiosks, beach football and the unmistakable sunset from Arpoador. The historic centre preserves a colonial and imperial legacy: the Theatro Municipal, the colourful Selarón Steps and the bohemian neighbourhood of Santa Teresa, explored aboard the old tram (bondinho) among artists' studios and period villas. The Jardim Botânico and the urban Tijuca Forest offer lush natural escapes minutes from downtown, while the modern Museu do Amanhã has reshaped the revitalised port. Rio is also a capital of Brazilian popular culture: the samba born in its terreiros, the world's most famous Carnival with its parades at the Sambódromo, and live music in Lapa beneath the arches of the aqueduct. Its cuisine blends feijoada, churrasco, fresh seafood and the ritual of açaí and caipirinha. From here the coastal villages of Búzios and the islands of Angra dos Reis are within easy reach. Rio de Janeiro is not merely visited: it is lived, between sea, mountains and the irrepressible joie de vivre of its carioca people.

Búzios stretches across a jagged peninsula east of Rio de Janeiro, where more than twenty beaches alternate in small coves of pale sand and turquoise sea. Once a fishing village made famous by Brigitte Bardot in the 1960s, it is now a refined seaside town with a chic yet relaxed atmosphere. The cobbled, pedestrian Rua das Pedras comes alive in the evening with boutiques, restaurants and bars overlooking the little harbour. Beaches are chosen by mood: Geribá for surf and the young crowd, Ferradura for calm waters, Azeda for quiet. Between a swim and a boat trip, you savour fresh fish and a sunset caipirinha. Búzios is the promise of an elegant, maritime Brazil, perfect for those seeking tropical dolce vita.