Any article that purports to list the best Brazil beaches is going to appear biased and will disappoint someone. If there isn't going to be bias or disappointment, then the list of the top beaches in Brazil is going to be very long indeed. The country is huge (it's the fifth largest country in the world, and the largest in South America), with almost 7,500 miles of coastline, including its hundreds of islands. With this kind of geography, there are bound to be many great beaches. Brazil doesn't disappoint, with several beaches that regularly show up on lists of the best beaches in the world.

If you're asking what the best beaches in Brazil are, it's probably better to ask which are the best in a certain geographic region or best for certain activities or best because of their proximity to other attractions. But there are some best Brazil beaches that routinely show up on many lists.

Two of these would be the two most glamorous and world famous urban beaches of Rio de Janeiro beaches, Ipanema Beach and Copacabana Beach. They aren't the most remote, least crowded, or the best for surfing, but anytime you have billboard-topping songs named for you, you must be important. These two best Brazil beaches also have the added attraction of being right in one of the most beautiful and sophisticated cities in the world.

Brazil Map

There are even wonderful pristine beaches that attract both bathers and surfers along the nearly 5,000-mile length of the mighty Amazon. You might put Tupe Beach or Ponta Negra (not to be confused with the coastal Natal beach of the same name) Beach on your best beaches in Brazil list if you like the lushness and mystery of jungle. These two beaches are on the banks of the Rio Negro in the Amazon basin, and are very popular with the passengers of Amazon cruise ships. But the Angra dos Reis Beach along the Costa Verde also deserves a place as one of the top beaches in Brazil because it, too, is in close proximity to jungle and is additionally one of the most popular beaches with Brazilians.

So now we have the best Amazon beaches, and the best on the Costa Verde between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The best Brazil beaches north of Rio are probably found in Bahia, Ceara, and Natal. Many of these would be the Fernando do Noronha beaches on the islands off the coast of Natal. These can be considered top beaches in Brazil because there are so many of them that are suitable for so many different people and activities. You might note that we cheated a little by not naming a single beach - just an area with many beaches.

Located in the state of Bahia, one of the best beaches in Brazil is Praia do Forte, which has many varied features. It's one of the best places for snorkeling and diving because a long string of coral reefs create huge tidal pools full of exotic tropical fish. There are castle ruins from the Portuguese era to explore; it's a good surfing beach and a haven for the extremely endangered loggerhead sea turtle. If you want all this plus immense sand dunes that rival the legendary dunes of Morocco and Namibia, then head to Jericoacora Beach in the state of Ceara. This is one of the best Brazil beaches because of its pristine remoteness, proximity to a village with a good tourist infrastructure, and accessibility to attractions other than sand and sea.

Other notable best beaches in Brazil that deserve your attention are: Meireles Beach, a lovely urban beach in Fortaleza; Praia Mole, a wonderful surfing beach on the island of Florianopolis; Porto de Galinhas near Recife; and the best Buzios beach, Praia de Geriba. We warned that most any list of top beaches in Brazil was apt to be either biased or leave out a few. There are thousands of Brazil beaches and probably hundreds that appear on the many best beaches in Brazil lists. Those who set off on Brazil vacations will surely find their own.