Make it a Brazil moment! Whether you have two spare days or a full week or more, this guide covers the best beach, culture, food and nature around the wedding. Carnival peaks the following weekend and runs through Carnival Tuesday on 9 February 2027.
We’ve partnered with Very Latin, Ash’s trusted destination management company in Brazil. They’re local experts who coordinate travel, transfers, guides and experiences across the country. If you’d like help, submit the form and they’ll line everything up.
Near the wedding: Porto de Pedras & São Miguel dos Milagres
Praia do Patacho
Powdery sand, calm shallows, palms. Ideal for lazy swims at mid to low tide and long morning walks.
Natural pools by jangada
Sail by wooden raft to coral pools offshore. Go at low tide for the clearest water and snorkelling. Spaces are tide-dependent and limited.
Manatee sanctuary (Projeto Peixe-Boi, Tatuamunha River)
Quiet river trip to see endangered manatees in a protected area. Small groups, educational, gentle pace.
Mangrove paddle
Stand-up paddle or kayak at sunrise for glassy water, birdlife, and shade.
Milagres beach day
Beaches like Toque and Marceneiro are wide and uncrowded. Plan a long seafood lunch and hammock time.
Maragogi’s galés
Famous pools north of Milagres with excellent visibility on the right tide. Go early to avoid crowds.
Easy add-ons in the Northeast (2 to 4 days)
Maceió
Vibrant boardwalk, coconut water from the source, jangadas at Pajuçara, casual seafood spots. Handy for a relaxed pre-flight day.
Recife & Olinda
Sugar-baron mansions, baroque churches, street art, steep cobbled lanes, and music in the squares. Pre-Carnival blocos often pop up this week.
Praia dos Carneiros
Turquoise shallows, natural pools, and the postcard chapel by the sea. Great day trip from Recife.
Jericoacoara
Dunes, buggy rides, and sunset from Duna do Pôr do Sol. Wind sports peak later in the year, but it still delivers scenery and chill.
Carnival the weekend after
Choose your style. Grandstand spectacle or free street parties. In 2027 the main Carnival weekend is 6 to 8 February, with parades and blocos leading into Carnival Tuesday 9 February.
Rio de Janeiro
Sambadrome: Reserve seats or a camarote for comfort, views, and services.
Street blocos: Hundreds across the city. Mornings are cooler and more family-friendly.
Classic add-ons: Sugarloaf by cable car, Christ the Redeemer, sunset at Arpoador, surf at Prainha.
Salvador, Bahia
Afro-Brazilian rhythms, trios elétricos, and contagious energy. A camarote gives security, food, bars, and viewing platforms.Olinda & Recife
Historic lanes, giant carnival puppets, frevo bands, and a traditional feel. Daytime blocos with colour everywhere.São Paulo
Excellent Sambadrome parades and serious dining. Big-city comfort with late-night Carnival.
Booking essentials
Parade tickets, camarotes and drivers sell out fast. Very Latin can secure seats, map a sensible bloco route and book door-to-door transport.
Coastal escapes for after the party (3 to 5 days)
Fernando de Noronha
Protected islands with crystal-clear water. Sancho and Porcos bays, turtle snorkelling. Fly via Recife or Natal; best for 3–4 nights.
Paraty & Costa Verde
Whitewashed colonial town, schooner days to emerald coves, caipirinhas in the square at night.
Ilha Grande
Car-free island with rainforest trails, Lopes Mendes beach, and snorkelling with turtles when seas are calm.
Búzios
Peninsula of small beaches, boutiques, and long lunches by the water.
Trancoso, Bahia
The Quadrado’s candy-colour houses, beach clubs for lazy afternoons, capoeira at sunset.
Península de Maraú
Natural pools, warm lagoons, and sand tracks. Barefoot bliss.
Nature and bucket-list Brazil (4 to 7 days)
Iguaçu Falls
View both Brazil and Argentina sides. Add a helicopter flight or a boat ride to the spray line.
Amazon
Fly to Manaus for pink-river dolphin spotting, canopy walks, piranha fishing, and night safaris. Choose a classic riverboat or a jungle lodge.
Pantanal
Wetland wilderness known for wildlife viewing. Think capybaras, giant otters, jabiru storks, and in the right season, jaguars.
Chapada Diamantina
Table mountains, blue caves, day hikes to waterfalls you can swim under.
Inhotim
Open-air contemporary art park set in botanical gardens near Belo Horizonte. A world-class culture day.
Ouro Preto & Tiradentes
Gold-rush history, baroque churches, cobbles, and hearty Minas cuisine.
Urban culture hits
Rio de Janeiro
Sunrise hike to Pedra Bonita, beach run Ipanema to Leblon, Maracanã football if schedules align, samba or forró class followed by live music in Lapa.
São Paulo
MASP on Paulista, Japanese quarter in Liberdade, market tastings at Mercadão, chef’s-table dinners, and natural-wine bars.
Salvador
Pelourinho’s colonial architecture, percussion workshops, capoeira circles at sunset, candomblé history with an expert guide.
Food and drink to chase
Brazil tastes like sunshine. Think coconut and dendê from Bahia, charcoal and salt on perfect cuts of beef, fruit you have never heard of, and sweets that appear at every celebration. Use this list as a hit parade. Order what is fresh, ask for local chillies on the side if you like heat, and pair everything with something icy. Lunch stretches late here, and nobody rushes dessert.
Bahia’s moqueca
Coconut, dendê oil and peppers. Best with farofa and rice.
Acarajé
Black-eyed pea fritter split and stuffed. Street-food royalty in Salvador.
Northeast seafood
Grilled fish, octopus rice, cashew-fruit caipirinhas.
Churrasco
For the fire and smoke aficionados.
Pão de queijo
Cheesy clouds you will crave later.
Cachaça tasting
From unaged to barrel aged. Start with a classic lime caipirinha, then try passionfruit.
Bobó de camarão
Bahian shrimp in cassava and coconut purée. Comfort in a bowl.
Feijoada
Black-bean stew, a Saturday tradition in Rio and São Paulo. Oranges and farofa on the side.
Queijo coalho on the beach
Grilled skewers with a squeeze of lime. Simple and perfect.
Tapioca crêpe
Gluten-free beiju filled with cheese, coconut or chocolate.
Brigadeiros and quindim
Beloved sweets. One rich and fudgy, one glossy with coconut.
Fresh coconuts and guaraná
Hydrate like a local with água de coco or Brazil’s cult soft drink.
Signature experiences
These are example experiences to spark ideas, and Very Latin can design almost anything across Brazil. They will book tickets, boats, guides and drivers so everything runs smoothly.
Patacho natural pools: private jangada at sunrise with a floating breakfast
Maragogi galés: first-light fast boat before the crowds
Tatuamunha River: manatee encounter with a biologist and private briefing
Rio Sambadrome: camarote seats plus a costume atelier visit earlier that day
Christ & Sugarloaf: helicopter at golden hour
Pedra Bonita: tandem paraglide at sunrise with an expert pilot
Guaratiba or Ilha Grande: yacht day to wild beaches, chef lunch on board
Salvador: Olodum percussion workshop, then a curated camarote on the trios elétricos route
Iguaçu Falls: Macuco boat to the spray line and a helicopter flip; aim for a full moon to see the lunar rainbow
Amazon: pink-dolphin canoe watching and a guided night safari from Manaus
Paraty: private schooner to empty coves with a sunset photographer
Pantanal: wildlife tracking with a naturalist, with a high chance of jaguar sightings in season
Very Latin can book any of these and more across Brazil.
Quick itineraries you can copy
48 hours pre-wedding
Patacho pools at low tide, manatee river, long seafood lunch, sunset caipirinhas.
3 days after
Drive to Recife, overnight in Olinda for music and markets, then beach day at Carneiros. Fly out of REC.
4 to 5 days after
Fly to Rio for two nights, Sambadrome or blocos on the Carnival weekend, then two nights in Paraty for boat days.
One-week grand finish
Carnival in Salvador with camarote access, then Trancoso for recovery: beach clubs, swims, and lazy evenings on the Quadrado.
Two weeks: Best of Brazil
Wedding in Porto de Pedras, Rio 4 nights over Carnival with Sambadrome seats and curated blocos, Paraty 3 nights for boat days, finish 3 nights in Trancoso or Iguaçu, fly out.
Practical tips
Carnival smart moves
Buy parade seats or a camarote early. Wear comfy shoes, keep valuables minimal, use a zipped cross-body and pre-book drivers at night.
Natural pools
Access depends on tides and times change daily. Morning slots are common and the water is clearest at low tide.
Domestic flights
Baggage limits are tighter than long-haul. Check weight rules, keep essentials in your carry-on and allow extra time at airports.
Payments
Cards and tap-to-pay are widely accepted. Carry a little cash for beach vendors and small shops.
Connectivity
eSIMs work well and WhatsApp is the default for drivers and guides. Share live location when meeting in busy areas.
Health in the tropics
Use reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and insect repellent. Drink lots of water. If unsure about tap water, choose bottled.
Safety basics
Brazil is welcoming and busy. Stay aware in crowds, avoid flashing jewellery and use licensed drivers or rideshare apps.
Respect nature
Follow rules at the manatee sanctuary and on reefs. No touching wildlife or coral.
Documents
Keep passport photos and tickets saved offline. Check visa needs and ensure at least 6 months passport validity from entry.
Planning help
Prefer it handled? Submit the Very Latin form and their team will design your route, secure Carnival access (Sambadrome seats or a camarote), map a sensible bloco route, and book private guides, drivers, airport meet-and-greet, boats, helicopters, domestic flights and hard-to-get dining. Share your dates, cities and interests and they will reply with clear options, pricing and simple confirmations. You will receive a day-by-day plan on your phone, WhatsApp support while you travel and door-to-door pickups so you can just show up and enjoy Brazil.