Are you looking for a tropical beach getaway that is yet to be overrun by the hordes of tourists and has not suffered from over-development like much of the Caribbean has?
Then you should watch out for Brazil’s next big launch:
The largest economy in South America is debuting a brand new tourist destination jam-packed with beautiful Atlantic beaches, marine parks, and vibrant city breaks, and judging by the local authority’s huge promotional efforts, it could be a game-changer for Brazil’s tourism industry.
So far, the bulk of the revenue and the highest number of arrivals comes from the ‘Marvelous’ city of Rio, but once the new ‘Rota Verde Azul‘ launches, those numbers could easily change:
Meet The Brazilian Riviera
As reported by local news outlets in Brazil, the country will establish a new ‘tourism belt’ linking two of its major states, Rio de Janeiro, on the Southeastern coast, home to the city of Rio, and Sao Paulo, which takes its name after the largest metropolis in all of the Americas.
Dubbed ‘The Green-Blue Route’, it is Brazil’s biggest announcement in terms of tourism development in years and perhaps the most exciting piece of news to come out of Latin America since Mexico confirmed its Maya Train (launching this December).
Back to Brazil, four municipalities will be included in the new route, which will run for a whopping 103 miles. The new Brazilian Riviera is set to rival the country’s own world-famous Northeastern coast, with over 2,000 beaches included in the development plan.
What Are The Stops On The Route?
Among the towns added to the itinerary, there is Angra dos Reis, in the state of Rio, a charming colonial-era town best known for its cobbled historical center and Portuguese-style whitewashed buildings. It sits by the sea, within driving distance of numerous pristine swimming spots.
The most beautiful of them, Dentist’s Beach, is a long stretch of white sand lapped by a crystal-clear South Atlantic.
29 miles from Angra, the second destination added to the route is the lively Paraty, an up-and-coming seaside resort located close to the state border shared by Rio and Sao Paulo.
Similarly to Angra, Paraty is distinctly colonial in character and one of Brazil’s best-preserved historical zones at that, with 16th-century churches and white-painted houses with colorful doors that make for the perfect, most picturesque townscape.
In 2019, it was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list, alongside its sister municipality, the island of Ilha Grande off the Paraty coast; it is a hidden paradise set to become a popular day trip for tourists exploring the ‘Rota Verde Azul’.
On the island, the number one attraction is the main settlement, Vila do Abraão, a hippie spot known for its pousadas – family-owned guesthouses – a myriad of bars and traditional restaurants, and the landmark St. Sebastian Church.
Up And Coming Resort Cities
Over on the Paulista side, 44 miles from Paraty, the third stop is Ubatuba, already a popular destination for residents of Sao Paulo and an official ‘coastal resort’, as defined by the state legislation. The classification enables Ubatuba to obtain more funds to invest in tourism initiatives.
As a result, it is maybe the best-equipped tourist town on the soon-to-be-launched route, with a list of guesthouses and luxury hotels straddling the beachfront to pick from. A single night at the five-star Mandala Beach Hotel costs only $109 this fall.
Finally, Ilhabela is the last destination on the new Brazilian Riviera, 48 miles from Ubatuba, and an archipelagic municipality comprising several interconnected islands and islets. Much like the previous entries, it has a colonial cityscape and a tropical atmosphere.
In order to reach Sao Sebastiao Island, where the largest settlement is located, future visitors will have to take a ferry from the Brazilian mainland, with a crossing time of only 15 minutes, though longer wait times and crowds are expected, as over summer, the city can host up to a thousand visitors daily.
These are only the four main offers on the Brazilian Riviera, as it comprises endless miles of sandy coastline dotted with small fishing settlements, lesser-known resort zones, and verdant patches of Atlantic forest.
How To Get To The Brazilian Riviera
So far, there are no plans to build an international airport on the Green-Blue Route, with Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo (the cities) serving as official entry points.
They both host several nonstop flights from North America, and there are numerous buses connecting the state capitals to their respective holiday zones.
Luckily for travelers, buses in Brazil can be quite comfortable, with fully reclinable seats and even private sleeping pods, making the short transit incredibly smooth and pleasant.
According to Klauber Valente, the President of Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande Convention & Visitors Bureau, the four destinations are ‘already consolidated’ as some of the most important in the country.
The Brazilian Cote d’Azur
Despite their similarities, namely ‘sun and beach’, each location has particularities that the formalization of the tourist route will help enhance, as well as attract more tourists from abroad.
Meanwhile, Paulo Ricardo Duarte, President of the Paraty Convention & Visitors Bureau, added that the route will offer ‘many opportunities’ for ecotourism, gastronomy, History, and leisure.
Their Ubatuba colleague, Hugo Gallo, further added that ‘the destinations bring together characteristics that do not exist anywhere else in Brazil’, and that can be comparable to France’s Cote d’Azur, the Caribbean, and even the California coast, with the wide array of entertainment options, and cultural and gastronomic riches.
The first step will be to launch a website with all the necessary information on the destinations, including links to accommodation partners and tour operators.
Ilhabela’s Marcio Franco concluded that the Rio-Santos highway, which runs along the planned Brazilian Riviera will now be ‘an organized destination’, with revitalization projects and promotional campaigns already underway.
Is A Tourist Train On The Way?
Regrettably, Brazil has not yet followed in the steps of Mexico and announced its own scenic train to complement its planned Riviera, though private company TAV has sought support for the construction of a fast-speed rail service linking both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo earlier this year.
The launch is set to transform Brazilian tourism yet again, as it has historically looked inward, with destinations that are famous among Brazilians themselves not necessarily being worldwide hits, such as Bahia, on the underrated Northeast, Minas Gerais, and Fernando de Noronha.
Every year, Brazilian destinations host, on average, 59 million domestic tourists and a nearly negligible 5 million international visitors. Internationally, the promotional efforts have always been almost exclusively centered on Rio, which may explain the lackluster figures.
Needless to say, this marks a new era for inbound tourism in the country, as officials are seeking to attract foreigners as opposed to only locals this time.
It remains to be seen how far they are willing to go and which infrastructure projects will be unveiled in order to make ‘Verde Azul’ a successful endeavor.
