Festivals, celebrations, crafts, music and dances in Brazil are diverse, authentic and just fascinating – and you are more than welcome to take part! We love sharing our culture, making new friends and having fun.
Supporting local artisans and artists, going to restaurants and bars with live music, visiting museums and galleries, taking walking tours, eating at local markets and participating in community-based tourism (such as in Araribá) are all very good ways to help us preserve our traditions and a key aspect of being a responsible traveler.
Brazil
World’s greatest biodiversity and cultural melting pot.
Home to the AMAZON FOREST and many other important ecosystems, such as the ATLANTIC FOREST and the Pantanal, BRAZIL is a perfect destination for your green holidays. More than that, Brazil is also ethnically and culturally diverse, which is seen in its architecture, festivals, music, and food. Being the 5th largest country in the world, Brazil differs a lot from north to south, and east to west, so one visit will probably not be enough. Brazil is a place that captures you and makes you feel that there is still so much more to explore!
Not sure where to go?
Explore the options for a responsible trip
GOOD PLACES TO VISIT
Explore destinations that were certified for their sustainability efforts
GOOD TRAVEL BUSINESSES
Discover accommodations, restaurants, shops and activities that are committed to sustainability. Their efforts are summarised in a SCORECARD (click on the picture). For the Good Travel Seal, the higher the number of stars or the level (level 3 is the highest), the more aspects of sustainability are checked by an independent auditor.
- Accommodations
- Restaurants
- Activities
- Others
Hotel Senac Barreira Roxa
Good Travel Seal Level 2
The hotel combines the grandeur of Brazil's finest hotel developments with the charm and comfort of small hotels, featuring a regional-chic style with sophisticated touches. Located between the majestic Dunas Park and the stunning Atlantic Ocean, it offers an experience that values sustainability and seaside elegance. Every detail is carefully planned to provide a memorable stay, where guests can enjoy the best that nature and comfort have to offer.
Pousada Xamã
Good Travel Seal Level 2
Located in a privileged position, Xamã is renowned for its sustainable hospitality and ideal location. With a strong commitment to environmental responsibility, the company is associated with the Preserve Pipa movement, ensuring the preservation of the local paradise. The team is dedicated to education, friendliness, and resilience, ensuring a welcoming experience for guests, employees, and partners, aligned with its mission to provide excellence in service with love and environmental care.
Pousada Toca da Coruja
Good Travel Seal Level 2
Toca da Coruja is the ideal destination for those seeking harmony between luxury and nature. Located at Pipa Beach in Tibau do Sul, it offers a refuge of tranquility and well-being. Immersed in an Atlantic rainforest reserve, Toca is committed to environmental preservation, providing a deep and safe connection with the environment. Its facilities blend colonial decor with modern elements, ensuring comfort and coziness for guests.
Kilombo Villas
Good Travel Seal Level 2
Kilombo Villas is a luxury hotel located in Northeast Brazil, on the paradisiacal Sibaúma Beach. At Kilombo, true luxury is the connection with nature combined with exclusivity, refinement, and the experience that the hotel provides.
Hotel Real Nob
Good Travel Seal Level 2
Guests of Hotel Real NOB can enjoy the charms of the Orleans region, SC, bringing their families for a sustainable and welcoming experience. We offer a delicious colonial-style breakfast highlighting local ingredients and personalized room service, providing a stay where everyone truly feels at home.
Pousada Canário Azul
Good Travel Seal Level 2
Hotel Located 380 meters from Bombas Beach in Bombinhas, SC, Pousada Canário Azul accommodates 2 to 3 people in comfortable suites with a mini kitchen and air conditioning. The delicious breakfast, served in the room, includes fresh bread, homemade cake, and seasonal fresh fruits. Committed to sustainability, the inn adopts environmentally friendly practices and cares for the environment, providing a welcoming and responsible stay for its guests.
Sustainability
Brazil has significant initiatives and programs for promoting green practices and is engaged in developing more sustainable tourism destinations. The Ministry of Tourism and Braztoa (Brazilian Association of Tour Operators) are responsible for creating the Braztoa Sustainability Award, the country’s largest award on sustainable tourism and recognised by the UNWTO.
These organisations also developed the Map for Sustainable Tourism in Brazil. , in which the awarded initiatives are presented and promoted. The map aims to give visibility to businesses and destinations committed to increasing sustainability in the country’s tourism industry.
Photo © Thiago Japyassu
GOOD PRACTICE STORIES
Get inspired with stories from places and people that are acting for a fair and responsible tourism
Apodi
The proposal of the Pedagogical Tourism project is to promote environmental awareness among students through pedagogical practices in tourism, providing a direct interaction with the theme of tourism in schools, as well as working on Environmental Education in a continuous and permanent manner, as stipulated by the PNEA – National Policy for Environmental Education (law 9795/1999). Additionally, it aims to stimulate Environmental Education as a cross-cutting theme through a comprehensive set of actions, as it cannot be addressed in isolation. Sensitization provides the locals with knowledge and a sense of belonging to the tourist attractions in the area.
Bom Jardim da Serra
When tourism began to be developed in Bom Jardim da Serra, two accommodation projects were pioneers in structuring this sector: the Santa Rita farm and the Serra do Rio do Rastro Ecoresort. Structured in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the hotels in the mountains began to gain prominence and contribute to the development of a new local economic activity, further boosting the region. In that cycle, other economic segments feared that new ventures would displace labor, especially in fruit growing. The local community was not fully convinced of the benefits of tourism for the city, however, over time, there was a gradual change in perception. The great challenge of the projects was aimed at consolidating the city as a destination sought after by tourists, requiring great efforts from entrepreneurs for proper management, integration for the search for financing alternatives and other adaptations to market fluctuations, especially in the periods of seasonality.
Bombinhas
The Sea School is a program of the Municipal Department of Education of Bombinhas, aimed at public school students, during after-school hours. Since 2017, the ecological and tourist aspects of Bombinhas have been explored as part of the pedagogical proposal of the Sea School. Children and teenagers, from the fifth year of elementary school on, participate in a broad, creative, and engaged training, which includes the main local socioeconomic aspects, including artisanal fishing, mariculture, and tourism. This is stitched with ancestral knowledge through the presence of masters in various arts and crafts, such as the making of fish nets and baskets, and gastronomy. Swimming classes, environmental education, and alternative income generation complete the teaching-learning process focused on sustainability.
Itá
The road to sustainability is long and arduous, requiring planning, engagement, and collective work from the destinations. The county of Itá has been seeking to follow this path, and an important step was taken towards becoming a more sustainable destination. Their story showcases the development and implementation of their Green Seal Program: creating a collective, comprehensive, and free certification program, which identified practices developed by local businesses and entities, giving them visibility.
Navegantes
With the population growth and urbanization, the city of Navegantes began to face a problem seen in many big cities: the reduction green areas. The problem was noticed especially on the shore, as the reduction of vegetation caused erosion in various parts of its beach. Seeing the potential risks in the future if the situation persisted, Navegantes decided to act. The city began a long process of recovering the vegetation along its shoreline, and started the program “Restinga Preservada, Nossa Orla Protegida” (Restinga Preserved, Our Coast Protected), to continue the work of environmental education and preservation of the environment, allowing the central urban region to coexist with the coast in a sustainable way.
São Miguel do Gostoso
TRIIBO Agroforestry, located in São Miguel do Gostoso, Brazil, champions regenerative agriculture and healthy food production. Founded in 2018 by John Broad and Jamile, it offers training, environmental education, and agroecological fairs. Collaborating with local entities and the DEL Tourism Program, TRIIBO fosters sustainable practices, enriching soil, biodiversity, and organic produce. This holistic approach not only preserves the environment but also enhances community well-being through a unique agritourism experience. They incorporated the community to assist in the regeneration of the land and production of organic foods via: volunteers, offering educational courses, and, teaching children about sustainable farming. Additionally, tourism was incorporated on the farm, offering education/gastronomy experiences.
Tibau do Sul
Extractivists from the district of Cabeceiras lived in a situation of financial need and engaged in fishing, agriculture and oyster extraction in their natural habitat. However, this last activity was developed without due environmental concern on the part of the fishermen, focusing only on exploration. The solution to resolve the problem was found in APROOSTRAS – Association of Oyster Producers of Rio Grande do Norte, resulting in a sustainable cultivation of the product, conservation of the environment, and creation of the oyster route as an alternative production associated with tourism
Urubici
Urubici is a municipality in Serra Catarinense that stands out for the advance of tourism in recent years. The city has approximately 5000 beds, in more than 1000 accommodation facilities, of which 40 are family-run accommodation. Surrounded by fascinating nature, 90% of the local attractions are aimed at experiencing nature, through contemplative, scenographic, ecotourism and adventure tourism. Tourism arrives with strength not only as a provider of demand for these attractions and means of accommodation, but also as a promoter of development for the city. With the advent of the pandemic, nature tourism in the Serra region emerged very quickly and this demand, although positive, caused the movement of tourists and development to be disorderly and required the creation of new guidelines for the development of tourist activity in a sustainable way. Organized in compliance with legislation and adoption of sustainable practices to contribute to a developed and sustainable city.
Tourism & People
Tourism in Brazil is mostly domestic and regional (56% of international tourists are South Americans), but nevertheless of great importance for the country’s GDP. Popular destinations – especially beach ones – may experience overtourism during summer holidays, New Year’s Eve and Carnival; however, given the size of the country, there are countless alternative destinations to choose from when trying to avoid these very touristic areas.
Brazilians are very open and friendly to foreign visitors, and if you know a few words in Portuguese, this will be very helpful, as English is not commonly spoken here.
Photo © Vinicius Pontes
Travel tips from our editors
Try Local Food and Products
Brazilian cuisine is highly underrated! While Mexican food conquered the world (for good reasons!), most people are not familiar with Brazilian dishes and never had the chance to try.
So, if you are in Brazil, take this opportunity to explore the immense variety of local fruits, legumes and vegetables, many only found in South America! The cuisine changes drastically from region to region in Brazil, but some ingredients are loved and used daily by all Brazilians, such as rice, beans and mandioca (cassava).
Also, if you have a sweet tooth, our desserts will definitely not disappoint!
Enjoy the Rich Culture
Getting around
Depending on the location of the places you wish to visit, it is often more convenient to fly, after all Brazil is huge! All capital cities and major destinations are served with national (and sometimes international) airports. Renting a car or travelling by bus, nevertheless, are also very good options for a more slow-paced travel. Buses are affordable and comfortable, but renting your own vehicle is more suitable for reaching more secluded places and for having more freedom to enjoy the landscapes and cities. Travelling by train is not an option, as railways are used only for the transportation of goods. There are, however, a few exceptions of scenic train routes for tourists, such as the one in Rio Negrinho, one of our featured sustainable destinations.
Nature & Wildlife
Brazil is a nature lover’s paradise, boasting unparalleled biodiversity and stunning landscapes. The Amazon Rainforest, the world’s largest tropical rainforest, is a sanctuary for countless species, from jaguars and macaws to vibrant poison dart frogs. The Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, is an incredible birdwatching destination and home to capybaras, caimans, and giant otters. The Atlantic Forest is rich in endemic species, such as the golden lion tamarin. Brazil’s diverse ecosystems offer an array of experiences, whether you’re exploring the Amazon’s jungle, trekking in the highlands, or lounging on pristine beaches, making it a true haven for nature enthusiasts.
Sustainability Recognitions
Brazil has 9 destinations featured in the Top 100 Sustainable Destinations 2021.
Other sustainability certifications can be seen here (English) and here (Portuguese).
Fernanda Rodak | Page Editor
“Brazil is a worldwide known hotspot for biodiversity as well as home to a multitude of cultural expressions. The natural and cultural heritage and immense variety of tourism experiences in the country are valuable assets for its competitiveness. Yet, as we envision a post Covid-19 era, sustainability in tourism becomes crucial to build resilience and guarantee the long-lasting health of Brazil’s ecosystems and well-being of the hosting communities. This would also ensure an active contribution of the country’s tourism sector to the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Country Partner
At Instituto DEL, we work with the mission of creating favorable environments for the implementation of public policies that strengthen sustainable development in Brazil. We believe in the transformative power of tourism, which is why, through the DEL Turismo program, we support destinations and enterprises on their sustainability journey.
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