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South America's best beach destinations

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Fernando de Noronha
World's Best Beaches and Dolphins
8.5
Spinner dolphins gather by the hundreds each dawn in the aptly named Baia dos Golfinhos. Brazil's first marine national park protects most of this volcanic archipelago. A daily environmental fee limits the number of visitors allowed. Baia do Sancho, reached by a staircase cut into the cliff, regularly ranks among the world's best beaches.
Highlights:
  • 🛥️ Take a boat tour to spot dolphins and sea turtles
  • ⛰️ Hike to the Morro Dois Irmãos viewpoint for stunning vistas
  • 🤿 Snorkel vibrant reefs at Baía do Sancho, world’s top beach
Rio de Janeiro
The heartbeat of Brazil's coast
8.1
The Christ the Redeemer statue looks out over Rio's beaches from Corcovado Mountain. Ipanema's sand splits into sections known for different crowds, each marked by colourful lifeguard posts. Sugarloaf Mountain's cable car offers a wide view of the bay below. Samba schools rehearse near the shore in the months leading up to Carnival.
Highlights:
  • 🏖️ Relax on the iconic sands of Copacabana Beach
  • ✝️ Stand before Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain
  • 🚠 Take the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain for breathtaking views
Armação dos Búzios
Brazil’s Chic Peninsula Playground
7.5
Buzios grew from a fishing village into a chic resort after Brigitte Bardot vacationed there in the 1960s. A bronze statue of the actress sits along the waterfront named for her. More than 20 beaches ring the peninsula, each with its own character. Rua das Pedras, the main shopping street, fills with visitors each evening.
Highlights:
  • 🤿 Swim and snorkel at the picturesque João Fernandes Beach
  • 🏄‍♂️ Relax at Geribá Beach, popular for surfing and sunbathing
  • 🌆 Explore the vibrant Rua das Pedras with shops and dining
Máncora
Sun‑kissed beaches and vibrant nightlife
7.4
Mancora sits on Peru's northern coast, where warm currents keep the Pacific unusually swimmable. Surfers ride long, steady waves that break just off the town's main beach. Humpback whales pass offshore each year between July and October. Mud baths at nearby Pozo de Barro draw visitors seeking a mineral soak.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Experience sunset cocktails at a beachside bar
  • 🍤 Savor fresh ceviche beside the Pacific shoreline
  • 🏄‍♂️ Ride waves on Playa Máncora's world‑class surf spots
Cartagena
Walled city of Caribbean color
7.2
Cartagena's walled Old Town rises behind colourful colonial buildings just steps from the Caribbean Sea. Stone ramparts built to fend off pirates still ring the historic centre. Bocagrande's beach lines the modern district's high-rise waterfront nearby. Boats depart daily for the Rosario Islands, a scattering of coral cays offshore.
Highlights:
  • 🍉 Photograph the vibrant Palenqueras fruit vendors
  • 🛡️ Explore Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas fortress
  • 🏰 Walk the historic Walled City and soak in colors
Tayrona National Park
Where Jungle Meets Turquoise Caribbean
7.5
Cabo San Juan's beach sits beneath a rocky outcrop topped by a thatched-roof hut. Dense jungle backs the coastline, home to howler monkeys and colourful toucans. The Kogi people, descendants of the region's original inhabitants, still consider parts of the park sacred. Visitors reach most beaches on foot, since no roads cut through the reserve.
Highlights:
  • 🦜 Spot howler monkeys and exotic birds along forest paths
  • 🌴 Swim in crystal-clear Caribbean waters surrounded by palm trees
  • 🏝️ Hike through jungle trails to the stunning Cabo San Juan beach
Galapagos Islands
The Wildlife Paradise of Ecuador
8.5
Marine iguanas bask on volcanic rocks along the Galapagos shoreline, found nowhere else on Earth. Sea lions doze on the sand and often swim right alongside snorkellers. Blue-footed boobies nest on several of the islands' beaches during mating season. Charles Darwin studied the archipelago's wildlife here in 1835, shaping his theory of evolution.
Highlights:
  • 🦩 Walk among blue-footed boobies on North Seymour Island
  • 🐢 Spot giant tortoises roaming freely in the highlands
  • 🐢 Snorkel with sea lions and turtles at Isla Lobos
Copacabana Beach
Lively iconic Rio shoreline
Copacabana's black-and-white wave-patterned promenade stretches for four kilometres along Rio's shoreline. Fireworks light up the beach each New Year's Eve, drawing crowds in the millions. Beach volleyball and footvolley courts fill the sand from early morning through sunset. Sugarloaf Mountain rises in the distance at the bay's northern end.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Watch the vibrant sunset from the famous boardwalk
  • 🏐 Play beach volleyball with lively local enthusiasts
  • 🏖️ Relax on the iconic crescent-shaped sandy beach
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