After the raucous partying and furious Samba fun of Rio Carnival, here’s the opportunity to balance out the mayhem, escape the city and make the most of a more chilled Brazil with some options to veer off the tourist route. Our three brand new Brazil hostels are set in idyllic and alternative locations, giving you the perfect chance to explore Brazil’s unsung beauty.
Boipeba Island, Bahia
Stay at: Sossego HI Hostel
There are no cars here (tractors don’t count), and nothing to do but swing in a hammock and eat seafood, so what better island hideaway and escape from the rat race than Boipeba Island? In tropical north-east Brazil, the skies are impossibly blue, the sand is blindingly sun-bleached, and the sea an unlikely shade of turquoise which Photoshop would struggle to replicate. All in all, it’s a peaceful place which seems so close to paradise, you’d struggle to believe it’s real.
There’s no need to believe it’s real, because it is – and we’ve got a hostel there. Sossego HI hostel is located in the village centre, so you’re close to all the basic amenities you need – a handful of bars and restaurants. If you’re after tranquillity, there’s a beautiful wooded garden to roam and private/ double rooms available. If you feel a little stranded and want to make some friends, the large common area and shared dorms will do the trick. If you’re feeling a little disconnected whilst swinging in your hammock on a private porch – then yes, there’s WiFi.
Goiânia, Goiás
Stay at: Hostel 7 Goiânia
Welcome to the first HI hostel in the Brazilian city of Goiânia, complete with swimming pool and BBQ, it has all the flash facilities and is in a prime location to discover this greener alternative to Brazil’s capital of Brasília. As a major transport hub when touring around the state of Goiás or central Brazil, this city is growing both in terms of things to do, and organically through its parks and leafy avenues. Goiânia is above all else, a nightlife fix and commercial hub for you to treat as a base as you explore the wilds of Goiás: fiery sunsets burning over lush green savannahs, miles of National Park carved up by waterfalls, and the pretty colonial villages of Cidade de Goiás are all just a couple of hours from the city.
Manaus, Amazonas
Stay at: Amazon Adventure Hostel
The hostel name is probably descriptive enough without any spiel to inspire you, but here you are in the capital of the Amazon state, next to all the amenities of a city you might need, whilst being right in the thick of the tropical rainforest zone on the Amazon River. You can really live out your greatest fantasies of getting lost in nature when you stay for a while at Amazon Adventure hostel. Intrepid explorers interested in preserving the planet will love the eco-tourism packages they offer, allowing you to swim with the ‘botos’, river dolphins, at the intersecting waterways, and enjoy guided tours of the Terra das Cachoeiras (Land of the Falls). With its dozens of crashing waterfalls and hidden caves – you can forget credit card bills or student loans. Nature rules in the Amazon.
