Brazil 2026

A Wedding, Inland Rapids, and Coastal Dunes

More than 3 long years had passed since my last visit, the reason this time was a shorter stay, for my best friend's wedding in the countryside of Sorocaba near his childhood home.

Leandro was the perfect host, introducing the wedding plan to his 3 foreign best men and  taking care of all their needs, while showing his countryside home.
Leandro was being Leandro. A genuine friend and heartfelt person.

All though too short, the party was a massive success, and blew me away.
Insane, amazing night with crazy events and special memories for life.
2 days in Sorocaba and a fantastic wedding with new and old friends was a warm and giving experience for me that ended much too soon.

Being happy and enjoying a Cuban cigar :)

Muito obrigado, Leandro! 

Brotas

September is not the best time to stick around the southern region and 2026 was surely the coldest year I ever spent in Brazil along with never-ending rainfall.

I decided to use the rainfall to my advantage and head for the well-known eco-tourism hub, Brotas, for some wet adventures while the rivers were still high. 

I spent 3 days doing white-water river rafting on the Jacaré Pepira river along with 4X wheel Quad biking in the tricky but beautiful hills surrounding this tiny eco village.

Long haul to the North (Southern Tip)

Since the Sao Paulo region was still covered in rain and no sun, I decided to take a long 30 hours with multiple bus connection to the southern tip of Bahia to reach a much needed never-ending sunny beach.

Itaúnas (Parque Estadual de Itaúnas)

I explored Itaúnas and its wild coastal nature reserve and wonderful undisturbed beach.

The longest trail was the Trilha da Borboleta (Trilha do Finado Belo) Butterfly trail. (an exhausting trip).

I walked the Trilha da Borboleta, which is labeled as a 3km loop, but starting from the village it adds a 2.5km walk just to reach the start of the trail.
Once there, the deep, soft sand slows every step.
You pass through smaller bush areas where you will understand why it is called the Butterfly trail
At the very end before reaching the dunes and sea you have to navigate through a tighter enclosed trail.
Be aware of the spiders covering the walking space. 
If you do not pay attention you will walk straight into one.
They look scary because of their giant web spanning across he trail path but they are dormant, not poisonous ( Tropical Orbweaver) but of course not fun walking into one in any case.

From the edge of the village there is about 16km to where Espírito Santo meets Bahia.
At the very end of the path where the dunes join with the ocean, a wooden sign pointed north to Riacho Doce.
Riacho Doce is literally a natural border between the two states with a brown-reddish stream mixing into the Atlantic Ocean.
The brown-reddish water is from plant minerals giving it this distinct color.

Realizing the Bahia border was still another 10 kilometers up the coast, I turned south instead, returning along the shoreline and over the dunes into town.

Between the village approach, the heavy sand, and the beach return, that 3km loop is realistically an 8 to 9km, 2-3 hour walk.
It is a great walk, but bring plenty of water and prepare for the true distance.
You are unlikely to meet others.

Back In Sao Paulo

After another long overnight bus ride I ended my small 3 weeks in Brazil back in SP, in the neighborhood Villa Barros.
I figured I would have one last night out in local barzinhos and be within easy walking distance for my flight the next day.

After wandering around to different bars eating espetinho and enjoying the music and movements,
I ended the night at a pizza place where motoboyes were kind enough to share a split while waiting for the pizzas.

Perfect ending to a last night in Brazil ;)