Brazil is an amazingly diverse country. You can relax at the beach, be part of a big city life, experience the vibrant culture, or explore the rainforest. In Brazil, you can do it all! If you are fond of extreme sports, you won’t be disappointed. There are many great destinations for canyoning, surfing, ziplining, and many more. Let me present to you my favourite adventurous destinations in Brazil for extreme sports that you can manage in one trip.
This blog is written by Leonie of Munter-Reisen! Be sure to check out her travel blog and Instagram account, @munterreisen.
Contents:
- My Experience with Adventurous Destinations in Brazil
- Canyoning in Andradas, Minas Gerais
- Zip Lining in Pedra Bela
- Cheap Activities in Rio de Janiero
- Quad Tour in Arraial de Cabo
- Key Takeaways
- About Leonie
- How to Translate Leonie’s Blog
- Important Links
My Experience with Adventurous Destinations in Brazil
I spent two months in Brazil and traveled between Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro. Most of the time, I was volunteering with Workaway and got to stay in more rural regions. To read more about my volunteering experience, check out my blog post, “My Workaway Experiences in Brazil.” Living with the locals was a great way to get some insider tips and is how I was introduced to adventurous destinations in Brazil in the first place.
Unlike other popular destinations for extreme activities, you’ll find better deals and can save some money. In bigger cities, you’ll see offers for extreme activities everywhere. There are many tour agencies where you can easily book your experience. But there are also some hidden gems in more rural areas. I recommend a mix of both for the most unique experiences.
Canyoning in Andradas, Minas Gerais
Andradas surprised me a lot when I got to Brazil. You can reach the city easily by bus. It takes about 3 hours to get there from Sao Paulo, and the buses are very comfortable. (Brazil has a great infrastructure for public transport and you don’t necessarily need a vehicle to get to more secluded places. In my article “Travel By Bus: Transport in North and Latin America” I give you more details about that.) The region is very mountainous and sprinkled with a lot of coffee farms. This makes it also great for hiking and simply being in nature.
I was surprised that everyone seemed to be active and involved in an extreme sport there. You’ll see a lot of people on mountain bikes, which you can rent also to explore the mountains. My favourite experience was the canyoning. Our host set us up with one of his friends, who works as a canyoning guide. They have a tour agency “Desbravar Turismo” in cooperation with a language school. If you’re interested in learning Portuguese, you can reach out to them, too. The tours are normally on the weekends and last about 5 hours. I paid R$ 200 (40 USD) at the time and was very happy with the super helpful and friendly guides.
You’ll meet your small group downtown and then head off altogether to the forest. After a short explanation of your gear – they provide you with a wetsuit, helmet, and safety harnesses – you start hiking towards the mountain. The hike itself is amazing and adventurous. It takes you up and down the hill, through streams and rivers, and right through the rainforest. In between, you walk and slide down waterfalls. This is one of the adventurous destinations in Brazil that you can’t miss!
Zip lining in Pedra Bela
Our canyoning guide gave us many more recommendations for other extreme activities in the area. I didn’t get the chance to do them all because I needed to go to my second volunteer placement in another city, but zip lining in Pedra Bela caught my attention.
To get there from Andradas, you have to go back to Campinas by bus and then take another bus that brings you closer to the small town. If you have a car yourself, the drive from Andradas takes about 2 hours through beautiful landscapes. This zip line is the longest in America. You glide over 2 km of rainforest with a speed of 90 km/h. You are also on the highest point of the region, above 1000 m of altitude. Check out Mega Tirolesa de Pedra Bela to get a taste of the adrenaline!
Cheap Activities in Rio de Janeiro
If you travel to Brazil, you will most likely visit Rio de Janeiro at some point. The metropolis is full of sporty people and respective offers. Besides seeing the famous sights from below, you can go paragliding and fly above them. Nevertheless, the prices are pretty high due to the popularity of the city. The cheaper option is to join a beach gym. Along Copacabana and Ipanema, many gyms or personal trainers set up circuits for different workout styles. Often you can just ask the instructors how to opt in and start a training session. You don’t always need a gym membership. For other fitness ideas, check out Maddie’s article, “How to Stay in Shape While Traveling Long Term!”
Are you looking for free activities? Stroll along the beach and stop at one of the numerous fields to play volleyball, football, or basketball with the locals. I have never seen as many sports fields in one spot as in Rio. It’s THE place to be active!
Quad Tour in Arraial de Cabo
The beach town of Cabo Frio is located less than 200 km east of Rio de Janeiro and is ideal for taking a break from the busy city life. Still, it is very popular and touristy, mainly attracting Brazilians for a beach getaway. So, you’re still surrounded by locals and can also find some more secluded spots. Check out Praia do Forno at sunrise for a magical hour on your own!
Apart from relaxing at the beach, you can get active in Arraial do Cabo. On the streets, you walk along numerous tour agencies with diverse offers. They include fishing, boat tours with diving, quad/sand buggy tours, and paragliding. When paragliding here, you’ll save a good amount of money compared to Rio and the landscape is astonishing alike – if not even more beautiful.
I opted for the quad tour and loved it! With a guide, you drive around for 2 hours and stop at different beaches. You can book the tour for the morning, noon, or afternoon. I would recommend the latter to mesmerize a magical sunset at the end. However, take into account that you won’t be the only one interested in that.
The tours are quite famous and you will be surrounded by more quads and buggies at the viewpoints. On the drive itself, you are most likely alone with your tour guide and maybe 1-2 more visitors. The price per person is about R$ 300 (60 USD). Make sure to compare some of the company’s offers to find the one that fits best for you. The prices vary only slightly.
Key Takeaways
- The prices in popular cities are reasonably higher than in rural areas.
- In most experiences, you are accompanied by a friendly guide to lead the way and provide
further insights. - The booking procedure is very simple. You can either book tours in the offices of the agency
or via WhatsApp. Most businesses give you their WhatsApp contact to send you further
information and discuss the payment. - In more touristy spots, it’s easy to get around with English. In more rural regions, basic
knowledge of Portuguese can be helpful. - Don’t miss out on these adventurous destinations in Brazil, which will turn into core memories. Even if you’re
afraid, try out at least one extreme activity and get out of your comfort zone. Believe me, it’ll
pay off!
About Leonie
Hey there! I’m Leonie, 22 years old, and very fond of adventures! I always wanted to see the world and started by exploring South America. On my first solo trip, I fell in love with Latin America and its culture. Since then, I try to go back there as often as possible to discover new countries and experiences.
I strive for long-lasting memories and favour slow travel overall. I love to immerse myself in foreign cultures and live closely with the locals. To give back to the community and to prolong my travels, I also enjoy volunteering alongside. If you want to join me on my travels, you can follow along on my blog, Munter-Reisen. I hope that your next adventure is as close as mine and you set off to explore the world. Let’s do it together!
How to Translate Leonie’s Blog
Leonie’s blog is written in German, however don’t let that stop you! Follow these steps on your iPhone to quickly translate the entire article to English. (These steps are on the Safari web browser.)
- Once you are on the website, click the aA button in the corner (refer to the photo below)
- Click “Translate Website”
- Choose English or your preferred language!
This will translate the entire website for you! Happy reading and enjoy your adventurous destinations in Brazil! 🙂
Important Links
- Leonie’s Blog: Munter-Reisen
- Leonie’s Instagram: @munterreisen
- My Workaway Experiences in Brazil by Leonie
- Travel By Bus: Transport in North and Latin America by Leonie
- Ziplining: Mega Tirolesa de Pedra Bela
- How to Stay in Shape While Traveling Long Term by Maddie Around the World