DON'T BLAME IT ON RIO
Trust us—and our São Paulo-based Go Outside editors—there's a lot more to see in this massive country than the thonged beauties of Ipanema. So sip a caipirinha at the iconic Copacabana Palace Hotel, then head out of Rio for a tour of the six best spots in Brazil.

GETTING THERE: Many airlines fly from major U.S. cities to Rio's Galeão International Airport and São Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport for around $1,000. Red tape: Tourist visas are mandatory (brasilemb.org), cost $100, and are good for up to 90 days.

GETTING AROUND: Brazil is huge (almost 3.3 million square miles), and domestic airfare can be expensive; travelers should consider flying TAM Airlines from the U.S. so they can purchase a Brazil Air Pass, which allows four stops in-country (from $479; tamairlines.com).

SANTA CATARINA ISLAND
(a.k.a. Florianópolis)
A quick stroll down any of the 42 beaches on Santa Catarina leads to one conclusion: Beauty may not yet be bottled, but "Floripa" has the formula. Talent scouts from five modeling agencies prowl the 202-square-mile island, along with professional surfers and affluent Brazilians seeking refuge from the grind of Rio and São Paulo. Join the crowd; just don't drool. WHAT TO DO: Take a surfing lesson at Barra Beach, then head over to Mole Beach, where the locals catch their waves. Or hike three hours from Pântano do Sul to the secluded southern sands of Lagoinha do Leste (guide and transportation from $50; biosferabrasil.com). Ostradamus, a few miles from Lagoinha do Leste, prepares fresh oysters 30 different ways. After midnight, head to Floripa's hottest nightclub, Confraria das Artes, in Lagoa da Conceição, and play "spot the supermodel." TIP: Marta Chiesa, of Brazil Ecojourneys (brazilecojourneys.com), speaks fluent English and can book anything from rental cars to hotels. WHERE TO STAY: Reserve one of the two suites at the Pousada da Vigia, just 100 feet from Lagoinha Beach on the north end of the island, and soak in a private outdoor Jacuzzi (doubles from $116; pousadadavigia.com.br). WHEN TO GO: The best waves hit May through November. To find a scantily clad mass of humanity, try January or February. GETTING THERE: TAM flights to Florianópolis leave daily from most major cities in Brazil.

ITAMONTE
Amid the 9,000-foot Serra da Mantiqueira range sits Itamonte, an emerging adventure capital. The sleepy town of 13,577 people and no traffic lights is the kind of place where days meld into weeks, thanks to the area's world-class climbing. WHAT TO DO: Locals claim there's enough 5.9-to-5.11 climbing around Itamonte to last three lifetimes, but if you don't have that much time, head to the 400-foot granite-and-quartzite Pedra do Picu, overlooking town. An hour and a half's drive south from Itamonte stands the 2,034-foot wall Pico do Papagaio, Brazil's answer to El Capitan (Picus guides from $100 per day. WHERE TO STAY: With a wine cellar, piano bar, and master fireplace suites, the Hotel São Gotardo, 30 minutes north from Itamonte, brings a flash of finery to an otherwise rugged landscape (doubles from $165, including breakfast and dinner; hotelsaogotardo.com.br). After a buffet breakfast, hike the region's tallest peak, 9,140-foot Agulhas Negras, in nearby Itatiaia National Park. WHEN TO GO: April through August. GETTING THERE: Itamonte is less than three hours by car from Rio and three and a half from São Paulo (avis.com).

PARATY
The 18th-century prospectors who moved through Paraty in search of gold would still recognize the town of 40,000 people today; cars are not allowed in the historic city center, the streets are centuries-old cobblestone, and one of its biggest draws is the classic colonial architecture. But with dense Atlantic rainforest on one side and a turquoise ocean on the other, buildings aren't the only thing of beauty in Paraty. WHAT TO DO: Paraty Tours stops at the Santa Rita Church, built in 1722, and the town's cachaça distillery, where they make Brazil's trademark sugarcane alcohol. The town of Trindade, 20 miles south of Paraty, has several stunning beaches. Or get the lay of the land from the deck of the 120-foot, hand-built Tocorimé. A three-day sail includes dropping anchor on an isolated beach in Mamanguá fjord (that's right, fjord), barbecuing, and drinking—it is a pirate ship, after all—followed by an overnight sail to Ilha Grande and a five-hour hike up 3,221-foot Pico do Papagaio (three-day sail, $850 per person, minimum five people; tocorime.net). WHERE TO STAY: Set in an 18th-century school in the historic town center, the 26-room Pousada do Ouro (doubles from $85, including breakfast; pousadaouro.com.br) has hosted guests like Mick Jagger and Linda Evangelista. Thirty minutes away by boat from Paraty is the quiet enclave of Paraty-Mirim and Body & Soul Adventures, a 12-person fitness lodge where guests spend a week hiking and kayaking. Thick jungle surrounds the resort, which overlooks a white-sand beach; four of the rooms sit seaside with balconies that stretch over the water (from $2,250 per person per week, all-inclusive; bodyandsouladventures.com).WHEN TO GO: March to November is the dry season. Paraty is a popular weekend getaway for big-city Brazilians, so visit during the week, when it's less crowded. GETTING THERE: Paraty is about three and a half hours by car from both Rio and São Paulo.
—Thayer Walker