Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

How about new experiences?

Tourism for your current life stage

Beach, nature, spirituality, history, table and road: 16 types of tourism to choose the trip that fits what life is asking for now, before choosing the place.

Nature

Beach, trail, waterfall, adrenaline or starry sky: trips where the landscape is the reason, by day and by night.

Sun and beach Sea bathing, tent on the sand, natural pools and river beaches, from the Northeast to the Amazon.
Ecotourism Guided trails, waterfalls, national parks, birdwatching and floating in clear rivers.
Adventure travel Rafting, rappelling, rock climbing, zip-lining, free flight, scuba diving and 4x4 tours, with a licensed operator.
Astrotourism Dark skies, the Milky Way visible to the naked eye, observatories and nights with telescopes away from cities.

Wellness and spirituality

Trips to care for the body, soak in hot water or follow a path of faith and silence, each at its own pace.

Wellness and health Spa, massage, ofuro, yoga and mountain-climate rest for body and mind.
Hot springs Hot pools and rivers, spa resorts and mineral springs in hydrothermal towns.
Spirituality Sanctuaries, pilgrimages and paths of faith, silent retreats and mystical places.

Culture and history

Historic centers and museums, street festivals and the heritage of immigrants, indigenous peoples and quilombolas, told by those who keep it alive.

Cultural and heritage travel Historic centers, museums, manor houses, forts and crafts that tell how Brazil was formed.
Popular festivals Carnival, São João, bumba meu boi and immigrant festivals: trips driven by the date on the calendar.
Immigration and heritage Immigrant colonies, immigration museums, indigenous villages and quilombos that welcome visitors.

Food and countryside

Markets and regional dishes, wineries, distilleries and coffee farms, and farm days with milking, harvesting and colonial-style coffee.

Food travel Municipal markets, fairs, typical dishes, producer routes and regional cooking classes.
Wine and drinks Wineries and grape harvests, cachaça distilleries, craft breweries and coffee farms.
Rural tourism Farm hotels, milking, harvesting, cheesemaking, gentle horseback riding and colonial coffee on the farm.

Ways to travel

By boat, by train or with the whole family: trips where the journey and company matter as much as the destination.

Boating and fishing Schooner, saveiro, sailboat, motorboat, cruises, hotel-boat and offshore or shore fishing.
Train travel Steam trains, mountain railways, historic stations and full-day train journeys.
Family travel Parks, calm beaches, hotels with kids’ programs, small farms and outings for all ages.

Business and events

Congresses, fairs, incentive trips and meetings, with time to see the city between appointments.

Convention centers
Pavilions and venues for congresses, fairs and exhibitions.
Accommodations with event facilities
Hotels and inns with meeting rooms, auditoriums and group lodging in one place.
Congresses and fairs
The calendar of gatherings that brings professionals to each city.
Incentive travel
Reward itineraries for teams and partners.
Corporate meetings and events
Company meetings with logistics, catering and transportation.
Bleisure
An extra day after the commitment to explore the city.

Open

Start with your moment

I need to rest and slow down

After an intense period, what matters is silence, nature nearby and few commitments per day.

Wellness and health Hot springs Rural tourism

I’m celebrating a special occasion

Wedding anniversaries, graduations or milestone years call for good dining and a setting that marks the occasion.

Wine and drinks Food travel Sun and beach

Traveling with children

With little ones, short distances, space to play and activities that interest all ages are best.

Family travel Sun and beach Rural tourism

I have time now: retirement or a sabbatical

With free weeks, long, unhurried trips fit—outside high season and across more than one region.

Cultural and heritage travel Train travel Hot springs

A weekend close to home

Two or three days are enough to get a change of air in a mountain town, inland spot or a coast a few hours away by road.

Rural tourism Food travel Cultural and heritage travel

I want to burn energy outdoors

For those ready to exert themselves and return pleasantly tired: trail, river, canyon and sea.

Adventure travel Ecotourism Boating and fishing

I’m in a moment of faith or gratitude

Fulfilling a promise, giving thanks or seeking reflection leads to sanctuaries, religious festivals and pilgrimage routes.

Spirituality Wellness and health

I want to understand where I come from

Curiosity about family and national history leads to old towns and regions shaped by immigration.

Immigration and heritage Cultural and heritage travel Popular festivals

A trip for two

For couples, honeymooners or not, places with a calm pace, good food and quiet nights work well.

Wine and drinks Astrotourism Sun and beach

I want to see something I’ve never seen

When you seek novelty, nature and major festivals usually deliver the most lasting memories.

Astrotourism Ecotourism Popular festivals

I’m traveling for work and want to enjoy the city

A congress, fair or meeting can include an extra day to explore the place, its food and its history.

Business and events travel Food travel Cultural and heritage travel

The trip starts with the moment, not the map

Almost every trip begins with the question “where to?”. Before that, however, there is another: what is your life asking for right now. Someone who just finished a year of hard work looks for silence. Someone with small children wants a place where they can run. Someone who retired finally has time for the long trip that was always postponed. Someone celebrating a date wants a well-set table and a landscape that marks the day.

The same place can suit one of these people and frustrate another. A crowded beach in January delights the family and tires someone seeking quiet. A three-day trail fulfills a dream or becomes a burden, depending on the hiker’s preparation. That is why this page organizes tourism by type of trip: first comes the experience, then the destination.

Types of tourism, at a glance

Types of tourism are ways of grouping trips by the reason someone leaves home: the sea, nature, faith, history, food, the journey. Tourism agencies use this division, called segmentation, to plan itineraries. For the traveler, it serves a simpler purpose: giving a name to what you are looking for.

Here are 16 types, gathered in five groups. Nature brings together sun and beach, ecotourism, adventure and skywatching. Well-being and spirituality covers rest trips, thermal springs and pilgrimages. Culture and history explores old cities, popular festivals and immigration memory. Flavors and countryside goes to the table, wineries and farms. Ways of traveling talks about boat, train and family trips, where both the mode of travel and the arrival place matter.

How to use this page

There are two paths. The first is to choose a group from the cards and open the type of tourism that interests you. Each type has its own page, explaining what that trip is, who it suits, the regions of Brazil where it happens, the best time of year and what to prepare before leaving, plus frequently asked questions.

The second path is the “Start from your moment” block. It begins with the traveler’s situation, such as the need to slow down, celebrating a date or a vacation with children, and points to two or three types of tourism that usually match. It helps those who don’t yet know the name for the trip they want to take.

Types can be combined

No trip fits entirely into one drawer. A week on the coast can include a hiking day and a patron saint festival night. The wine-region highlands are also the highlands of Italian immigration. A town with thermal waters often has a park, an old church and a local specialty sweet. In a country the size of Brazil, it is common for a single destination to serve three or four types of tourism at once.

So it helps to think of a main type that defines the region and season, and one or two complements that fill the spare days. Someone traveling for the beach chooses the months with less rain and fits the historical tour on a cloudy day. Someone traveling for a June festival takes the chance to try sertão cuisine. The combination is what makes the trip suited to the traveler.

Frequently asked questions

What are the types of tourism?

Types of tourism group trips by the traveler’s main reason. This page gathers 16 of them in five groups: nature (sun and beach, ecotourism, adventure and astrotourism), well-being and spirituality, culture and history, flavors and countryside and ways of traveling. There are others, like business and events tourism, which are not covered here.

How to choose the right type of trip for me?

Start from your life moment: how much energy you have to spend, who’s coming with you and how many days are available. The “Start from your moment” block links those situations to two or three types of tourism. Then each type’s page shows the recommended regions and season.

Which type of tourism suits someone who wants to rest?

Well-being trips, thermal resorts and rural tourism usually suit those looking for rest. They share a slow pace, contact with nature and few transfers. Small beaches outside high season also work.

What is the most sought-after type of tourism in Brazil?

Sun-and-beach is the most popular leisure travel type in the country, helped by the long coastline and warm climate. Ecotourism, cultural tourism and religious tourism also attract many travelers throughout the year.

Can I combine more than one type of tourism on the same trip?

Yes, and that is the most common case. Many destinations combine beach and history, highlands and wineries or nature and adventure. The practical approach is to define a main type that decides region and season, and fit the others into free days.

What type of trip works with small children?

Beaches with calm seas, farms and towns with parks and short outings generally work with small children. The biggest factor is travel time: short segments and a single base of accommodation make the trip lighter for the whole family.

What kind of trip to take on a weekend?

In two or three days, destinations a few hours’ drive away are more rewarding: a historic town, a farming region, a highland with good food or a thermal resort. Trips that depend on flights and multiple transfers require more time.

Does the time of year change according to the type of tourism?

It changes a lot. Beaches require the months with less rain for each stretch of coast; trails and skywatching are better in the dry season; popular festivals happen in specific months; and thermal waters are more sought in the cold. Each type’s page shows the recommended months.

Beyond the guide