Home to swathes of the Amazon rainforest, miles of white sand beaches and the world’s most riotous carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is an essential stop on any South American tour. Its popularity with backpackers means there’s plenty of affordable accommodation available, too.
There are hundreds of hostels in Brazil, found everywhere from urban metropolises to the edges of the Amazon. Here’s a guide to the very best:
LimeTime Hostels, Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo’s known for its skyscrapers and not necessarily for its nightlife – but LimeTime Hostels changes all that with a super-sociable atmosphere and nightly excursions to clubs and parties that only the locals know about. Back at the hostel, you can sip on free nightly Caipirinhas (one of top Brazil’s national cocktail) and use free Wi-Fi, plus there’s an events board that changes daily so you know what’s going on in the city at any given time. LimeTime has a great location too, sitting two blocks from main commercial street Paulista Avenue, so you can explore with ease.
Beach Backpackers Hostel, Rio de Janeiro
Looking for the best hostel Rio? Two blocks from Botafogo beach and a 15-minute walk from top Brazilian beaches – Ipanema and Copacabana, Beach Backpackers lives up to its name as a great budget-friendly place to stay that’s close to the sand and sea. On check-in, you’ll get guides to Rio’s best nightlife and cheap things to do in the city, and the hostel gives you free city tours, free Wi-Fi, Skype headphones and lockers too. On Botafogo beach itself you can play volleyball, lounge in the sun and enjoy views of Sugarloaf Mountain. Christ the Redeemer is only a short trip away, too.
Multicultura, Tefé
Tefé sits in the middle of the Amazon rainforest and is the starting point for reaching the Mamiraua Reserve, one of the best places in the country for discovering Brazil’s amazing biodiversity. Multicultura hostel overlooks Lake Tefé and offers clean, safe and great-value accommodation for budget travellers. You can get free Wi-Fi and private bathrooms with hot showers in every room, plus a daily breakfast including fresh fruit juice and home-made yoghurt served on the terrace every morning. To help you explore, the hostel puts on tours of the lake, the flooded forest, forest-walks and kayaking trips as well as setting up visits to indigenous communities.
Hostel Natura, Foz do Iguazu
In the middle of rolling countryside and close to Cataratas National Park and Iguazu Falls, Hostel Natura is the ultimate place to unwind in beautiful surroundings. As well as bird watching, you can stroll about the hostel’s farmland and pick pesticide-free fruit and veg, and there’s also a bar, swimming pool and free Wi-Fi. The hostel runs jungle treks and trips to the Argentinean side of the falls, where you can see the Devil’s Throat (the bit with the longest drop). If you fancy some urban shopping and night-life, the city of Foz do Iguazu is 20 minutes away by bus. You can also visit the Triple Frontier, where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet.