Why You Should Visit Brazil in 2025 – And Why Alagoas Is the Spot
By Megan Frye
Brazil is always a good idea, but 2025? Even better. The exchange rate is in our favor, the beaches are ridiculous, and it’s way easier to get here than you think. If you’ve been looking for a sign to go, this is it. And if you want the best of Brazil without the crowds, just go straight to Alagoas—a slice of paradise on the northeast coast that somehow still feels like a secret.
1. The Beaches Are Unreal
Brazil has some of the most stunning beaches in the world, and the coast of Alagoas is on another level. Think crystal-clear water, white sand, and natural pools that form at low tide—like swimming into a dream. Maragogi, São Miguel dos Milagres, and Praia do Patacho look like a scene out of a postcard, but without the intensity of Rio or Salvador. It’s the kind of place where you’ll spend all day in the water, then end up drinking a cold beer in a hammock, wondering why you don’t live here.
2. It’s More Affordable Than Mexico or Colombia
Brazil gets a bad rap for being expensive, but that’s mostly about flights. Yeah, flights can be pricey, but what you spend getting here, you’ll make up in savings—especially if you’re comparing it to Mexico or Colombia, where prices have skyrocketed. Plus, the expensive reputation really comes from São Paulo and Rio. In Alagoas, you can eat fresh seafood, drink caipirinhas, and stay in a beachside pousada without feeling like you’re bleeding money.
3. Nature Here Is Next-Level
If you love snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, or just being outside, Alagoas delivers. The coral reefs in Maragogi are insane, and you can swim with sea turtles in the natural pools. The São Francisco River Canyon is this dramatic, wild place where you can take a boat through towering red cliffs. And if you’re into wildlife, there are manatee conservation projects and mangrove tours where you can spot rare birds and monkeys.
4. People Here Are the Best
Brazilians, in general, are ridiculously warm and welcoming, but people in Alagoas? Next level. Life moves slower here, and everyone is down to chat, help you out, or invite you to a forró dance. Even if you barely speak Portuguese, you’ll somehow end up making friends.
5. The Music Will Get You
Brazil is all about rhythm, and while Rio has samba, the Northeast is all about forró and frevo. Whether you’re at a beach bar in Garça Torta or a tiny village festa, the music pulls you in. Before you know it, you’re dancing in the sand, sweaty and happy, with a caipirinha in hand.
6. You’ll Actually Learn Portuguese
If you really want to learn a language, the best way is to talk to locals, not other tourists—and that’s exactly what happens in Alagoas. Unlike Rio or São Paulo, you’re not going to encounter many English speakers, so you’ll be ordering food, asking for directions, and making conversation in Portuguese all day. It’s challenging, but fun, and before you know it, you’ll be cracking jokes with your server and finding the best price for mangoes at the market.
7. Brazil Is Just Fun—Like, Really Fun
There’s something about Brazil that makes you feel alive. Maybe it’s the music everywhere, the fact that people actually dance at bars, or how spontaneous everything feels. There’s always some festival, football match, or street party happening, and even if you don’t plan on getting into the party spirit, Brazil will drag you in.
8. It’s Easier to Get Here Than You Think
There are options for direct flights from the U.S., Canada, and Europe to São Paulo, Rio, and Recife. And from Recife, you can take a quick flight or a beautiful coastal road trip down to Alagoas. No crazy layovers, no complicated transfers—just hop on a plane and go. The extra couple of hours you might spend to get here means there are fewer international tourists who make the investment. There is a big payoff for your time.
9. The Food? Ridiculous.
Brazilian food is already amazing, but the food in Alagoas? Seafood heaven. You’ve got moqueca (fish stew), sururu (local mussels), grilled queijo coalho (cheese on a stick), and the freshest fruit you’ve ever tasted. Ever had cajá, umbu, or graviola? You will. And you’ll miss them when you leave. Also, açaí actually tastes better in Brazil— choose it natural or with sugar added, and usually served with bananas, granola, and maybe a drizzle of honey. It’s basically fuel for a day in the sun.
10. It’s the Most Biodiverse Country on Earth
Brazil has more plant and animal species than any other country, and Alagoas is home to some of its most unique ecosystems—from the coral reefs to the Mata Atlântica rainforest. Whether you’re spotting dolphins in the ocean or hiking through the jungle, it’s impossible not to be blown away by how alive everything feels.
11. If You Love Soccer, You’ll Love Brazil
Football isn’t just a sport here—it’s a way of life. You don’t even have to like soccer to get caught up in it. Whether you’re watching a match at a local bar or catching a game in Maceió’s stadium, the energy is contagious.
Bottom Line: 2025 Is the Year to Visit Brazil
If Brazil has been on your list, just go. The exchange rate is great, flights are easy, and the country is full of remarkable beauty, warmth, and life.
And if you want the best of Brazil without the crowds? Come to Alagoas.
Megan Frye is a journalist and documentarian specializing in low-impact, regenerative travel, with a focus on Latin America. With a background in newsroom journalism and nonprofit management in Detroit and Mexico, she explores the intersection of consciousness and adventure, bringing a humanistic and naturalistic lens to storytelling. She spent five weeks studying Portuguese at Go Brazil, where she navigated a profound personal journey, embraced by the kindness of community, the warmth of Brazilian hospitality, and the beauty of Garça Torta's shores. Read more of her work at www.meganfrye.com.
