• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Street Smart Brazil

We teach smart Portuguese

  • Contact
  • My Account
  • Cart
  • Policies
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Disclaimer
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Speak Portuguese With Ease
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop for Lessons
  • Starter Kit
  • Testimonials
  • Resources
  • Blog

Do’s and Don’ts at the Beach in Brazil – with Video

posted on November 15, 2009

In September I went to Brazil and thought it would be interesting to share some tips with you to make you a savvy tourist. We recorded this video — and took the photo above — in Boa Viagem, a neighborhood of Recife, the capital of the state of Pernambuco, in the Northeast of Brazil.

Please keep in mind that Brazil is a very large and diverse country. What I say here may not be the true everywhere in the country, but my experience is that it applies to all major cities.

 

Food, Drinks, Chairs and Umbrellas

Should you bring a cooler with drinks and snacks? No, you do not need to bring your chairs, umbrellas and coolers to the beach. In fact, you will be better off not doing so. There are people who work selling beverages and food at the beach. When you buy from them, they let you use their chairs and umbrellas. There are chairs and umbrellas for everyone, as there are many sellers at work. If you want to be like a local, that’s the way to do it.

 

Topless in Brazil

There is no going topless for the ladies in Brazil. How about those movies that you’ve  watched? They are rubbish; pure stereotype. In many Brazilian cities it is against the law for ladies to take their tops off. There are a few nude beaches in the country and they are very reserved. In Rio, you may see a few women without their tops. But even there, topless was prohibited until the year 2000 when a woman was actually arrested for not having her top on. The incident caused a lot of protests and the Government decided to drop the ban on topless in Rio.

 

Swimming not recommended in Recife

In Recife, do no go for a swim if the tide is high. In the past years there has been a big problem with sharks in Recife and many people have been killed or mutilated. This is very sad; when I was growing up there, we did not have this problem and the city frequently hosted surfing competitions. Now, surfing is prohibited and people are strongly advised to bathe in very shallow water. The picture to the right is a sign posted at the heart of Boa Viagem beach.

On the bright side, Recife is surrounded by reefs and when the tide is low in Recife, the reefs form a swimming pool of wonderfully warm water. Then you can have blast without any worries in the world.

In addition, the beaches to the south of Recife — such as Porto de Galinhas and Calhetas — are safe and simply paradisiacal. 

 

Drinks and Snacks

There is plenty to eat and drink at the beach. One of my favorites is queijo na brasa. This is a barbequed Brazilian cheese called qualho. It might not sound impressive, but it is a must try.

You should also have água de coco (coconut water). If you have tried it in other countries, try again in Brazil; it is different. Água de coco not only is delicious and refreshing, but is also very healthy for your body. When you are done with the water, ask the vendor to cut the coconut open; the pulp inside is very good, too.

 

Finally, you MUST have açaí na tigela (açaí in the bowl). This is açaí pulp blended with guaraná syrup, banana, and ice until you get a thick sorbet. Top it with some banana slices, granola, and honey and you will be in for a treat.

 

 

Great! You are ready to go to the beach. Use lots of sun block; you will be close to the Equator. A final tip: always carry small change; very often, vendors will not have change for you.

We hope you have lots of fun at the beach in Brazil. We certainly did 🙂

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3uHY-Oy1_I]

 

—————-

Schedule your Portuguese Demo Lesson.

Street Smart Brazil offers one-on-one and group classes online via webcam. We have a fantastic team of tutors, exclusive class materials, and complete programs from absolute beginner to fluent.  See what our customers are saying.

Related Posts:

  • Brazilian New Year’s Traditions and Superstitions
  • My Favorite Online Dictionaries to Learn Portuguese
  • Articles in Portuguese - Portuguese lesson

About Luciana Lage

I’m Luciana, founder of Street Smart Brazil. I am so happy to be able to help you in your Portuguese speaking journey! Teaching Portuguese as a foreign language was one of the best things that could have happened in my life. I’ve had the privilege of teaching Portuguese at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of San Francisco. Now I am fully dedicated to the Street Smart Brazil community.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Claus Andersen

    April 18, 2020 at 10:30 am

    Having lived in Recife as a Danish citizen, I can only agree with all that you say here.

    Reply
  2. travel

    July 11, 2011 at 4:47 am

    You have given us some interesting points. This is a wonderful article and surely worth reading. Bright idea, hope there can be more useful articles . This article is definitely helpful. I appreciate it. And also thanks for sharing such a nice video.

    North India Hill Stations

     

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Want to see your pic by your comment? Get a free custom avatar at Gravatar.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Brazil
  • Brazilian music
  • Brazilian Portuguese
  • Business Culture
  • Culture and History
  • Flashcards
  • Food
  • Grammar
  • Idiomatic Expressions
  • Learning Languages
  • Pronunciation
  • Resources
  • Video lessons
  • Visiting Brazil
  • Vocabulary

Schedule a Trial Session

Testimonials

Street Smart Brazil impressed me with the structure and outgoing personalities! I was able to learn the language 2 months before I went to Brazil and I can say it was because of Street Smart Brazil. … Read more
Jonathan
The web class is a unique setup. When I first heard about it I thought it would be too weird to try to do something so personal and interactive as a foreign language online. Now I am sort of devotee. … Read more
John
I highly recommend Street Smart Brazil. They’ll have you speaking Portuguese in surprisingly little time and you’ll learn a lot about Brazil and its people and culture.
Kenneth
Street Smart Brazil has exceeded my expectations. There is a genuine feeling that anyone can learn and improve in any language. The approach is patient, encouraging, and most of all, empowering.
Anuj

Find Resources

Make your learning fun and easy with good resources.
Learn More

51 Portuguese Idioms – Speak Like a Brazilian

You will learn each expression inside a real-life context: everyday situations that could happen to any of us.
Purchase Now >

Recent Posts

  • Meio or Meia? How to say KIND OF in Portuguese
  • Family Vocabulary in Portuguese
  • The Power of Rehearsal to Improve Language Learning
  • Learn the Numbers in Portuguese: All you need to know
  • The Difference Between ESTE, ESSE, ISSO in Portuguese

Search

Cart

Classes

  • Trial Lesson
  • One-on-One Portuguese Lessons via Video Meetings – Subscription
  • One-on-One Portuguese Lessons via Video Meetings – Packages
  • Celpe-Bras Prep Classes with Street Smart Brazil

Footer Subscribe

Books

  • 51 Portuguese Idioms
  • Master the Word MESMO in Portuguese

Footer Video CTA

Subscribe to my YouTube channel to get all the new video lessons

Subscribe

https://youtu.be/xoNtWBolAzE

Footer Full CTA

Book a Trial Lesson today to get started.

Get Started Now

Footer CTA

Street Smart Brazil

  • About
  • Shop For a Portuguese Class
  • Testimonials
  • Blog

Portuguese Classes

  • Trial Lesson
  • One-on-One Portuguese Lessons via Video Meetings – Subscription
  • One-on-One Portuguese Lessons via Video Meetings – Packages
  • Celpe-Bras Prep Classes with Street Smart Brazil

Books

  • 51 Portuguese Idioms
  • Master the Word MESMO in Portuguese


Street Smart Brazil, LLC

phone 415.573.8180
email info@streetsmartbrazil.com
Oakland, California

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer
  • Sitemap

© 2014–2023 Street Smart Brazil, All Rights Reserved.