Brazil itinerary help
Hi there! First time poster here. I would love some help figuring out our Brazil itinerary, particularly with helping us pick a 3rd location to visit. We are a couple in our late 20s/early30s travelling for a wedding in Sao Paolo but decided to turn it into a longer trip!We aren’t big partiers (although enjoy going to bars etc) so are hoping to see a mix of beaches, culture and nature. We know we will be in Brazil from Dec 27th to Jan 10th and will be in Sao Paolo 27th-1st. We want 5 ish days in Rio and to visit another place but not sure where!
As an example, last year we visited Mexico and did Mexico City, Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido and thought it was perfect.
We arrive in Sao Paolo December 27th and leave Jan 1st. The wedding is on the 30th so we will have a couple days before that to explore. I’m not that excited by Sao Paolo as a city so any recommendations are welcome! It’s probably a bit longer than we’d like here, but it’s because of the wedding. Should we take a day trip?
We would then like to spend about 5 days in Rio de Janeiro and do all the classic touristy things - Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer, a couple beach days, maybe a hike. Should we stay near the beaches or go further out and travel to the beaches on those days? Accommodation looks pretty expensive and we are also not big party people so are happy to get an Uber to the beach on the days we are there.
Now, here’s the big question! Where else should we visit? We’d like to add another location, ideally not with a lot a travel time from Rio or Sao Paolo, that we could visit for around 3 days. I’ve heard Ilha Grande, Paraty, Bonita, Florianapolis are all good? We want a mix of it being a great place to visit while also being handy to get to from either SP or Rio. Maybe somewhere a bit quieter than the big cities with more of a beach or nature focus? But we are open.
Thanks so much in advance! I’m finding it a bit harder than usual to research this trip for some reason so all advice is welcome. :)