CARAGUATATUBA-Brazil

Much better to pronounce than it may look like at first, Caraguatatuba (that’s ca-ra-gwa-ta-TOO-ba, or simply Caraguá to the in-crowd) is an amount of 17 beaches, each using its own unique appearance. Many also sport indigenous names that could be traced back to the original Tupi and Guarani peoples, who inhabited the area at the time of Portuguese colonization.

Go kayaking at Tabatinga, look at jet skiing down Mocóca, play beach volleyball from Indaiá or wonder at Ilhabela from the distance on Massaguaçu. Close-in beaches, such as the principle strand at Centro, the nightclub-centric Martin de Sá and tiny Prainha using its pointy outcropping associated with Pedra do Jacaré (Alligator Rock), bring in the well-heeled crowds of people, many of with whom spend Brazilian summers throughout luxury high-rises fronting this ocean. To frolic in the water or surf throughout solitude, head to the quieter beaches associated with Praia Brava or Praia do Ambiance.