Whether you’d like a beach that fronts the Atlantic, Pacific or Caribbean, you can find your perfect destination in South America, with its amazing beaches front all three. With the exception of landlocked Bolivia and Paraguay, every South American has something to offer beach lovers of all types from remote escapes and rugged beaches filled with wildlife to picture-perfect sands for sun-worshippers and beaches with legendary parties and iconic surf spots.
Playa Manzanillo - Providencia, Colombia
Providencia is often considered one of the best-kept secrets in Colombia. To get to this island that’s closer to Nicaragua, you’ll have to fly to San Andres, but it’s certainly well worth the journey. Once the favorite hideout of Captain Morgan, today Providencia is considered a top dive destination, forming part of the Belize Barrier Reef, the longest in the western hemisphere. Playa Manzanillo is a wonderful, off-the-beaten-track beach at the edge of the turquoise sea where one can spend the day swimming in the tranquil bay and sipping rum punch with the locals.
Ipanema Beach - Rio de Janiero, Brazil
One of Brazil’s top beaches, Ipanema Beach may be South America’s best-known stretch of sand. Located in the southern region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it was immortalized in the song “The Girl from Ipanema.” Here, you’ll find visitors playing footvolley, a combination of volleyball and soccer, soaking in the sun and surfing in the azure waters that are surrounded by even more spectacular scenery, breathtaking Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain. Of course, the one-and-a-quarter mile pristine white sands, and the gorgeous bodies strewn across them, are the star attractions here.
Punta Tombo, Argentina
At Punta Tombo, you probably won’t want to lie down on the sand with a drink in your hand underneath a gently swaying palm, in fact, there are no trees here. But there are penguins and lots of them. The beach is part of the Punto Tombo National Reserve in south Patagonia and the home to a half-million Magellanic penguins. To get here, you’ll have to endure a dusty, 90-minute drive from Trelew, but with the penguins in massive numbers looking like a vast military brigade made up of tiny soldiers – along with the occasional armadillo and the dainty llama-like guanacos, this stretch of sand makes for an unforgettable nature lover’s paradise.
Cabo de la Vela, Colombia
This beach can be a challenge to reach, located in the La Guajira peninsula of Northern Colombia, requiring a two-hour drive on dirt roads and sand dunes, but the adventure is worth the journey. Your reward is a rather unique landscape that features miles of flat, barren, desert land spread across the peninsula, meeting with up with the emerald waters of the Caribbean Sea to the north and the borders of Venezuela to the east, along with a beautiful three-mile-long stretch of golden sands, and few other people. There are no five-star resorts, but you will find a shack to hang your hammock. If you hope to spend the night, you can look forward to sleeping under the stars or camping in an empty desert. Pitch a tent and wake up to some of the most amazing views on the planet.
Tayrona National Park, Colombia
Tayrona National Park, located near Santa Marta, encompasses 460 miles of land and some 115 miles of beautiful Caribbean waters. The park is the home of four beautiful beaches, although Canaveral Beach is the only one reachable by car. Arrecifes, La Piscina and El Cabo require a hike in, but Snorkeling at El Cabo is outstanding, with a diverse variety of marine life including tropical fish that can be seen near the rocks and along the reef a bit further out. Rent a hammock, spend the night and let the sounds of the sea lull you to sleep.
Playa El Agua - Isla Margarita, Venezuela
Playa El Agua is one of the most stunning beaches on the continent, set along the north coast of Isla Margarita in Venezuela about 15 miles north of Palomar. This two-and-a-half-mile ribbon of pristine, white sand with a fringe of coconut palms, is a true picture-perfect beach. You’ll also find a number of cozy bars and restaurants, and, if you’re up for the thrill, you can even partake in bungee jumping or go for a ride on an ultralight plane taking in the breathtaking scenery from above.
Praia do Forte, Brazil
Praia do Forte, located in Brazil’s northeast region roughly 50 miles north of Salvador, is one of the most beautiful beaches in a country filled with a practically endless number of magnificent stretches of sand. Visitors can explore tide pools filled with marine life when the tide is out, or enjoy swimming with the colorful fish in waters so clear you won’t even need a mask to see them. If you’re here between July and October, you might even see a majestic humpback whale surface past the breaking waves.
Playa Huina - Bahia Solano, Colombia
Playa Huina, a mile-long stretch of golden sands, is a hidden treasure, located a 15-minute boat ride from the town of Bahia Solano where shops, vegetable markets, cafes and bars line a vibrant main street and plenty of cheap hotels can be found. This region on Colombia’s Pacific coast is a must for nature lovers – the sea rich is in marine life, while the lush jungle is filled with waterfalls and fascinating wildlife. Enjoy snorkeling, surfing, whale watching, hiking and even river tours via canoe.
Montanita, Ecuador
Locals and tourists flock to Montanita, Ecuador, a small coastal town along the country’s southern coast known for its unique combination of friendly people, idyllic unspoiled sands, world-class surfing, island and mountain natural reserves. From its origins as a hippie beach destination in the 1960s to its present-day reputation as a surfing hotspot, Montanita is a top destination in Ecuador that has been luring tourists and expats to its golden shores for decades. This is also the only place in the country where it isn’t illegal to smoke marijuana and locals voice approval to same-sex couples who show public affection, something that would be frowned just about anywhere else in Ecuador.With its liberal attitude, inexpensive accommodations and great, cheap eats, many people find it hard to leave.
Anakena Beach - Easter Island, Chile
Adorned with white coral sand, Akakena Beach, one of only two sand beaches on an island with an otherwise rocky coastline, was made popular after it appeared as the setting in the 1990s film “Rapa Nui.” Located in Rapa Nui National Park on Easter Island in Chile, it’s the most Polynesian-looking part of the island, with a grove of coconut palms stretching out to a white sand beach and a tranquil brilliant blue cove of warm waters.
Baia do Sancho - Fernando de Noronha, Brazil
Although getting there is a bit challenging as you’ll have to follow a dirt trail, head down a rickety ladder and across a few slippery steps, you’ll discover what’s been called one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Baia do Sancho is located in Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, 220 miles offshore from the Brazilian coast. Protected and surrounded by native vegetation and soaring cliffs, it’s secluded and makes the ideal nesting ground for birds in addition to the ultimate place for relaxing and soaking in the sun without bumping elbows with other tourists. The expansive white sand beach sits at the edge of crystal-clear, emerald-hued waters that are bathwater warm, perfect for diving or a quick swim. The cliffs surrounding the beach make a perfect spot for viewing dolphins that gracefully weave in and out of the waves.
Punta del Este, Uruguay
Punta del Este is a beach resort town in southern Uruguay, complete with casinos, beaches, yachts and lots of tourists – ideal for those who are looking for a more exciting, “party” atmosphere – or to gawk at beautiful women in the aptly named Bikini Beach. Attracting Brazilian millionaires and high-society types from Buenos Aires, during the summer tourist season from December to late February, the town explodes in population. Outside the frenzied high season, many local businesses virtually shut down and holiday homes sit empty. The farther from town, the quieter it gets, with the natural splendor of the windswept coves, dunes and cliffs along the coast providing a refreshing respite from thumping house beats.
Shell Beach, Guyana
Shell Beach, a 90-mile stretch of relatively uninhabited coastline located along the northeastern Atlantic coast of Guyana, is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy seeing wildlife as a popular nesting site for four endangered sea turtle species. This unique ecosystem encompasses mangrove forests and inland swamp forests. In addition to the Giant Leatherback, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill and Green Turtles here, manatees, tapirs, jaguars, howler monkeys and other creatures call the region home.
Punta Carnero Beach - Salinas, Ecuador
People from across the globe are drawn to Punta Carnero Beach for its fantastic year-round surfing and stunning sunsets. This one-and-a-half-mile long beach with fine sand sits at the edge of warm waters with spectacular waves has played host to numerous national international surfing competitions. While the sea is a bit rough, surfers embrace the challenge. This is also a great place for bird watching, with an abundance of birdlife, including white herons, flamingos and the pink spoonbill.
Punta Sal, Peru
Punta Sal, a small beach resort in northern Peru, offers one of the longest beaches on the north coast, divided into two sections, Big Punta Sal and Small Punta Sal. Many feel that it’s the most magnificent beach in all of Peru. Its location near the warm current of El Nino and the cold Humboldt Current, which come together here, benefits from year-round sunshine and warm, tranquil waters. There are a few large hotels in this relaxed town, mostly frequented by Peruvian families, making it an ideal spot for those seeking a more authentic vacation destination and a chance to get to know the local culture.
Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay, Ecuador
Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay on the island of Santa Cruz is considered not only one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos Islands, but in all of South America, located roughly 500 miles from mainland Ecuador. It’s a perfect place for swimming or just lounging on the whitest sands you’ve ever seen while watching the sea turtles. You’ll also see marine iguanas, sea lions, pelicans, lava gulls and flamingos, which are endemic to the islands and commonly spotted along the shores of most beaches here.
Lopes Mendes - Angra dos Reis, Brazil
Lopes Mendes, voted one of the top 10 Most Beautiful Beaches in the entire world by Vogue magazine, is another hidden beach that’s not easy to get to, but worth the work, which includes a steep, muddy 20-minute jaunt from the village of Palmas on Ilha Grande. Your payoff is a two-mile, crescent beach with some of the whitest, finest sand stretching out to waters that are a striking iridescent blue. There’s not a building or any type of restaurant insight – or shade trees, with the beach lined with palm and almond trees providing little in the way of shade. Bring your sunscreen, beverages and a snack, and you’ll be set.
Playa la Vicera - Puerto Madryn, Argentina
A bumpy ten-minute ride from El Pedral Lodge, the nearest accommodation to Playa la Vicera, will take you to this legendary Patagonian beach, with polished pebbles and violet abalone shells ultimately giving way to a sprawl of caramel-colored sands. This is not a beach for sunbathing, although you can swim if you get past the seaweed near the shore into the royal blue waters beyond. This is a beach for wildlife lovers where you can see waddling penguins, sea lions and the whitened bones of elephant seals that give it a wistful, timeless atmosphere.
Los Roques, Venezuela
Los Roques is actually made up of more than 350 islands – no matter which one you choose, you’ll be blinded with white sand on exceptionally stunning beaches and shallow, tropical waters filled with a wealth of marine life. The coral reef is home to some of the most breathtaking underwater fauna and flora in the Caribbean. The entire region is an enormous playground for water enthusiasts, including snorkelers, divers, fishermen and anyone who just wants to enjoy splashing around.
Praia do Farol - Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
The more than 20 miles of beaches in Arraial do Cabo with its crystal clear waters and abundance of marine life make it a paradise for divers and beachgoers. Praia do Farol, one of the most stunning beaches, requires a 40-minute ferry ride as it’s located on an island in a natural reserve. Once there, you can walk across some of the softest, whitest sands and swim in such clear waters it may feel as if you’ve stepped into a dream world.
