These are unusual times, and the state of affairs can change quickly. Please check the latest travel guidance before making your journey. Note that our writer visited pre-pandemic.
Brazil has 4,655 miles of coast, and a lot of it is beach. The best country in South America for silky sand and warm seas, it’s also one where beach and culture are not oxymoronic. To hang with party-loving Paulistas, aim for DPNY on Ihlabela. South of trendy Trancoso, Le Paxa is an understated, barefoot-chic beauty in the village of Caraiva. Uruguay is no longer an upstart beach destination; at José Ignacio, Bahia Vik is a high-modernist estancia for urban gauchos. On the Pacific coast, surf’s the thing and Mancora in Peru is world famous for its breaks; Arennas has the rollers, sea views and the ceviches. South of Santiago de Chile, Alaia is beach style at its very best: low-slung, high-concept, eco-conscientious. Here’s our pick of the best hotels on the beach in South America.
Hotel Alaia
Pichilemu, Chile
From
£
167
Arennas Mancora
Mancora, Peru
From
£
149
DPNY Beach Hotel & Spa
Ilhabela, State of São Paulo, Brazil
From
£
83
Le Paxa
Trancoso, Bahia, Brazil
From
£
222
Bahia Vik
José Ignacio, Uruguay
From
£
227