Booking a holiday involves a lot of decision-making. Beach or city break? Restful retreat or immersive cultural experience? Is good nightlife a non-negotiable for you, but your travel buddy won’t consider anywhere without a thriving foodie scene?
Compromises always have to be made – or do they? According to Travel + Leisure, you don’t need to be picky about what sort of trip you plan. You just need to go to Brazil.
The South American nation has just been named T+L’s Destination of the Year for the diversity of experiences it offers to travellers, its ever-evolving food scene, and its out-and-proud celebrations of local culture. Editor-in-Chief Jacqui Gifford describes it as ‘a destination that embraces roar and spectacle’, and encourages readers to ‘explore every corner and experience every texture, sight, smell, and vibe’.
In the special Brazil-themed issue, which includes an interview with Brazilian pop star Anitta, T+L goes into detail about all the things that make Brazil so special. In Rio there’s the world-famous carnival, iconic beaches, and a ‘thriving music scene’; travel just a few hundred kilometres down the coast and you’ll find São Paulo, the nation’s ‘cosmopolitan hub for contemporary art and dining’.
Inland, there are literally millions of square kilometres of the Amazon to explore (make sure to venture in under the guidance of an expert, or there is a fair likelihood that you’ll never come back out).
T+L isn’t the first to celebrate Brazil’s excellence this year. Rio de Janeiro was also crowned the best city break in South America at the World Travel Awards, aka the travel Oscars. It was also crowned leading destination for a beach break, and for festivals and events.
European travel website eDreams ODIGEO also projected that Rio will be one of the top trending destinations for 2026, so clearly it’s doing something right.
We get the hype. One São Paulo neighbourhood, Barra Funda, was just named the third-coolest in the world according to Time Out’s experts, and Rio made it into our roundup of the 50 best cities in the world for 2025.
Did you see that this summer hotspot has been named Europe's most underrated winter city break?
Plus: The best affordable travel destinations for 2026, revealed.
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