The largest island along Brazil's coast and, literally, a “beautiful island,” Ilhabela offers visitors almost 40 kilometres of pristine beaches and a tropical island's worth of hiking trails, waterfalls and even a nascent party scene. At 207 kilometres from the city of São Paulo, Ilhabela can get crowded, so try to get your beach time in during the work week.

German-inspired architecture adds a quirky Alpine twist to this resort, where high-altitude pine forests offer a wonderfully cool escape from the lowland heat. Add emerald-green peaks as a backdrop, and Campos do Jordao becomes a tropical mountain stunner.

“Life’s a Beach” all right on Pensacola Beach where building sandcastles, body surfing and beachcombing are popular pastimes. Away from the sands, there are several don’t miss sights for the entire family, including the National Aviation Museum, which features 150 vintage aircraft, flight simulators and an IMAX Theatre, Fort Pickens, an historic military fort built in 1829, and the Pensacola Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse on the Gulf Coast and also the tallest, standing 151 feet tall on a 40 foot bluff. To immerse yourself in the history of Pensacola, stroll the historic village, a pedestrian-friendly area with furnished historic homes, unique museums and the Colonial Archeological Trail. For the white dimpled ball set, try teeing up at Lost Key Golf Club, a target golf set up designed by Arnold Palmer and Marcus Pointe Golf club, an Earl Stone design. Don’t forget, there’s also great deep-sea fishing and other water activities like sailing, kayaking, diving and snorkelling to be actively pursued on Pensacola Beach.