Brazil beaches vary tremendously in safety. Not only are sea conditions different, but also certain beaches offer a lot more safety infrastructure than others.
While life guard stations on Rio de Janeiro beaches are such a part of the city's history they've become geographical and cultural references, several cities still only have life guards on certain beaches. Or they will keep lifeguards on duty during the high season only.
Flags
Even when there aren't life guards stationed at the beach, most cities will keep danger flags updated - lifeguards go by, analyze the conditions, leave the flags, and move on.
Respect the flags. In Brazil, you'll often see people swimming or surfing exactly in front of the point where the flags are. Don't be tempted because the waves look exciting - even experienced swimmers have died at Brazil beaches, carried away by powerful currents.
Safety Guidelines
Observe universal safety guidelines, such as the ones issued by the American Red Cross:
- "Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim--this includes adults and children. The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability. Contact your local Red Cross chapter for information on courses.
- Stay within the designated swimming area, ideally within the visibility of a lifeguard.
- Never swim alone.
- Check the surf conditions before you enter the water. Check to see if a warning flag is up or check with a lifeguard for water conditions, beach conditions, or any potential hazards.
- Stay away from piers, pilings, and diving platforms when in the water.
- Keep a lookout for aquatic life. Water plants and animals may be dangerous. Avoid patches of plants. Leave animals alone.
- Make sure you always have enough energy to swim back to shore.
- Don’t try to swim against a current if caught in one. Swim gradually out of the current, by swimming across it."
Beach Water Quality
Check beach quality resources gradually being added to this site for updated information about your beach.
In Brazil, a red flag on a beach could also mean water quality is not adequate, in which case you will probably see the words "Praia imprópria para banho".
In any case, a red flag means just one thing: Perigo (Danger).
Mosquitoes
A lot of beaches in lush areas of the Brazil coast, such as the southast and the south, have mosquitoes. As the wet, hot season approaches, all of Brazil enters a phase of higher alert for dengue fever.
That means you must prevent mosquito bites as carefully as you can by using mosquito repellent during the day, when Aedes aegypti, the dengue fever vector, is active.
Dusk is the worst time for other kinds of mosquitoes in Brazil. Close your hotel windows at dusk and turn on the fan. Many Brazilian hotels, even some nice ones, don't have air conditioning because fans are enough. They also help keep mosquitoes away from your body, if they've already got into the room and you couldn't kill them.
Before booking a hotel room, e-mail Reservations and confirm if the room has a fan and/or an A/C unit, screens on the windows and/or mosquito nets on the beds.
