The best beaches in South America

On the somewhat lengthier side of things is Shell Beach, laid out along 144 kilometres of north-eastern Atlantic coastline in the Republic of Guyana. One for nature lovers, a visit to Shell Beach almost guarantees native wildlife sightings, from Giant Leatherback turtles and manatees in the water to tapirs and howler monkeys towards the inland swamp and mangrove forests. Difficult to get to because of its position between ocean and swamp, Shell Beach has retained its off-the-beaten-track feel and has prioritised conservation since the 1960s. Access the beach by boat from Mabaruma, the nearest town on the border to Venezuela, or arrange a turtle-hatching trip from Georgetown.

For those that want a party in tropical surrounds, look no further than Brazil’s Ipanema Beach, one of the best-known stretches of sand on the continent and immortalised in song by Frank Sinatra. Though the water is rough and somewhat dangerous, the beach is a hive of activity, filled with people playing volleyball and soccer or sunbathing in view of the Corcovado and Sugarloaf mountains. Find the 2-kilometre beach just south of Rio de Janeiro and split by ‘postos’ to demarcate each subculture; posto 9 is where you’ll find the best bodies, posto 10 is for sports, while posto 8 tends towards the domain of favela kids. The gay community meanwhile will congregate around Praia Farme, particularly on weekends. Take to the big city after a weekend in Ipanema with our Rio de Janeiro travel guide.

Not just your average beach, the Galapagos Beach on the island of Santa Cruz is like something from another world, a distant 800 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador. So far from urban civilisation, this Tortuga Bay beach is a wildlife stronghold, once admired by Charles Darwin prior to publishing his theory of evolution. Still, very much inspirational, Galapagos Beach is home to turtles, iguanas, sea lions and pelicans, many of which are endemic to the islands. When you arrive on Santa Cruz, walk half an hour south of Puerto Ayora to find the beach, popping in at the Charles Darwin Research Centre on the way before seeing turtles nesting from December to March. Learn more of the biodiversity and culture of Ecuador here.

Also not among the most easy-to-reach beaches in the world, Cabo de la Vela is one to graft for. Drive two hours on dirt roads and over sand dunes into Northern Colombia to reach La Guajira peninsula that juts into the Caribbean Sea. It’s there you’ll find 5 kilometres of golden sand met by emerald waters and very few people. Being so remote, Cabo de la Vela doesn’t offer any 5-star hotels but it does allow for hammock lounging and camping out under the stars with nothing but desert and sea in every direction. Famous worldwide as a top kitesurfing destination, Cabo is the place to try your hand at the sport, breaking only for a hill climb up the Pilon de Azucar or a trip to the Ojo de Agua pools.

Easter Island may not give you a ream of choices when it comes to beaches but the two beaches it does have are beautiful enough to make up for it. Though the majority of the island’s coast comes rocky and rugged, Anakena Beach offers a tranquil reprieve shaded by coconut palms that lean outwards in postcard perfection. Located in Rapa Nui National Park, Anakena is in the more Polynesian part of the island, also hosting to its own collection of six moai stone heads, erect for centuries on the sand.

Eighty kilometres from Salvador way up in northeast Brazil, Praia do Forte does the unexpected by outshining all the other amazing beaches in the country. On the Atlantic Ocean and boasting clear waters, natural rock pools and its own ecological reserve, Praia do Forte is a keeper, in proximity to a number of chic shops and restaurants in the neighbouring village. Walk the main drag of Alameda do Sol before veering off to the sea-turtle reserve or castle ruins, saving day two for exploring Sapirange forest reserve by bike, zipline or on foot, enjoying canoeing in the lagoon and rockpooling on the beach while waiting for the sky to turn red and the full moon to creep up over the Rio Timeantube.

Four kilometres of white sand lined with coconut palms, Playa El Agua is reason enough to visit Venezuela’s Isla Margarita. Along the beach, you’ll find cosy bars and restaurants for whiling away an afternoon, while mornings come more extreme thanks to bungee jumping and flying excursions to get a birds-eye-view of the island’s epic mountain scenery. Unchecked development on the island may have changed its landscape and created urban sprawl around the largest town of Porlamar but there’s still a lot to redeem Isla Margarita, including its easy air connections to Caracas and its plentiful (and cheap!) lodgings. Read up on things to do in Venezuela with our handy adventure guide.

A livelier offering from southern Uruguay is the beach resort town of Punta del Este, a place brimming with casinos, nightlife and a yachting scene led by Brazilian and Argentinian elite. In the high season between December and February, the town can get pretty wild before changing its tune completely so that the main beach of Playa Brava comes almost deserted by low season. Time your arrival to suit your vacation style, mingling with millionaires at one of the town’s summer festivals or finding solitude among the coves farthest from town, such as Playa Mansa around the western headlands. Stay busy with our choice of the best things to see and do in Uruguay.

Voted among best South American beaches by Vogue Magazine itself, Lopes Mendes plays a little hard to get. From Palmas village on the island of Ilha Grande, you’ll have to trek a steep, muddy jungle trail for 20 minutes before reaching it, finally being rewarded with three kilometres of beachy perfection, completely undeveloped and with only palm and almond trees for shade. If the sounds of crystal blue water lapping the shore is not enough to keep you amused, try trekking back through the jungle to discover Brazilian wildlife and other hidden coves you might’ve missed on the way down.

A series of 350 islands all hosting their own version of utopia, Los Roques is one of Venezuela’s many national parks, known specifically for its abundance of marine life and picture-perfect beaches. Whichever island you choose it’s unlikely you can go wrong, opting to take it slow on white-sand shores or leap into the clear waters for diving and snorkelling among protected coral reefs.