6 guides, each rated 1 to 5 with the reason — and two lists per place, where you are comfortable and where to pay attention. Nowhere is called dangerous; the specific thing is what helps.
One of the safest state capitals in Brazil and noticeably calmer than the northeast: families walk the beaches at night in summer. The usual Brazilian habits still apply in the centre and around the bus terminal, but the island itself is relaxed. The Atlantic is the real hazard — Joaquina and Mole have serious rips, and the lifeguard flags mean what they say.
Comfortable: Lagoa da Conceição · Jurerê · Campeche · Santo Antônio de Lisboa
Centro, Florianópolis — and the bus terminal at night
The southern beaches’ unlit access roads
Rip currents at Joaquina and Mole, which are surf beaches
The park and the tourist areas are safe and well run. The town centre and the route to the Paraguayan border are a different matter after dark — take a taxi. The coatis in the park will bite for food and carry disease, so do not feed them. Do not swim anywhere near the falls.
Comfortable: Foz do Iguaçu · Vila Yolanda
Ponte da Amizade — the border crossing to Paraguay, which is chaotic and pickpocketed
Ciudad del Este across the bridge, which is a different proposition from the Brazilian side
The Argentine side’s Garganta walkway in flood, which closes for a reason
The centre is lively by day and best left by taxi at night, especially around the port and the Zona Franca shops. Ponta Negra and the hotel districts are calm. In the forest the risks are not criminal: heat and dehydration, sun on open water, and the need to go with a licensed guide rather than whoever offers at the dock. Yellow fever vaccination is strongly recommended for Amazonas, and some onward countries ask for the certificate.
Comfortable: Ponta Negra · Adrianópolis · Teatro Amazonas
Fortaleza has a serious crime problem away from the coast and a heavily policed tourist strip along it — the honest version is that Beira Mar, Meireles and Praia do Futuro by day are fine, and the rest of the city is not somewhere to wander. Use app cars after dark even for short distances, carry little, and do not take valuables onto the sand.
Comfortable: Meireles · Avenida Beira Mar · Aldeota
Praia de Iracema — after dark
The beach at night anywhere
Buggy tours at Cumbuco with no seatbelts, which is most of them
The culture is extraordinary and the crime is real, and both should be said plainly. Stick to Pelourinho, Barra, Rio Vermelho and Ondina, use app cars rather than walking between neighbourhoods, carry one card and a little cash rather than everything you own, and leave the watch and the phone out of sight on the street. At Carnival, go with people who know the city.
Comfortable: Barra · Rio Vermelho · Pelourinho
Pelourinho — its edges and the Ladeira da Preguiça after dark
Cidade Baixa, Salvador — at night
Carrying valuables at Carnival
The ratings are this site's own, from the guides' authors and the corrections readers send in; they are not an index. Read the general advice in travel safety tips.
