Brazil Safety: How Safe Is a Vacation in Brazil?

How safe is Brazil?

Is Brazil dangerous? It’s a question we get asked all the time, and there’s no simple yes or no answer. It really comes down to you — where you travel and how you behave while you’re there. Brazil can be perfectly safe for tourism, but it can also get dangerous.

We spent three months traveling through Brazil and nothing bad happened to us. That said, we also met tourists who were robbed during their very first week.

To make sure that doesn’t happen to you, here are all our recommendations and tips for staying safe in Brazil.

#1 Regional Differences

First things first: Brazil is a very, very large country. How safe or dangerous it feels depends a lot on where you are. Northern Brazil is poorer than the south — and that means higher crime rates.

The state of Santa Catarina in the south, for example, is the safest region in Brazil and a great place to start if you’re visiting for the first time.

#2 Vacation Spots vs. Major Cities

When violent crime in Brazil makes the news, it’s almost always about major cities like Salvador, São Paulo, Fortaleza, or Rio de Janeiro. And that distinction really matters. Major cities are significantly more dangerous than small vacation towns.

If you head to Pipa, Jericoacoara, or Itacaré, you’ll quickly find that tourist beach towns are pretty relaxed and safe.

Also read our article about the most beautiful places in Brazil

#3 Tourist Areas vs. Non-Tourist Areas

Back home in Europe, you might love exploring off the beaten path — but that’s not a great idea in Brazil.

Especially in major cities, try to stick to tourist areas. Wherever there’s tourism, there’s usually a police presence, and those areas tend to be much safer. Plus, having other tourists around automatically makes you feel more at ease.

Also read our article with the best things to see in Brazil

Safety in Brazil for Tourists

Gunshots on open streets, drug cartels, knife fights — in some parts of Brazil this is unfortunately a reality you need to be aware of. As a tourist, though, you’ll most likely never encounter any of it.

As a visitor, your main risk is being threatened and robbed. Most robbers don’t want to hurt you — they just want your money.

The majority of Brazil’s population is very, very poor — probably poorer than you can imagine. When you walk through the streets as a tourist from abroad, locals can tell immediately that you’re carrying something worth taking.

Theft can happen without you even noticing — your phone or wallet lifted from your pocket — but it can also happen that a knife, a gun, or some other object is held to your head while someone takes your valuables.

This can happen, but it doesn’t have to — as long as you follow a few basic rules. We’ll get into those right now.

Important! If you are robbed, do not resist under any circumstances — just hand over your things. Criminals will clear out quickly once they have what they want.

Important Rules of Conduct for Safe Travel in Brazil

Hopefully we haven’t scared you too much — there’s really no need to panic. With a few simple habits, you can protect yourself from crime in Brazil quite effectively.

Don't wear jewelry or designer clothes

Brazilians generally see Europeans as wealthy, which makes tourists popular targets — so try as much as possible not to stand out as a foreigner.

Sure, that’s easier said than done when you look the way you look. But you can adapt your style to match what locals wear and leave jewelry and valuables at your accommodation. Don’t signal that you can afford designer gear — wear flip-flops instead.

Keep valuables hidden and close to your body

If a potential thief can see that you have valuables on you, they’re more likely to be tempted. That could be a phone sticking out of your pants pocket or a backpack that can easily be opened from behind.

We strongly recommend keeping all your valuables in a fanny pack. If possible, wear it under your T-shirt.

Don't walk down deserted streets — especially not alone!

If you leave tourist areas and walk through empty streets, you make yourself an easy target. You can be threatened without anyone noticing.

Avoid any street where you can barely see other people — take an Uber even for short distances.

Always take an Uber or taxi at night

There are very few areas in Brazil that are safe to walk around at night. After dark, always take an Uber to get from A to B.

Exceptions include pure vacation spots like Pipa or Jericoacoara, and the nightlife districts in Brazilian cities — these places come alive at night and you can freely walk from bar to bar.

The rule of thumb: where there are lots of people around, you can walk. Where it’s quiet, take an Uber.

Only take out your phone or wallet when necessary

If you’re standing at a bus stop busily scrolling through your phone, someone might snatch it right out of your hand — even when you least expect it.

Especially in major cities, avoid walking around with your phone and wallet in hand. Keep an eye on what other people around you are doing. If tourists are snapping photos on every corner, you can join in without worrying — but otherwise, keep things put away.

Always leave important documents at your accommodation and bring a backup phone

Despite every precaution, the risk of being robbed in Brazil unfortunately always exists. So never take all your valuables with you when you head out.

We always carried our ID card and left our passport at the accommodation. We also brought two credit cards to Brazil so we always had a backup at the hotel — and we packed an old second phone to use day-to-day.

Stay in a safe area

When planning your trip to Brazil, always make sure to book accommodation in the safest possible area. You shouldn’t be walking back to your hotel at night anyway, but unfortunately some areas are unpleasant even during the day.

Book your hotel in a tourist area with plenty of other accommodations nearby, or one that’s known to be safe. For Rio de Janeiro, we’ve written a guide on the safest neighborhoods to stay in and one with general safety tips:

Safety on Brazil’s Beaches

The risk of theft on the beach is seriously high in Brazil. Beaches are open to everyone, and you need to be twice as vigilant with your belongings here.

And we don’t just mean don’t leave your things unattended when you go for a swim. We mean keep your belongings in your sight at all times. If you want a nap, use your bag as a pillow. Otherwise it can be snatched away in seconds.

Another really common beach theft? Shoes. Don’t just toss them in the sand — keep them close to you on your towel. Better yet, don’t bring expensive shoes to the beach at all.

Safety in Brazil’s Favelas

Crime in Brazil is often associated with favelas — but many people don’t actually know what favelas are.

Favelas are Brazil’s low-income neighborhoods, where people live on informal plots of land under very precarious conditions. Favelas operate by their own rules. The government has virtually no control over what goes on there, which is why you should generally stay away from them.

That said, not every favela is the same. Some, like Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro, have become tourist destinations in their own right and are comparatively safe.

In other favelas, residents walk through the alleys carrying rifles. But don’t worry — those are located far from tourist areas.

If you want to visit a favela during your trip, research carefully beforehand which ones are suitable, and only go with a guide or together with locals. Guided tours through Rocinha in Rio are widely available.

Book a guided favela tour in Rio de Janeiro

How safe is Brazil for solo female travelers?

You can absolutely travel to Brazil as a solo female traveler, as long as you follow the general rules of conduct. Whether you’re a man or a woman doesn’t make much difference to thieves and criminals in Brazil — it’s almost always about the money.

That said, as a European woman you’ll likely attract a lot of attention from Brazilian men — especially if you have blue or green eyes. In Brazil, that makes you something of a superstar (and no, we’re not exaggerating).

Blonde hair and blue eyes are very rare in Brazil, especially in the north of the country, and they’re considered something truly special. Be prepared for many men to stare at you and approach you. You might even be asked right there on the street whether they can kiss you.

Comments like these can feel annoying. But if you make it clear you’re not interested, you’ll usually be left alone.

The men aren’t trying to harass you — they simply want to pay you a compliment. They’re more open and direct than what you may be used to back home. It’s a cultural difference worth being prepared for.

Also read our travel tips for Brazil

Are there dangerous animals in Brazil?

Yes, there are some dangerous animals in Brazil — though you’ll probably never come across most of them.

• Snakes: They’re found all over Brazil, ranging from harmless to venomous. In cities and at tourist attractions, you probably won’t encounter any. But if you’re traveling in the Amazon region or going hiking, there’s a real chance you’ll cross paths with one. That’s why we’d recommend taking guided tours into nature or the Amazon.
• Spiders: Less of a concern than snakes, but they do exist. Venomous spiders are found mainly in the rainforest — elsewhere, you’ll barely see any.
• Mosquitoes: Unfortunately, there are a lot of mosquitoes in Brazil. Always carry a strong insect repellent. Most mosquitoes aren’t dangerous, but there are some malaria zones — talk to your doctor before your trip, especially if you’re heading into the Amazon.
• Sharks: Sharks off the coast of Brazil are very rare and only appear in exceptional cases. The coast off Pernambuco is the one area where sightings are somewhat more frequent.

What is medical care like in Brazil?

Fortunately, we never had any health issues in Brazil and never needed a doctor or hospital. From what we observed, public healthcare is pretty poor, but private hospitals are very good.

Put simply: if you can pay, you’ll get good care. That’s why travel health insurance is absolutely essential. Medical treatment in Brazil must be paid for upfront, but you can get reimbursed for the costs afterward.

Make sure you have solid travel health insurance sorted before you go — it’s one of those things you really don’t want to skip.

Our personal experiences with crime in Brazil

If you’ve never been to South America, it can be hard to picture what crime actually looks like on the ground. Here are a couple of real examples to give you a clearer sense of things.

#1 Robbery in Broad Daylight

In Salvador, we met a tourist who was threatened and robbed right on the open street. What happened? He was in an Uber, spotted a lake, and thought: “That looks nice — I’ll get out here.”

He quickly realized it wasn’t a tourist spot at all, but an unpleasant neighborhood. So he started walking toward the city center on foot. To get there, he had to pass through a deserted area — and that’s where two men stopped him and robbed him.

Our take: Getting out of an Uber just anywhere in a major Brazilian city was a risky call. You can do that in Europe — not in Brazil. This situation could easily have been avoided.

#2 Robbery at Night

Another time, we met a couple who sat down on the beach in Fortaleza one evening with a beer to wind down the day. Shortly afterward, a stranger held a bottle to the man’s temple and stole his phone.

Our take: This one’s also very easy to avoid. In Brazil, it’s much better to sit in a bar in the evening than on the side of the road or on the beach.

Our verdict on safety in Brazil

A lot of travel content tends to overdo it and paint Brazil as extremely dangerous. Don’t let it scare you off!

You can’t move around as freely as you might at home — the streets have more risks than in Europe. But if you follow the most important rules of conduct, you can travel Brazil wonderfully. It’s an incredibly diverse and rewarding destination that’s absolutely worth visiting.

Planning trips to other countries in South America too? Check out our article on safety in South America.