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Brazil,
Perhaps my favourite country although after 4 visits I still have seen a little bit. It is far too large to enjoy it all in a couple of weeks. Even a year will not be enough.
And I have only seen the North East, more or less from Rio upwards.
Rio de Janeiro
Of course Rio is the place to be. A city that never sleeps either and where life buzzes everywhere around you.
Downtown, (Corcovado) the Jezus Statue, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches (and Ipanema beachwear), the night life and the magical surroundings.
One of the characteristic of Brasil is that The Beach is quite a central place in the lifes of the Brasilians. You go there to:
- play football
- work out
- meet friends
- have a drink
- do business meetings
- surf or swim
- sleep or rest
- eat
- think about the hardships of life
- think about the good things of life
- do nothing at all
- and everything else you can think of
Buy a beachguide. There are plenty of them with the best 30000 beaches in Brazil, all with descriptions just like a camping guide in Europe.
But starting from the most Southern point I have been:
Parati: 
A pretty historic little town halfway Sao Paulo and Rio where Sao Paulistas and Cariocas (from Rio) go for the weekends and the holidays. Together with Ilha Grande (the Big Island, although it is not so big) a good place to chill out. Quite touristy but if you just arrived in Brasil a very good place to get your first steps into the rhythm of Brazilian life.
Then up to the North East, you take one of the many busses from the busstations and go all through the night or take a few days to get everywhere although this means that you can sometimes end up being in the bus for many days because Brasil is BIG.
Trancoso
One of the first popular places (after Cabo Frio) is Port Seguro. Many tourists go here (and to Araial D'aiuda). But just go a little bit more to the south to Trancoso. The atmosphere is much better here.
Santo Andres 
Some 25km north of Porto Seguro we passed a little place called Santo Andres. Not very well know but very nice to relax. There are quite a few pousadas here although the very cheap you will not find.
Morro do Sao Paulo
Ok, we travelled up north again and via some transfers we ended up in a but to a place called Valenca where you have to
take the boat to Morro do Sao Paolo. This is very worth the visit, only beware after Carnaval because then half of Brasil suddenly wants to be here and that lead to prices of 500% the normal price.
But normally this is a excellent place. It is built on a big sandy peninsula and the village is marked praia (beach) 1 to praia 5. Praia 1 and 2 are the busy ones and contain the 'downtown'. Praia 3 to 5 are the quieter ones.
The beachvendors treat you with fresh fruit juices where you can pick the fruit you want into it. Most juices are even better with a little wodka or some other spririt. On beach 2 there are often life concerts and there is always someting going on.
From Morro you can take the boat/bus, the catamaran (do not get seasick) or an airplane to get out, mostly to Salvador the Bahia. WE had to wait some hours at the airport but asked a taxi driver to get us to the nearest beach. Hmm, nice again!
Salvador de Bahia is one of Brasils mayer tourist cities. Although I have been there 4 times I did not think it was the best special but others won't agree with me. The little downtown (Pelourinho) is very nice and pictoresque but beware because the Bahians there like to know what is on your backpack or wallet. But one thing, Salvador is famous for its music, totally addictive.
Recife and Olinda
Further north there is Recife and Natal. Recife and Olinda are worth the visit. Natal I do not know but between Recife and Natal tourism is growing because of the very good tourist conditions. Recife and especially Olinda are very artistic places as well.
Besides, Excellent weather, blinding white beaches that are sometimes kilometres wide and always friendly smiling people, good food and the music. And more music and more and more.
Take a taxi of about 80km south of Recife to the beaches of Porto das Galinhas.
Even as this music man just from the countryside, there is much activity there.
Canoa Quebrada
On the way to Fortaleza we passed a little dune village Canoa Quebrada.
It is a village built on a dune where everything is built on the dune, even the graveyard.
But that gives you the feeling that you really live in another place. If you can make it, wake up early to watch the sunrise (or just go to bed after it). Then hire a buggy and ride the dunes. Never seen dunes like this before. It was like a desert, so big.
Fortaleza is a big but poor city where mass tourism from Europe is already flourishing and where sextourism is a result of that. Bit of a shame because that are not my favourite kind of places. But if you want to snack western fastfood, drink a lot with other drinkers and do whatever easy holiday activities you can think of, it is all there.
Fernando do Noronha
And there is something extra. 400 km of the North East Coast there is the tiny little group of islands called: Fernando do Noronha Islands.
You get there by plane from Fortaleza or Recife and it is a little natural reserve. Brilliant! You find the beaches of all beaches, no activity and the snorkling and diving are of a high standard. Get a little hotel, they await you at the airport, and rent a bycicly. For the rest, go see all the beaches and the sealife, take a boatride a go diving. Do not forget the surfing. There were massive waves and many good surfers so it must be good.
