Guide to Via Costeira

'A peaceful oasis between the bright lights of Natal and the hip-swinging samba beats of Ponta Negra, this is the place to plant yourself if you're looking to do some serious beach lounging.'

How does this grab you? Instead of being jolted into consciousness by the shrill blast of your alarm clock, you wake up gently to the sound of waves washing the shore. You glance out the window and in place of a cold, drab sky, it's bold and blue and dripping in South American sunshine. And after a tropical breakfast you wander barefoot out on to a beach that glimmers like gold-dust to relax, unwind, and turn your sun-starved skin a delicious Brazilian bronze. Think you could handle that? This is a snapshot of life on the Via Costeira, where a string of well-maintained hotels shimmer like pearls along a gorgeous beachfront. The place to head if your idea of paradise is to sink into pillow-soft sands lapped by balmy waters and let time tick by unwatched. When you're not snoozing in the sun, why not do a little shopping from the comfort of your sunlounger? With a little encouragement, cheerful beach vendors will lay before you a bevy of delights ranging from chunky handmade jewellery to vibrant sarongs at prices that'll barely lighten your purse. When you're ready for refreshment, let a beach seller with a grin as wide as the ocean trundle up with his caipirinha cart and rattle up a couple of fiery cocktails. Or keep your eyes peeled for an ice cream man and crunch into a cornet as you soak up the sun. Come nightfall, enjoy a moonlit meal gazing out to sea from the comfort of your hotel, or hop in a taxi or one of the free hotel shuttle buses and within a few minutes you'll burst into the throbbing heart of Ponta Negra. What more could you ask for in a holiday?

Find the cheapest late deals to Via Costeira leaving in the next six weeks.