Brazil Safety Guide: What Tourist Need to Know Before Visiting
Brazil, home of the samba, celebrates energetic parties, welcoming locals, and vibrant culture. Attracting drones of people each year whether it’s for Carnival, New Years, or a beach vacation— Brazil is the place to be! But, like many destinations, locals and visitors talk about crime and safety when discussing travel to Brazil. Thankfully, I stayed safe thanks to smart practices and a bit of luck. If you’re wondering how to stay safe in Brazil as a tourist, these are practical tips I used during my recent trip.
Avoid Walking Alone at Night in Brazil
Brazilians often advise against walking anywhere at night. Especially if the streets are seemingly empty. Gangs or even kids are known for lurking in corners or alleys and running up on unsuspecting patrons and robbing them. In these instances, locals even advise you to give up the valuables rather than fighting with the robber and risk being physically assaulted or worse. Rideshare apps like Uber or 99 are widely available throughout Brazil, especially in cities like Rio de Janeiro, so a driver is easy to find. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so download the app if you haven’t already and order a ride when needed.
Use a Hidden fanny Pack to Protect Your Valuables
Brazilian cities are densely populated, even more so during peak seasons like Christmas and Carnival. Street parties, or blocos, like Pedra do Sal take over the streets and draw massive crowds which involves close contact with strangers. If you keep valuables like your phone in your pockets, thieves can easily grab them, especially in large crowds. Aim to break out of the habit of leaving your phone in your pockets and buy a hidden fanny pack. This is something you can tuck underneath your clothes, providing seamless and secure protection of things like cash, cards, and devices. Check out this undercover fanny pack on Amazon!
Limit the Cash You Carry in Brazilian Cities
Major cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo operate mostly through card or digital payments. Everyone from restaurants to street vendors accept card payments through payment terminals. I know you might find this hard to believe but it’s true. I’ve visited Ipanema, Copacabana, Joatinga, and Rasta beach where all the food and product vendors had card payment terminals. Because of this payment flexibility, you don’t need to exchange large sums of cash for local currency. During my one-week trip I exchanged $50 and still had left over change! Avoid carrying large sums of cash to minimize the impact of potential theft or loss.
I always advocate for traveling with credit cards because of their insurance plans. In an unfortunate event where your card is lost or stolen, you can file a police report and get a replacement quickly. With cash, once it’s gone, there’s no insurance to replace it.
Buy a Local SIM Card to Stay Connected in Brazil
This might seem obvious but buy a local SIM card so you always have internet and network access. Unless you are fluent in Portuguese and know every street in Brazil, you’ll need constant access to tools like Google Maps and translation to navigate your trip. Nothing is worse than assuming your home provider will give you service in the destination you’re traveling to, just to land and have spotty and inconsistent connection. Some reputable SIM-card providers in Brazil include Airalo, Holafly, or Saily.
I recommend researching the various providers and familiarizing yourself with the compatibility rules. Some require you to download and activate before landing in the destination country while some can only be bought on arrival. If you decide to buy your SIM card on arrival, bring your passport with you! Vendors won’t sell you a SIM card without passport verification. Lastly, check whether your phone uses eSims only or physical SIM cards before you purchase a plan. Since I have the iPhone 14 Pro, I could only buy e-SIMs since my phone doesn’t have the port for a physical chip.
Trust Local Advise About Safety in Brazil
Take influencer advice with a grain of salt (I’m throwing myself under the bus, I know!). Some influencers will come online and say that the safety precautions surrounding Brazil are exaggerated and not needed, just because they visited for a short period of time and remained safe. Brazilians themselves encounter scenarios where they are robbed or worse, so the advice that they give is genuine. If locals recommend against walking alone at night because of higher chances of theft, it’s probably because they’ve observed these scenarios occur way more than a tourist that visited once. Trust your instincts and listen to local guidance when navigating Brazil .
In spite of the safety warnings, don’t forget to have fun. Brazil is a great destination with lots of activities, history, and architecture to explore. Ensuring your safety helps to promote a fantastic travel experience.
