Praia do Espelho, Trancoso
Good For: Scenery / Sun
Ask ten Brazilians to name the nation's most beautiful beach and you'll get ten different answers—not surprising, given the country's 4,650 miles of coast. But even Cariocas who swear that the world begins and ends at Ipanema would have to agree that Praia do Espelho, an hour south of Trancoso, is one of the loveliest. Bookended by white limestone cliffs, the strand is bordered by a row of sweet, tidy bungalows and squat palms whose dry fronds chatter in the wind and whose droppings—smooth, pebble-hard nuts—freckle the sand. But the real attraction here is the water. During low tide (from morning through mid-afternoon), the sea peels back from the shore, exposing dozens of coral outcroppings that you can pick your way around as schools of glassy minnows flash past your ankles. From a distance, the ocean appears a tantalizingly unnatural aqua, but up close it's so clear and colorless that you can see every crevice and scuttling crustacean. This is not a beach for swimming, given the many rocky projections, but it is ideal for lazing away the day in the womb-warm shallows, an experience as relaxing as it is regressive.
The 411: Overnight at Etnia Pousada (see Praia dos Nativos, above). Praia do Espelho's sole dining establishment, Sylvinha's Place, also happens to be one of Bahia's best tables; call ahead, since Sylvinha herself won't cook unless she's expecting you (55-73-9985-4157; prix fixe, $26).
When to go: March, when the waves (and the crowds) are less formidable.

Blue Lagoon, Angra dos Reis
Good For: Scenery / Sports / Sun
It's happened to every traveler: You hear of a place with an unusually evocative name, and are inevitably disappointed by its failure to fulfill its promise. But when the sun is out, the Blue Lagoon does indeed sparkle an improbable aquamarine, the light glinting prettily off its modest waves. There is no beach to speak of on this no-name speck off Ilha Grande (the largest of the Angra dos Reis archipelago's 365 islands): Snorkelers navigate around its tree-thick shoreline, which is trimmed with yellow bamboo and exuberant sprays of ferns and orchids that press right up against the water's edge. Beneath the surface, schools of silvery fish whip past, and pockmarked rocks bristle with starfish and sea anemones.
The 411: The town of Angra dos Reis, on the mainland in Rio de Janeiro State, is a two-hour drive south of Rio, but for those who don't want to tackle the logistics of reaching the archipelago, the outfitter Blue Parallel—whose owner, Emmanuel Burgio, is among Condé Nast Traveler's Top Travel Specialists (August 2008)—can arrange airport pickups, cars and drivers, and guided tours of the islands in a high-speed boat (800-256-5307; blueparallel.com). On Ilha Grande, stay at Pousada Naturalia, a 12-suite inn that abuts the island's extravagant jungle—ask for a room with air-conditioning (55-24-3361-9583; pousadanaturalia.net; suites, $95—$115).
When to go: The energy—and thongs—of high season (Dec.—Feb.) can't be beat, but if you'd rather see sea life than scantily clad posteriors, go in late February and early March, when the weather's still warm and Cariocas have returned to the city.