🎆 🏝️ 🥥

Plan v2 · researched & priced — nothing booked yet

Brazil — New Year 2026 / 27

Réveillon on Copacabana, the islands of Angra, resort days in Trancoso.
10–15 of us · 2.5 weeks · villas + a chef on every leg.

📅 29 Dec 2026 → 15 Jan 2027 · 17 nights 🎇 Rio → 🛥️ Angra → 🥥 Trancoso from ~£4k pp sharing · ~£5–7k with the fancy touches

The shape 1 · Rio (NYE) 2 · Angra 3 · Trancoso Logistics Budget Decisions

🗺️ The shape

Three legs, ~17 nights. Start with New Year in Rio, slow down for a week in the islands of Angra dos Reis, then switch to full-service resort mode in Trancoso, where people can also work remotely. Two domestic moves — Rio → Angra by road, Angra → Trancoso by air.

New Year's Eve fireworks over Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro

← swipe →

Leg	Dates (draft)	Nights	Vibe	Where we stay
1 · Rio de JaneiroNYE on the beach	29 Dec → 2 Jan	4	Réveillon, the icons, samba	Copacabana / Ipanema — big penthouse or a hotel with its own party
2 · Angra dos ReisCosta Verde	2 Jan → 8 Jan	6	Islands, boat day, diving	Villa with a private pier — real options priced below
3 · TrancosoBahia · ✅ confirmed	8 Jan → 15 Jan	7	Resort, beach, fitness, food	One big staffed villa (10–15 fits in one house now)

Trip length

17 nights

Group

10–15 of us

From

~£4k pp sharing

Lodging

Villas + chef

      ✅ Update (19 Jul): we've now priced every leg against live availability for our exact dates — verified villa totals, hotel NYE packages, flight and boat-day costs. Trancoso beat five rival destinations for the third leg and is confirmed. Full budget below.
    

      ⚠️ Book early. Rio NYE + January Trancoso are two of Brazil's highest-demand windows. NYE party ticket sales and hotel réveillon rates open ~Sep–Nov, and the best villas are single-supply — the commit point is September.
    

🎇 Rio de Janeiro Leg 1 · 4 nights · NYE

The brief: a beachside party to watch the Réveillon fireworks, the two icons (Cristo + Sugarloaf), and one big night of live samba. We base in Copacabana or Ipanema — either one big penthouse for all of us, or a hotel that hosts its own NYE party (sleep upstairs, party downstairs, nobody crosses town at midnight).

Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado — Cristo Redentor

Sugarloaf Mountain cable car — Pão de Açúcar

🏠 Where we stay — two routes, both in Copacabana / Ipanema

Route A — one big penthouse. We checked live availability for our exact dates (29 Dec – 2 Jan): top-rated 5BR penthouses/apartments sleeping 12+ run ~£4.7–9.6k total for the whole group — think £350–650 each for 4 NYE nights. One roof, private pre-drinks, chef nights in.

Route B — a hotel that throws its own party. The glam version: Emiliano and Copacabana Palace sell 4-night NYE packages with the rooftop party/gala included (~R$49k+ per room — roughly £3.5k pp), Pestana Rio Atlântica is the value version (rooms + rooftop party bought per person), and Hilton's 39th-floor party even takes non-guests. Zero midnight logistics.

      ⚠️ The 4-night catch. Rental agencies force 5–10-night minimums over NYE — direct-platform listings (per-owner minimums) and hotel packages (3–5 nights) are how we get exactly 4. NYE pricing runs 3–5× normal; we commit by September.
    

🎉 New Year's Eve — the party

A table at a premium open-bar + open-food party with a direct fireworks view — or the party downstairs if we go the hotel route. 2027 tickets aren't on sale yet anywhere (sales open ~Sep–Nov); prices below are last edition's, to set expectations.

← swipe →

Party	Why	Last edition (pp)
Clássico Beach ClubFeet-in-sand, Leme end of Copa	Value lead — full open bar + open food, reservable tables for 6/8 so we all sit together, direct fireworks view.	~R$1,000
Pestana Rio AtlânticaRooftop deck over Copacabana	All-inclusive rooftop, DJ + samba-school bateria, privileged view; guests get a discount.	R$3,590–4,490
Copacabana Palace galaThe marquee	Ballrooms + pool terrace, premium open bar, Veuve Clicquot at midnight on the verandas.	~R$5,445 +10%
Hilton "Isabel Lounge"39th–40th floor	Highest vantage point on the beach; open to non-guests.	R$7,103+

      🤍 Réveillon traditions. Dress white for luck. ~15–20 min of fireworks fire off barges at midnight — jump 7 waves, white flowers to Iemanjá, champagne on the sand. Copa draws 2M+ people, so a driver/fixer for the days either side is worth it.
    

🌆 The icons & a night of samba

⛰️ Cristo Redentor

Corcovado — go early / off-peak by official van or cog train. Pretty alt approach via Parque Lage (jungle mansion + café) or the Vista Chinesa lookout.

🚠 Pão de Açúcar

Sugarloaf cable car, best at sunset. Marquee add-on: a helicopter tour over Cristo, Sugarloaf and the beaches.

🥁 Samba night (Lapa)

Rio Scenarium (3 floors, reserve tables) or more authentic Carioca da Gema / Beco do Rato; roots-samba at Pedra do Sal (Mon & Fri). Pair with a hillside dinner at Aprazível (Santa Teresa).

🍽️ Upscale dining: Oteque (Michelin-starred) · Lasai · Oro · Fasano Al Mare · Aprazível · Sushi Leblon 🏖️ Beach: Ipanema posto 9 · Arpoador sunset

🛥️ Angra dos Reis Leg 2 · 6 nights · Costa Verde

The natural leg — a 365-island archipelago (so the local saying goes) of calm green water. A private villa with its own dock so the boat day leaves from the doorstep, a full day on the water to Ilha Grande, and a day's diving. Then SUP, hikes and a Paraty day if we fancy it.

View over the bay and islands of Ilha Grande — Ilha Grande

Lopes Mendes beach, Ilha Grande — Lopes Mendes

Coast and bay of Angra dos Reis — Angra bay

🏠 Where we stay — a villa with a pier (live-priced options)

⚓ Seaside house, private pier — the value lead

Gated seaside community near Angra: 6 bedrooms, sleeps 15, own private pier, gourmet BBQ deck — and a speedboat with skipper rentable from the house. 4.95★. ~£2,650 total for our 6 nights — under £250 each. Availability verified for our dates.

🏝️ Ilha do Cavaco island villa — the upgrade

A 7-suite villa on its own island, 5 min by boat from the marina: pier for 80-ft boats, 25m heated pool, two saunas, staff of 8 included (cook, waiter, laundry…), optional chef+bartender, even a 74-ft yacht. From R$25k/night (~£21k+ for the week).

⛵ Mainland dock option

7-suite mainland villa at Ponta da Cruz with a dock for large boats — no boat transfer for arrival/luggage. Infinity pool, steam room. From R$38k/night. Plus a 12-guest value villa with private beach from ~£4.7k the week.

Fasano Angra dos Reis (design resort, huge spa) stays a great 1-night spa splurge. A full private-island buyout with 2 chefs + butler exists but sleeps only 10 — on the table only if we end up exactly 10.

      ⛵ The boat day, priced: a private crewed schooner for the whole group runs ~R$2,300 for the day (+~R$112 pp open bar) — Lagoa Azul, the Botinas, Ilha Grande. Intro dive ~R$600. Rio → Angra is a ~3–4h private van (~R$600–2,000/vehicle).
    

The set-piece days

⛵ Boat day

Charter private — a crewed schooner or 2–3 speedboats, lunch + drinks aboard. Hit Lagoa Azul (snorkel), Lopes Mendes (regularly ranked among Brazil's best beaches), Saco do Céu, Cataguás & the Botinas. Operator: Angra Tours + private charters.

🤿 Diving day

PADI centres in Angra / Ilha Grande — sites at Lagoa Azul, the Botinas, Jorge Grego & wreck dives. Intro dive ~£40–60; certified divers go deeper while non-divers snorkel the same stop.

🌅 The rest

Sunset schooner with caipirinhas · SUP / kayak the calm bays · the Lopes Mendes / Pico do Papagaio hike · a scallop-farm tasting straight off the boat.

🏛️ Paraty day trip (~1h): colonial centre + cachaça distillery + a jeep waterfall tour

🥥 Trancoso Leg 3 · 7 nights · Bahia

The switch-up: resort-y, full-service, remote-work-friendly. The longest leg, so people can work. We prioritise fitness, beach, great food and group days — out of a cluster of villas with a chef and fast Wi-Fi, near Praia dos Nativos.

🏠 Where we stay — ONE big staffed villa (10–15 fits in one house)

🏡 "Casatomdomar" — the value lead

6 suites + bungalow, sleeps 15, infinity pool, 5 min from the Quadrado, 315 Mbps wifi (measured — remote-work sorted), and a beloved in-house cook + housekeeper. 4.95★ over 65 reviews. ~£4,480 total for the week — ~£300–450 each. Availability verified for our dates.

🌊 Beachfront on Nativos — the upgrade

A 7-suite beachfront villa right on Praia dos Nativos (quote pending) — its sister villa on the same beach runs R$23k/day + 10% fully staffed (cook, two maids, manager, security). Beachfront carries a ~50% premium over the golf-estate villas.

⛳ Terravista Golf estate — the middle

Verified vendor rates: 6-suite villas for 12–14 at R$12–16k/day (~£13–16k the week), one with cook included. Gated golf-clifftop estate ~10 min drive from the centre.

Full-service fallbacks: UXUA (on the Quadrado) / Fasano Trancoso — a 5–7-room block runs ~$28–71k for the week, so weaker economics than one big villa; better as a 1–2-night splurge. Beach clubs: UXUA Praia ~R$100 pp min spend, Bahia Bonita ~R$200 day-use.

      ✅ Why Trancoso (we checked). We scored five alternatives — Búzios, Praia do Forte, Jericoacoara, Itacaré, São Miguel dos Milagres — against the brief (resorty + beach + fitness + food + group villas + wifi). Trancoso won: Jeri/Itacaré/Milagres fail on access, villa stock or January rain; Búzios came closest but it's a third straight Rio-state stop; Praia do Forte trades scene for resort convenience. Confirmed.
    

The week

🏃 Fitness

Morning run club on Nativos, yoga / Pilates at the villa, surf / SUP lessons, beach tennis, capoeira, local gyms. Chef does healthy menus — easy to run a daily bootcamp.

🏖️ Beaches

Praia dos Nativos (beach clubs), Coqueiros, Itapororoca — reef-protected natural pools at low tide. South: stunning Praia do Espelho (~30 min) and car-free Caraíva (~1h, canoe crossing, forró at night).

🍽️ Food

Capim Santo (the Quadrado institution), El Gordo, Maritaca, Silvana & Cia, Tigre Asiático; moqueca at Espelho. Evenings on the lit Quadrado are the heart of Trancoso.

🐎 Group days: beach-club day · reef snorkel · horseback on the beach · buggy tour to Espelho/Caraíva · villa party night (chef + DJ)

      ✈️ Getting there, priced. Fly Rio (GIG) → Porto Seguro (nonstop ~1h40, ~$55–95 pp), then a group van via the Arraial d'Ajuda car ferry (~R$800–900/van, ~1h40 door-to-door, ferry included). Flying home from Salvador via Lisbon avoids backtracking at roughly zero extra cost.
    

✈️ Logistics

The route

Fly in → London → Rio (GIG): BA direct ~11.5h, or TAP via Lisbon (peak-window fare currently ~£1,500 return; book early — NYE carries a ~£600 premium). Land together for NYE.
Rio → Angra: Private vans, ~3–4h down the scenic Costa Verde — 2 Jan is peak getaway day, we leave early.
Angra → Trancoso: Back to GIG + fly GIG → Porto Seguro (nonstop ~1h40, ~$55–95) + group van via the ferry.
Fly home ← From Salvador via Lisbon (open-jaw, no backtrack — costs about the same as returning from Rio) or back via GIG.

🛂 Visas

UK = no visa. US passports need a Brazil e-visa (as of 2025) — flag for Kevin early. Check any other non-UK passports (Dino's Bosnian one, etc.) before booking.

💉 Vaccines

Yellow fever is advised for the Costa Verde / coastal forest — the jab needs ~10 days to take effect, so sort it well ahead (check current travel-clinic advice).

💳 Money & connectivity

Currency is the Real (BRL) — cards everywhere, carry some cash for beaches/boats. eSIM via Airalo / Holafly (Claro / Vivo best coverage).

🌤️ Weather

January is peak summer — hot, humid, sunny with short afternoon showers. Prime beach season across all three stops.

💸 Budget — itemised, per person

Now built from live prices for our exact dates (verified villa totals, vendor rates, real flight fares) — not ballparks. Two styles: MEDIUM = the top-rated villas priced above, party table, econ flights, chef dinners in. HIGH = flagship staffed villas + a hotel NYE package with the party included. Prices are per person sharing a room; more of us = cheaper per head.

← swipe →

Per person (sharing)	MEDIUM · 10 of us	MEDIUM · 15	HIGH · 10	HIGH · 15
Flights London ↔ Rio (econ)	£1,000–1,200	£1,000–1,200	£1,500	£1,500
Rio · 4 nts NYE	£650	£480	£3,500 hotel pkg, party incl.	£3,500
Angra · 6 nts	£330	£220	£2,600	£1,750
Trancoso · 7 nts	£480	£320	£2,800	£1,900
Domestic flight + all transfers	£130	£130	£180	£180
NYE party	£145	£145	£0 in hotel pkg	£0
Food & drink (chef nights + restaurants + beach)	£850	£850	£1,400	£1,400
Activities (boat day · dive · icons · guides)	£250	£250	£500 + heli	£500
Tips · eSIM · buffer	£150	£150	£250	£250
Total — sharing	~£4,000	~£3,650	~£12,700	~£11,000
Private room limited — you carry the whole room	+£1,450	+£1,000	+£8,900	+£7,150

      💡 The realistic landing zone: ~£5–7k pp sharing — Medium villas plus one or two High touches (say, the hotel-party NYE or the beachfront Trancoso villa). The gap between the columns is almost entirely lodging: the verified direct-book villas run 3–8× cheaper than the agency flagships for the same dates. Nothing needs paying yet.
    

✅ Where we're at

Decided

Group: 10–15 · Dates: 29 Dec → 15 Jan Rio base: Copacabana / Ipanema only — penthouse or hotel-with-party Angra: villa with a private pier Trancoso: ✅ confirmed (beat 5 alternatives) — one big staffed villa

In motion

Rio enquiries sent (penthouse agency + two hotels) — quotes landing now.
Angra + Trancoso villa quotes drafted, going out next; top direct-book options verified and ready to grab.
NYE party sales open ~Sep–Nov — we're on the lists and will pounce on the first batch (cheapest).

What we need from YOU

Are you in? Firm-ish yes/no so we can size the villas — more people = cheaper per head.
Room type: sharing or private? (Private rooms are limited — roughly 2–4 per leg — first come, first served.)
Full trip or part? The legs work standalone — NYE-only or beach-weeks-only both possible.
Style vote: Medium, or Medium with the hotel-party NYE splurge?

Plan v2 · updated 19 Jul 2026 — researched and priced, nothing booked or paid yet. Villa totals were verified against live availability for our exact dates and can shift until booked; hotel/party figures are last season's until 2027 sales open. Photos: Wikimedia Commons (scenic, illustrative — not the actual properties).