Seaside Service In Brazil
21 days in the coastal colonial town of Paraty and the iconic city of Rio de Janeiro. Volunteer with ICMBio - Brazil's Ministry of Environment - on conservation and community projects inside a protected national park.
2027 · 21 Days · Sao Paulo, Paraty & Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Experience one of Brazil's most extraordinary regions, the lush coastal town of Paraty, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed town nestled between Atlantic rainforest, mountains, and the sea.
Working alongside professionals from ICMBio (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - Brazil's federally funded conservation body) and long-standing local partners, you'll contribute to real conservation and community projects inside a protected national park.
This program is grounded in long-term partnership, participatory practice, and community-identified priorities rather than short-term voluntourism models. All projects are planned in genuine partnership with local leaders, NGOs, and government bodies, connecting research to action and giving students the chance to work alongside local and international professionals.
Reflection, dialogue, and critical engagement are embedded throughout the experience to help students connect local environmental issues to wider global systems and responsibilities.
At 3 Bricks, we believe the world improves when young people grow in compassion for it. This program is designed to do exactly that.
City sites and Natural Paradise
21 Days at a Glance
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DAY 1 Arrival — Welcome to Brazil
Fly into São Paulo–Guarulhos (GRU), Brazil's largest city. 3 Bricks staff will be waiting to greet you. We transfer to our hotel near Avenida Paulista, meet the group, and settle in before a welcome dinner showcasing São Paulo's food scene.
DAY 2 São Paulo City Highlights
A day exploring the city's most iconic spots for young travellers: Avenida Paulista, MASP (São Paulo Museum of Art), and the green space of Ibirapuera Park. Evening: our first guided reflection introducing the themes of global citizenship and ethical engagement.
DAY 3 Street Art & Markets
More of São Paulo for young travellers: the street-art alley of Beco do Batman in Vila Madalena, the historic Mercado Municipal food market, then dinner and the bar strip of Vila Madalena in the evening.
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São Paulo → Paraty — Along the Coast
An early start for the scenic coastal drive from São Paulo to Paraty, with a lunch stop along the way. Arrive at our Paraty homebase in the afternoon, meet local staff, and settle into your new home before dinner.
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Service, cultural excursions, and leadership activities alternate across thirteen days. Excursion days are deliberately placed to give students mental and physical recovery between intensive service periods.
DAY 5 Orientation — Meeting ICMBio
Explore Paraty's cobblestone UNESCO-listed streets, riverside walks, and nearby beaches. Program orientation with a representative from ICMBio to understand our hosts' expectations of us as visiting volunteers.
DAY 6 Service Begins
Service begins on projects planned with local partners — supporting eco-tourism, environmental preservation, and Indigenous communities within the national park. Evening reflection on first impressions and initial assumptions.
DAY 7 Service — Deep Work
Continuing service work — vegetable or medicinal plant gardens, sanitary bathroom construction, or trail marking. Evening documentary screening on the history of the Brazilian slave trade, ahead of this week's Quilombo visit.
DAY 8 Waterfalls — Tobogã
Adventure day into the rainforest to Tobogã Waterfall — learning about old-growth forests' role in carbon capture and water filtration, swimming in crystal-clear pools and natural rock slides.
DAY 9 Service & Quilombo Community
Morning service, then lunch in a nearby Quilombo community learning Afro-Brazilian history, traditional music, religion, and dance, including a Capoeira class.
DAY 10 Service — Community Day
A full service day, building on the week's momentum with a focus on measurable project progress.
DAY 11 Natural Pools — Cachadaço
A short hike from Praia do Meio in Trindade to the calm, clear Cachadaço natural tide pool. Afternoon on the beach learning traditional Brazilian beach games.
DAY 12 Service — Project Push
Continued project work as the group passes the halfway point of the Paraty leg.
DAY 13 Praia do Sono Hike
An early start for a 5-mile, 3-hour rainforest hike to Praia do Sono, a pristine beach inside a preserved natural area, continuing on to Antigos and Antiguinhos beaches before returning by boat.
DAY 14 Service — Final Push
A full day of project work, pushing toward completion of key tasks.
DAY 15 Service — Community Legacy Day
An extra day of service dedicated to finishing tasks in depth and supporting an additional local partner initiative — going further than a standard visiting group typically has time for.
DAY 16 Final Service Day & Samba Night
Wrap up remaining project tasks, reflect with project stakeholders, and share thanks and goodbyes. Evening: a samba lesson from local experts, followed by the town square's weekly Samba night.
DAY 17 Boat Ride & Snorkel — Ilha Grande Bay
A full-day schooner tour of the hidden islands and beaches of Paraty and Ilha Grande Bay — stops for snorkelling, swimming, lunch, and snacks, and a chance to reflect on the Paraty leg before saying goodbye to the town.
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Paraty → Rio de Janeiro — Along the Coast
Drive along the coast to Rio, with a lunch stop en route. Check in, relax, then head to Copacabana Beach in the afternoon — walk the seafront, visit the Carlos Drummond statue and Copacabana Fort, and watch the sunset from Arpoador. Evening appreciation circle.
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DAY 19 Christ the Redeemer & Sugarloaf
Guided tour of Rio's most famous sights: the Christ the Redeemer statue, a cable car ride up Sugarloaf Mountain, and the colourful Selarón Steps of Lapa. Drive-by St. Sebastian Metropolitan Cathedral, the Opera House, National Library, Museum of Fine Arts, and Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
DAY 20 Ipanema & Santa TeresaA day built around Rio's most iconic spots for young travellers: Ipanema Beach and its famous sunset viewpoint, and the bohemian street art and tram rides of Santa Teresa. Evening: final group dinner — a celebration of the work completed and the relationships built over the program, with students sharing one thing they will take home and one thing they want to change.
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Continuing our service project for the morning, we'll have an early start before departing to have lunch in a nearby Quilombolo community.
In the Quilombolo community, we will learn about Afro-Brazilian history, including learning about traditional music, religion, and dance.We will participate in a Capoeira class, a traditional martial-arts-dance developed by Afro-Brazilian slaves.
Program Pillars
Government Partnership
Working directly with ICMBio, Brazil's federally funded conservation body, gives students access to real, professionally planned environmental work. This is internationally coordinated conservation action, not invented busy-work.
Community Roots
All projects are identified and planned with long-standing local partners including Instituto Colibri and Estação Ecológica de Tamoios. We are advocates of participatory practice, grassroots first, always.
Cultural Depth
Paraty is not a backdrop. The Quilombo community visit, capoeira class, samba night, and cooking lesson are not tourism add-ons, they are core to a program built on genuine cultural exchange and respect.
Transformative Learning & Global Citizenship
Every activity, reflection, and community partnership is designed to support student growth in intercultural understanding, ethical leadership, critical reflection, and global citizenship. Programs are facilitated by experienced educators with backgrounds in international education, inclusion, youth development, and community engagement.
Access & Scholarships
Making Global Learning More Accessible
We believe international learning opportunities should not be limited by financial circumstance.
3 Bricks is actively developing partnerships with schools, philanthropic organisations, Indigenous education initiatives, and community sponsors to expand scholarship-supported access for First Nations students from Australia and other young people who may otherwise face barriers to participation.
We can provide guidance on ABSTUDY, state and territory Indigenous education grants, school-based funding and excursion budgets, and community foundation programs.
If you are a school, organisation, or funding partner interested in supporting student access, we would love to hear from you.
Local Partners
Rooted in Community. Backed by Government.
At 3 Bricks, all projects and activities are planned in partnership with long-standing local leaders, partners, and NGOs. Working with ICMBio, we plan, support, and lead projects that are part of internationally coordinated conservation efforts
Practical Information
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FAST FACTS
Duration: 21 Days / 20 Nights
Cost: $USD4,800 all-inclusive
Arriving: Sao Paulo (GRU)
Departing: Rio de Janeiro Airport (GIG)
Homebase: 3 Nights in Sao Paulo + 14 Nights in Paraty + 3 nights in Copacabana, Rio
Dates: 2027 - confirm exact dates on enquiry
Physical: Moderate — 4-hour walking hike to Praia do Sono
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ACCOMMODATION
This program is based in Paraty, with 3 nights in each Sao Paulo and Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro.
Fourteen Nights: Our Homebase in Paraty is just a 10-minute walk from the town center and a 5-minute drive to the local clinic.
Accommodation in Sao Paulo and Copacabana is located in the city center and all rooms have air conditioning. Maximum 4 students per room.
Three nights each: During our first three nights in Sao Paulo we stay near Avenida Paulista and last Three nights in Rio, we stay in a 3-star hotel in the beachside neighborhood of Copacabana, one of the safest neighborhoods in the city. From these locations, we reach all of the cities main attractions by private van.
VISAS & VACCINATIONS
You are responsible for your own visa and vaccination arrangements. Please check the current Australian Government Smartraveller advice at smartraveller.gov.au well in advance of travel.
PASSPORT
Required for all participants. Must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry with at least 1 blank page remaining for an entry stamp.
VISA — IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS
As of 10 April 2025, Australian citizens require an e-Visa to enter Brazil. You cannot obtain a visa at the airport or border on arrival — you must apply online before you travel.
Apply at: brazil.vfsevisa.com (the official Brazilian government portal)
Fee: $~130AUD per applicant, paid online
Processing time: typically 48–72 hours, up to 10 business days during peak periods
Validity: 5 years, multiple entry — each stay cannot exceed 90 days
Apply at least 3 weeks before your travel date
Note: Airlines will not issue a boarding pass without a validated e-Visa code. Do not book flights before applying.
Citizens of other nationalities should check their own country's current requirements with the nearest Brazilian embassy or consulate. Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice.
VACCINATIONS
No specific vaccinations are currently required for entry to Brazil beyond the standard schedule recommended by your home country. Refer to your country's official travel health guidance and the Australian Government's Smartraveller site for current advice.
3 Bricks will provide a full pre-departure information pack including current health requirements after your deposit is received.
Ready to experience Paraty?
Places are limited to 18 students. Contact us to receive a full program packet.
WHAT TO PACK
After booking your trip, we will send a complete packing list with all you will need in Brazil alongside some local tips!
MEALS
All meals are included while on the program. You will enjoy western and traditional Brazilian breakfasts, lunches prepared by support staff or at local restaurants, and dinners at our accommodation or in small restaurants.
INTERNET
All accommodations have complimentary wifi and cellphone reception is reliable on most parts of the trip.
AVAILABILITY & PRICES
$USD4,800 per person based on 2-4 sharing accommodation for 21 days / 20 nights.
2027
Decemeber
WHAT'S INCLUDED
All shared accommodation (maximum 4 per room) 3 nights São Paulo / 14 Paraty / 3 Rio
All meals — traditional Brazilian breakfasts, lunches at local restaurants, dinners at homebase or local restaurants
Drinking water throughout
24/7 qualified international bilingual staff and local expert team
All activity and site entrance fees — Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, schooner boat tour, Tobogã Waterfall, Quilombo community visit, all cultural activities and service project visits
All service project materials and logistical support
All in-country transport — airport pickup to airport drop-off at Rio GIG
WHAT’S EXCLUDED
International flights to and from Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
Travel insurance — mandatory, must include medical evacuation
Soft drinks and personal spending
Vaccinations or visa fees — Australian and most Western passport holders require a visa for Brazil.
TRANSFERS
Please remember when booking flights that the Program begins and terminates at Rio de Janeiro/Galeão International Airport (GIG) - please let us know if you could like assistance coordinating flights.
Brazil
The currency in Brazil is the Brazilian Real (BRL). Cards are readily taken almost everywhere. We do recommend a small amount of cash if you wish to purchase from street vendors.
Time Zone: GMT-3
Paraty's climate is tropical, and the region has significant rainfall. December is an excellent time to visit. Average temperatures in December are around 21–24°C. We recommend bringing a light rain jacket.
Paraty Climate
Paraty
Rio de Janeiro
