Reef pools at low tide in Recife, or a Sunday on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo. Both are one flight from Barajas.
Non-stop return fares from Madrid to Brazil start at €479. Azul flies to Recife in November from €479, and Iberia has March dates from €585. São Paulo comes in at €571 to €593 in March, flying out with Azul and back with Air China.
✈️ The deal
- From: Madrid, Spain
- To: Recife or São Paulo, Brazil
- Airline: Azul, Iberia, Air China
- Stops: Non-stop
- Price: €479 - €593 return
- When: November 2026 and March 2027
Example dates to Recife:
20/11/2026 - 29/11/2026 · €479 (Azul)
20/11/2026 - 26/11/2026 · €481 (Azul)
13/11/2026 - 22/11/2026 · €509 (Azul)
01/03/2027 - 16/03/2027 · €585 (Iberia)
Check availability to Recife here →
Example dates to São Paulo:
18/03/2027 - 25/03/2027 · €571
20/03/2027 - 25/03/2027 · €573
13/03/2027 - 23/03/2027 · €589
Check availability to São Paulo here →
The São Paulo fares fly out with Azul to Campinas Viracopos (VCP), about 95 km from the city, and back with Air China from Guarulhos (GRU). Different airports each way, so plan your transfers. Azul passengers can use the airline's free bus from Viracopos to Congonhas in São Paulo.
💰 How far does your money go?
In Recife, a cold bottle of local beer costs about €1.40, less than a caña in Madrid. A full lunch at a simple local restaurant is around €3.60. In São Paulo, a prato feito of rice, beans, meat and salad runs about €7.60, roughly half a menú del día back home, and a draught beer in a boteco is around €1.70.
☀️ The weather
November is Recife's driest stretch, with highs of 30°C, nights around 25°C and a sea warm enough to stay in for hours. March is still hot at 31°C, though showers become more frequent as the wetter season begins. São Paulo in March is late summer: highs of 28°C, lows of 19°C and short, heavy afternoon storms on around half the days.
🏨 Where to stay
Boa Viagem for the beach in Recife, Jardins for a polished base in São Paulo.
Flats at Beach Class Convention by Yolo · 9.2/10 · From €56/night Self-catering flats in Boa Viagem, a short walk from the beach, for anyone who wants a kitchen and some space.
Tivoli Mofarrej São Paulo · 9.4/10 · From €343/night A five-star tower in Jardins, a few minutes from Avenida Paulista, with a spa and rooftop views.
Hotel Unique · 9.6/10 The boat-shaped design icon near Ibirapuera Park, known for its red rooftop pool and city views.
🎯 What to do
Two very different Brazils: the Afro-Brazilian northeast and the country's biggest city.
Paço do Frevo. A museum in old Recife devoted to frevo, Pernambuco's fast, acrobatic carnival dance, with live music and classes.
Oficina Cerâmica Francisco Brennand. A former tile factory turned into a vast open-air gallery of sculptures, set in the forest on Recife's edge.
Ibirapuera Park. São Paulo's answer to El Retiro, with Oscar Niemeyer buildings, museums and Sunday crowds on bikes.
Edifício Copan and the old centre. Niemeyer's wave-shaped tower, the Theatro Municipal and the Pinacoteca, all within walking distance.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Both cities open up the rest of Brazil.
Fernando de Noronha. A protected archipelago with some of the clearest water in South America, just over an hour by air from Recife. Search flights
Ilha de Itamaracá. A quiet island with calm beaches and a Dutch colonial fort, about an hour north of Recife by road.
Salvador. Brazil's first capital, all colonial churches and Afro-Brazilian culture, around 1h30 by air from either city. Search flights
Ubatuba. A stretch of more than 100 beaches backed by rainforest, around 4 hours by road from São Paulo.
Non-stop to Brazil from €479 return. The cheapest dates are few, so check yours soon.
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