*Updated April 3, 2018

October has always been one of our favorite months to explore Brazil. October in Brazil means the early days of summer which means longer days and pre-Carnival celebrations. It's also prime jaguar season in the Pantanal and the driest (translate: beach weather!) in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Of course summertime (November - March) is Brazil's peak season, but October has a special place in our hearts.

This year, October has proven to be particularly epic for Brazil. In the past couple of weeks, we've seen no less than three pieces of news that are absolute game changers for travelers to Brazil. If you're thinking of traveling to Brazil in the months ahead, you can't miss the tips in this post!

1. Tourist visas are now available ONLINE!

Gone are the days of printing out an application, going to your local Consulate and anxiously waiting for your visa to get issued. As we reported earlier this year, the Brazilian government was in the process of establishing an electronic visa application. It is now official and electronic visas have been introduced for citizens of the U.S., Canada, Australia and Japan.

Whereas travelers would previously be required to submit an application in person at a Brazilian Consulate or Embassy (or spend big bucks to have a visa processing company do it for them), travelers can now log online and submit the application electronically, with approval granted within 72 hours of submission. The best part is that the cost of the visa has reduced significantly, from $160 per person to just under $45, including taxes and fees.

While the visa is now only valid for two years (the old ones were valid up to 10 years), this is still a way better deal for most travelers and clearly much less stressful and time-consuming.

Check out the link to apply here.

A HUGE win for eliminating red tape and bureaucracy, and making it easier for everyone to experience the amazing country of Brazil.

2. Super-luxe Fasano Hotel opens in the Rio beachtown of Angra dos Reis WITH TWO NIGHTS FREE!

If you've ever seen a shot of Rio de Janeiro on Instagram, chances are good that it came from the sexy rooftop pool of the Fasano Hotel, located in the city's famed Ipanema neighborhood. The hotel is a favorite for celebrities and beautiful people alike, and in the less than ten years since its opening has become Rio's premier "it" hotel. Now, the Fasano group has launched their newest venture, Fasano Angra dos Reis, which has just opened its doors.

Now you can live life a "Carioca" socialite and take advantage of their incredible opening offer with up to two nights free:

Spend 4 nights between the Fasano Rio and Fasano Angra dos Reis and get your 5th night free

Spend 5 nights between the Fasano Rio and Fasano Angra dos Reis and get your 6th and 7th nights free

Reservations must be divided evenly between the two properties and must be consecutive stays. Valid for travel dates through December 21, 2018.

Fasano Angra boasts a beach club with full service, pool bar, a more than 15,000 square-foot spa with eight treatment rooms and an exclusive area for children, fully equipped fitness center and multifunctional room for ballet, yoga and dance classes, tennis courts, local boutique shops and an 18-hole golf course.

Fasano Angra dos Reis will also have two restaurants, with one featuring increasingly popular "Raw" gastronomy, as well as traditional Fasano cuisine overseen by the restaurateur Rogério Fasano.

Angra dos Reis is an iconic beach town located approximately 2.5 hours south of Rio de Janeiro extremely popular with wealthy "Cariocas" who drive down to their beach homes for weekends and vacations. The hotel is fantastic news for international tourists as the area has never offered much in terms of recommendable accommodations. It's also a perfect place to stay if you'd like to visit nearby Ilha Grande, one of the most beautiful beach islands in all of Brazil, or Paraty, one of Brazil's most charming colonial cities. You could either make a day trip from Angra or add on a few nights on the island for a more low-key -but equally memorable- experience.

Check out some preliminary images below!

3. Jericoacoara gets its own airport!

Continuing with the amazing beach theme, this month we received some big news from the Northeast of Brazil, which "Brazil Nuts" will know as the epicenter of the country's best beaches. The breathtaking beach town of Jericoacoara, known for its pristine white sand beaches and rolling sand dunes, has now opened its own airport.

Jericoacoara Airport (JJD) is now operating 5 flights per week from both Recife and Campinas via Azul Airlines. The airport is just 20 miles from town (around 45 minutes by car to Jeri's hotels) and means visitors no longer need to make the five-hour drive to/from the hub city of Fortaleza (FOR) to experience this truly wonderful destination.

The new flight schedule is as follows:

Recife (REC) / Jericoacoara (JJD)

REC - JJD 13:11 - 14:40 Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

JJD - REC 15:10 - 16:46 Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Campinas - Viracopos (VCP) / Jericoacoara (JJD)

VCP - JJD 12:10 - 15:40 Saturday

JJD - VCP 16:10 - 19:40 Saturday