Poços de Caldas, Brazil

Poços de Caldas sits high in the mountains of Minas Gerais, a spa town built inside an ancient volcanic caldera. The altitude keeps things cooler than Brazil’s coastal cities, but you’ll still deal with humidity. Locals flock here for the hot springs, which gives the place a resort-town vibe year-round.

Daily life moves at a slower pace than São Paulo, just 243 km away. The city feels manageable, with a compact urban core surrounded by rolling hills. Getting residency sorted can be a headache — Brazilian bureaucracy is notorious, even in smaller cities like this. But once you’re settled, the cost of living is reasonable for what you get.

Poços de Caldas works if you want a quiet, scenic base in Brazil without the chaos of a metropolis. It’s not for digital nomads who need fast internet or retirees who want beach access.