Set High on Top of Sugar Loaf, Brazil

See Copacabana from the summit of 900-foot Sugar Loaf. Named for its resemblance to the molds used to set sugarcane, Brazil's Sugar Loaf sits at the mouth of Guanabara Bay and towers over neighboring Rio de Janeiro. Visitors can take a two-stage cable car to experience the spectacular sights at Morro da Urca or view the breathtaking panorama of the city from the summit.

Photo Credit: Rio de Janeiro's Sugar Loaf Mountain, Brazil (PhotoDisc)

Top 10 Cheap Beach Vacations

These beach hot spots may not be statistically the cheapest of the cheap around the world, but factoring in the cost of travel and time, here are our ten best budget beach vacations in North and Central America, with one special shout out to Brazil (which currently offers great value for North American travelers):

10. Destin, Florida
9. Outer Banks, North Carolina
8. Huntington Beach, California
7. Cape Ann, Massachusetts
6. Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
5. Negril, Jamaica
4. Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil
3. Placencia, Belize
2. Tulum, Mexico
1. Cannon Beach, Oregon

Don't agree with our picks? Tell us in the comments section!

Photo credit: Cannon Beach, Oregon (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Getty)