I spent my spring break in Brazil, and though I'm not new to beaches, there are something spectacular about the beaches I got the chance to photograph this spring break.

There was something special about the beaches in Bahia, Brazil. As a Californian, I've grown up around beaches my entire life. And yes, I love the beaches in California so much and have made significant memories with them. But I've never been as appreciative and as close to a beach as in Bahia. Our hotel was literally on the beach. I could use the side door from my hotel room to make my way to the beach at any hour of the day. Perhaps it was this accessibility that made the experience so amazing. But I took full advantage of this blessing. I found myself at the beach early in the morning to try to catch the sun rise. I didn't end up timing it correctly during any of my days but watched someone else's videos from that hour and of course it was absolutely gorgeous. I found myself at beach during the peak of the afternoon, when its scorching and going into the warm water isn't that much of a relief. But yet it was nice. It was nice to know that I could surround myself in water to wash away all the sweat and dirt from the day. I found myself at the beach at dusk, right when the afternoon heat had calmed. Dusk was ideal for a leisurely swim. It was beautiful. I've found myself at the beach during sunsets, something I did time correctly. The sun going down in this empty beach was gorgeous. I say empty because the only people on this beach were us, our group from the hotel. That's it. It was incredible. Lastly, I found myself at the beach at night—say 1 a.m. for example—and it was magical. The stars shown above with perfect clarity due to a lack of light pollution, the wind had a gentle howl and the waters swept by my feet as I sat near the water and talked about life with friends. The beaches in Bahia were beautiful and unforgettable, and I think that once you see these pictures, you'll agree.

This summer, tourists from all over the world will flock to Brazil for the summer Olympics and they too will bask in the beauty of Brazil.