Cariacica, Brazil

With a population of over 274,000, Cariacica is no quaint backwater. This metropolitan municipality in Brazil's Espírito Santo state has a prime location connecting the coast to the interior, but that privileged position comes at a price. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the city was only formally separated from the state capital Vitória in 1890. And while the area was once home to Tupiniquim indigenous people, today's residents face the challenges of navigating a rapidly developing urban center, including traffic woes from the major highways and railways that cut through town. Cariacica may work for those seeking convenient access to both the coast and mountains, but it's no idyllic small-town escape.