Igarapé-Açu, Brazil

8,120 people call this sleepy Amazonian municipality home - a meager population for a region that can feel vast and isolating. While Igarapé-Açu boasts a prime location near the coast and good transportation links, it's the persistent bureaucratic headaches that will test the resolve of most foreign transplants. During World War II, the town briefly served as a base for American airships monitoring the coast, but those days of excitement have long since passed. Unless you're seeking a remote, rustic existence far from the crowds, Igarapé-Açu is unlikely to be the Brazilian destination that fulfills your dreams.