Buzios

Buzios was a fishing settlement on a peninsula of small bays until Brigitte Bardot spent time here in 1964 with her Brazilian partner, the press followed, and the place was made - there is a bronze of her sitting on the seafront, and the promenade is named for her, which is a lot of weight for one visit to carry. The geography is the actual draw: more than twenty beaches around the peninsula, each with different conditions, from calm bay water at Joao Fernandes and Ferradurinha to open ocean and surf at Geriba and Tucuns. Rua das Pedras is the stone-paved main street of restaurants, bars and shops. Schooner trips run a circuit of the bays and stop for swimming.

History

In the 16th century the Tupinambá lived here and traded with French smugglers of brazilwood, until the Portuguese drove the French out; in the 18th century whaling took hold, and the name Armação dos Búzios comes from the stripping of the whales, the Praia dos Ossos from the bones on its shore, while the Sant'Ana chapel on the hill between Ossos and Armação was built of stone and whale oil. From around 1850 the place lived by farming and fishing, by the middle of the 20th century it was a quiet retreat for Rio's high society, and Brigitte Bardot's visit in 1964 made it famous (Wikipedia, Armação dos Búzios).

What to look for

• More than twenty beaches - calm bays on one side, open ocean on the other.
• The Bardot statue - the bronze on the seafront promenade.
• Rua das Pedras - the stone-paved street of restaurants and bars.
• Schooner circuits - boat trips round the peninsula with swim stops.

When to go

December to March for the season; April to June for quiet. Three days.

What to expect

It is expensive by Brazilian standards and prices rise steeply in summer, when traffic and parking become difficult. Getting between beaches needs a car, buggy or taxi. Nightlife on Rua das Pedras runs late and is loud.

Nearby

Cabo Frio and Arraial do Cabo are west along the same coast.