Travel to Buzios

popular with wealthy residents

Set on the Atlantic, around 200 km north of Rio de Janeiro, Buzios is an upmarket coastal resort.

The small settlement of Buzios has a remarkable history as a slave trading port, a smuggling enclave and a whale-hunting centre. But from around 1850 to 1950 it was simply a quiet fishing town.

After the Second World War the social elite of Rio de Janeiro started to become attracted to this quaint little place, with its beautiful beaches and attractive laid-back culture. However it was following the visit of glamourous French actress Brigitte Bardot in 1964 that Buzios really took off as a chic beach retreat for well-heeled city dwellers. By the 1970s the area had risen to become the Saint Tropez of Brazil.

Today Buzios remains a relatively upmarket and attractive retreat. Although it can get very busy during the main summer season (when the people from Rio pile on down), during the converse winter (when most overseas travellers are visiting Brazil) the place can be surprisingly peaceful and pleasant.

The small settlements along the main beaches are filled with high quality restaurants and boutiques, whilst some lovely remote beaches can be accessed on foot or by boat.

The fact that the whole area is a peninsula separated from the mainland means that security is usually good, which is not something that can be said of all parts of the country.

The area offers a reasonable range of watersports, including paddle-boarding, sailing, surfing and diving.

The vast majority of visitors to Buzios do so as an extension to a stay in Rio de Janeiro, usually for around 3-4 nights.

If you are looking for a more adventurous beach location, which is more focused on hiking, exploring, sailing and diving, then you might like to take a look at Costa Verde, on the south side of Rio de Janeiro.

Activities

The Buzios area provides access to a wide range of activities …

• beaches
• paddle-boarding
• wind-surfing
• kite-surfing
• surfing
• kayaking
• snorkelling
• diving
• motorboat trips
• sailing
• walking trails
• golf

The best time to visit Buzios is generally considered to be during the May-Oct cool dry season.

This coastline is classified as having a tropical savanna climate, with two clearly defined seasons …

May-Oct : winter

During the May-Oct dry season the daytime temperatures are lower than usual, at around 25C/77F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures hold up around 19C/66F. However the rainfall is much lower than usual, dropping to around 50mm (2”) per month. Sunshine is around 6 hours per day (around 60% of daylight hours), meaning that skies are not always as clear you might expect.

During this period cold fronts can occasionally arrive from the south, causing temperatures to drop below what one might consider to be comfortable beach weather, but which is good for hiking.

Despite the pleasant cooler weather, this period tends to be relatively quiet, with far fewer locals out on the beaches and in the bars. But it’s not like winter in the Mediterranean, this coastline is very much open year round.

Nov-Apr : summer

During the Nov-Apr rainy season the daytime temperatures are marginally lower at around 31C/88F, whilst the nighttime low temperatures are higher, at 23C/73F. Rainfall is relatively high, at around 125mm (5”) per month. Sunshine is around around 7 hours per day (around 60% of the slightly longer daylight hours).

Despite the apparently adverse weather, this period is generally the most busy in Buzios, with the locals from Rio de Janeiro heading out here in droves. The main beaches become completely jammed.

Getting there

The Buzios area is usually accessed by road from Rio de Janeiro, a journey of around 200 km (120 miles), which typically takes 2-3 hours.

We do not recommend getting taxis, public transport or self-driving in this area.

Where to stay

The vast majority of visitors to Buzios do so as an extension to a stay in Rio de Janeiro, either combining the two areas at the front end of a trip, or visiting Rio at the front and Buzios at the end.

Usually these stays in Buzios are relatively short, typically running to around 3-4 nights.

All of the hotels that we recommend in this area are in the prime locations around the two bays on the north side of the peninsular. They are actually all rather similar in character, so you simply need to choose the one that best suits your style and budget.

easily accessed by road from Rio de Janeiro