Búzios is the perfect getaway from the crowded, hectic city life of Rio. With over 20 beaches to explore, great restaurants and vibrant nightlife, Buzios has it all! And it’s only 3 hours from Rio!

Armação dos Búzios became famous after Brigitte Bardot, and her Brazilian boyfriend traveled there in the 1960s, and now there is even a statue of her on the Orla Bardot(Bardot Shore). This coastal town that started as a fishermen village and soon turned to a vacation destination for many wealthy Brazilians and Argentinians.

But this beautiful town is not only for the rich and famous and actually has something to offer for everyone and is a favorite destination for many backpackers as well. Those who get to travel there will enjoy the small-town vibe with great restaurants, boutique shops, and, most importantly, over 20 beaches to explore.

In Buzios, you will quickly notice many people speaking Spanish. The reason for that is that Buzios has a huge dominant population of Argentinians that have business or summerhouse there and made this place to the tourism empire it is today. So if you only speak Spanish, you will get along just fine.

Buzios has things to offer to both tourists seeking luxurious accommodations and activities and backpackers with a tighter budget. This town has rich nightlight and restaurants that vary in prices and cuisine.

Here are my recommendations on what to do and how to get to Buzios

What to do in Búzios

The most popular attraction in Búzios is, without a doubt, its beautiful unspoiled beaches. Especially when compared to Rio’s beaches, the ones in Búzios are much less busy, some with calm tides and some more suitable for surfing. With over 20 beaches, you will find the one for you. The best way to enjoy these beaches is to rent a buggy for a or two and ride to whichever beach you please.

Here are a few of the beaches I recommend visiting:

• Praia de Ferradura

This beach is the closest to the center of the town, so it’s suitable for those who do not want to drive or don’t have the time to check out some of the farther beaches. The water in Ferradura is calm and warm, and on the beach, you will find a variety of water activities.

• João Fernandes

This is one of the most popular beaches because of its crystalline waters. The beach has many bars and restaurants and is one of the busiest in Búzios.

•  João Fernandinho

Considered as one of the most beautiful beaches in Búzios just like João Fernandes but with fewer people, because it’s not as easy to access.

• Praia de Forno

• Praia Brava

If you’ve always wanted to visit a pink beach, Praia Brava is the closest thing you can find in Brazil. When the sun is high, the reddish sand looks kind of pink. As the name suggests, the waters are pretty rough on this beach but ok to take a dip. The beach strip is small, and you have to go down a tiny cliff with black rocks to get there. The only place where you can get a drink or something to eat is the pricy beach club next to it.

• Azeda and Azedinha

These two beaches are basically attached and have turquoise-green waters like the name (Azeda-sour like lemon) suggests. It’s a small beach strip, so you might want to get there early since it fills up quickly. You can walk there from Prais dos Ossos. (15 min).

• Praia Olho de Boi

The Ox-Eye Beach is the only nude beach in Búzios, and to get to it, you will have to pass through Praia Brava and walk for about 20 minutes.

• Rua das Pedras:

The main street in Búzios is the cobblestone street, Rua das Pedras (Street of Rocks), in which you can find cute shops, restaurants, acai shops, galleries. The whole street and the main square, Praça Santos Dumont, light up at night with music arising from different restaurants or bars.

• Boat trip

Buzios has a variety of boat day trips that will take you to unique places you can’t reach by the shore. Usually, these tours will have a few stops- at a beach,  a snorkeling spot, and a restaurant for lunch.  These lunches are most of the time arranged in advance, and the waiters will bring rice, beans, and salads to the table, and you can choose a main dish like meat or something else. Prices vary, but I would recommend asking your hostel or hotel for the average price so you wouldn’t pay much more than you should.

• Arraial do Cabo

The best day trip you can do would be to Arraial do Cabo. This town is located about an hour away and, from its shore, you can take the best boat trips. These trips will take you to the most stunning beaches. Those beaches are a natural reserve, so we were instructed to leave our bags in the boat and just take our camera. This was an amazing experience. I’ve rarely seen such pristine beaches with clear waters.

The boats for these trips leave early (from 8-10am approximately), so make sure you get to Arraial do Cabo early. You can get there by taking a bus from Búzios to Cabo Frio and then another one to Arraial do Cabo (about 1:30 ride in total). At the shore, you will have to choose the boat that will take you so you might have to negotiate the prices. If you want to play it safe, you can book your trip through your hostel or agencies in Búzios. This way, a van will take you directly to Arraial, and the boat will be waiting for you.

• Nightlife

Buzios is known for its vibrant nightlife. For a small town, Buzios has a variety of bars, and a couple of nightclubs, the most famous one is Privilege Buzios located on the waterfront. Music is playing everywhere, and some people will burst into a dance in the streets.

The only issue you might encounter in the club is the price. Buzios is the vacation town for many Argentinian and Brazilians that can afford to travel there. For this reason, the cover for these parties can vary from 20-100 reals. Prices go up, especially during the months before the carnival. If you do decide to go to one of the parties, make sure you dress adequately (no flip-flops!).

• Porta da Barra

Porta da Barra is an area by the port where you can find different restaurants and bars.

How to get to Buzios

Búzios is only 3 hours away from Rio by bus, which makes it really easy to get to.  You can get there with a bus from the Novo Rio bus station (click here for times) that costs between 50-80 R$ or by a transfer that costs about 100 R$. Here are some companies that provide this service: trasferilhagrande, greentoadbus, inbuzios, linebuzios. You can even split an uber if you have a couple more friends that travel there.

How to get around in Búzios

Búzios in a small town but to get to some of its most beautiful beaches you will need to drive. You can take a taxi, Uber, or rent a buggy if you’d like more freedom.

Where to stay in Búzios

As I mentioned, Búzios is a vacation town, so many summer houses are empty and rented out. If you’re coming with a group, I would highly recommend getting a luxurious apartment (Some even come with a maid).

If you’re a solo traveler, there are plenty of hostels and pousadas (inns). Click here to look for hostels on HostelWorld.

For couples, Búzios has excellent options, but if you’re willing to stay outside of town (and you have a car), you can stay at Buzios Espiritualidade Resort Caravelas. We stayed there for one amazing night after spending 2 nights at a hostel in the center. This place is a bit old, but it has a great pool overlooking the water. You have a kind of private beach which was dreamy. There were two swings there and a slackline for you to practice your tightrope walking. 

 

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