Is Búzios worth visiting?
We host guests in Búzios all year, and many of them ask the same thing before booking: is it worth the trip from Rio? Here is our honest answer, including who might prefer somewhere else.
Short answer
Yes, if you want beaches with calm, clear water, good food and a relaxed pace, 2.5 hours from Rio. Búzios packs a lot of different beaches into a small area, so you can see a new one every day without long drives.
What Búzios is like
Búzios (officially Armação dos Búzios) is a former fishing village on a peninsula east of Rio de Janeiro. It became famous in the 1960s when Brigitte Bardot stayed here, and her statue still sits on the waterfront. Today it is one of Brazil's best-known beach towns: cobbled Rua das Pedras full of restaurants and bars, boats in the bay, and beaches for every mood.
Who will love it
- Families: sheltered beaches like Ferradura have calm, shallow water.
- Couples: sunsets over the bay, good restaurants, easy days.
- Groups of friends: renting a whole house with a pool is easy and good value per person.
- Anyone ending a Rio trip: it's the easiest beach break from the city.
Who might prefer somewhere else
- If you want untouched, empty beaches, Búzios in high season is busy.
- If you're after colonial architecture and history, Paraty is the better match.
- If you don't want any road travel from Rio, stay in the city.
Búzios vs Paraty vs Arraial do Cabo
Paraty is a colonial town with cobbled streets and island boat trips, in the opposite direction from Rio. Arraial do Cabo, near Búzios, has some of the clearest water in the region but less to do in town. Búzios sits between the two: great beaches plus the best choice of restaurants and nightlife. Many visitors stay in Búzios and do a day trip to Arraial.
How many days?
Three to four days lets you see the main beaches, do a boat tour and have a couple of lazy days. With a week you can slow right down, which is what most of our guests end up doing.
When to go
December to March is summer: hot, lively and the most expensive, with New Year's Eve and Carnival booking up months ahead. April–May and September–November bring good weather, calmer beaches and better rates.
Decided to come? Read how to get from Rio to Búzios and our guide to the best beaches in Búzios.
Where to stay: our two houses are on Ferradura Beach.
Casa Bela 21: 3 suites, private pool and ocean view, 700 m from the beach.
Casa Ferradura Beach: 4 suites, with direct beach access.