Búzios

Búzios is a small resort in the state of Rio de Janeiro, located about 160 kilometres from the city of Rio de Janeiro . Its official name is Armação dos Búzios which means something like “Pearl Fishers’ Fortress”. As it is situated on a peninsula, it was hard to reach in the past. This suddenly changed in 1964 when Brigitte Bardot travelled Búzios with her Brazilian lover. Suddenly, the rest of the world became aware of the beauty of this tiny fishing village and it became a popular resort. But this holiday destination is not at all ‘spoilt’ by mass tourism: less than 25% of its population is employed in tourism. Furthermore, it is forbidden by law to construct buildings that exceed two stores. This prevents that the village is overshadowed by large concrete hotels.

Beaches
Búzios has about 25 different beaches. Some are very busy, others are very calm. Because Búzios is situated on a peninsula, the beaches have different exposure to the currents of the ocean. On beaches to the north-west, the water is always warm whereas the water is cool on south-eastern beaches. Some beaches are ideal spots for surfers while other beaches have calm and crystal-clear water.

Sports
Búzios has many possibilities for practising sports. Among the possibilities are sailing, fishing, diving, surfing and kite surfing. Búzios has one of the best golf courses of Latin America. A number of hotels have tennis courts. In the surroundings of Búzios are many trails for mountain biking.

Ecotourism
In the surroundings of Búzios are two nature reserves and two ecological protection zones (‘Áreas de Proteção Ambiental ’ abreviated as APA’s). The reserve Serra das Emerências is covered by an endangered kind of rainforest that is called mata atlântica. It houses one of the last populations of the golden lion tamarin. The Tauá reserve consists of 300 hectares of forest and woodland. It has the only sweet water lake in the region resulting in a large presence of avifauna. The two APA’s contain a lot of nature too but more human activities are allowed here.

Rua das Pedras
The Rua das Pedras is the main street of Búzios. At daytime, it is the place to buy art, handicrafts and souvenirs. It is also the central point of nightlife with many bars and restaurants.