Armação de Búzios or just Búzios is a small balneary with more than 26 beaches and a population about 27.700 people is located 170km from the city of Rio de Janeiro. You can arrive there by ship, bus or car. Been there a few times by ship, as Búzios is on route for many of them during the summer season. They usually spend an afternoon or a day in the balneary. This time I drove from Rio de Janeiro and it took me approximately 2 hours. It is important to have some change, specially coins if possible in reais (brazilian currency) cause there are a few pikes on the way, the fees are not expensive something like R$ 20,oo (in total). I’ve heard there are some hotels that offers transfer from/to Rio de Janeiro’s airport and it costs about R$70,00, so if you prefer this option, don’t forget to ask your hotel if they have this service and how much it is. Below I will right the path from Rio to Búzios!
The balneary is very lively and packed during the summer. The street “Rua das Pedras” , “Orla Bardot” and “Porto da Barra”get packed with tourists mostly young people. The balneary offers good parties and owned a very good nightclub called Sirena. So, if you are not up for crowds, you better go during the low season, when the balneary gets more romantic and cozy. If you like water sports Búzios can be a good option for kitesurfing, wakeboard and others. On the street called “Rua das Pedras” you can find many stores and street salers selling typical brazilian handiwork or fashion beach clothes.
Regarding accommodation we stayed at Serena Boutique Resort, I liked it there pretty much specially the breakfast, the only thing that I didnt like much is that Serena is a family hotel, so if you don’t care about children running around….
Check below a few places I’ve been over there and please try and go to all of them!
Rockka beach club: Spend the day in one of those big beach chair perfect for couples enjoying the amazing food and drinks they have. The address is Praia Brava, 13 and is open from 10am to 5pm.
Click here for Rocka’s website
Quadrucci: Porto da Barra offers good restaurants and one of them is Quadrucci an italian restaurant also well known in Rio de Janeiro.
Click here for Quadrucci’s website
Cigalon: The restaurant is also very well known for its food, worth a visit!
Click here for Cigalon’s website
Some useful websites:
Porto da Barra website ( in portuguese)
TRIP’S TIP:
- If you are a big fan of havaianas the famous brazilian slippers, there is a big store in Búzios – so don’t bother if you left your old pair at home!
- At the entrance of the city there is a house very stylish where you can get all the inform you may need
- Watch the sunset in Porto da Barra.
As I said before, here the path in details from Rio de Janeiro to Búzios:
After passing the toll on the Rio-Niterói bridge, take a left heading to Rio Bonito, soon after arriving at Rio Bonito, take a right onto “Via Lagos” in the direction of “Região dos Lagos” and keep on this highway, when it ends, continue more 4 miles until reaching a large Ipiranga gas station at the entrance of “São Pedro da Aldeia”. Take a left at the gas station and then immediately turn right onto RJ-106 in the direction of Macaé/Búzios. Some 8 miles later you will come to the “Até que Enfim” gas station, where you will turn off to the right. From this point, Búzios is some 10 minutes away. The entire trip takes about 2 hours.
