Buzios: A perfect weekend getaway from Rio De Janeiro!

For my 5 week long stay in Brazil this year, i kept Rio De Janeiro as my base and explored parts of north east Brazil and also a nearby beach town called Buzios, which i did as a quick weekend getaway by bus.

Getting there

I didn’t book the ticket online, so i just landed at the Rodaviario – the bus station in Rio and got it last minute.

It’s a very comfortable journey and shouldn’t take you more than 3-4 hours to reach from Rio De Janeiro by road.

Where to stay in Buzios

After a ton of resarch, i decided to stay in a Airbnb which seemed conveniently located (20 minutes of walking to almost each of the popular beaches).

There are a ton of hostels & resorts in the historical city center, but i chose something a bit farther just so i could also enjoy some solitude.

After reaching Buzios, i just took an Uber from the bus stop to the pousada and instantly fell in love with the place.

Watch this video i made there and you’ll know WHY…

Oh, they even had a fabulous beach view from… the poolside!

Getting around Buzios

Now, while i chose mostly walking, there are 4 ways more ways to get around Buzios.

1. as i mentioned earlier: Uber
2. Local buses – Google Maps can help you plan this
3. Renting a swanky 4 x 4 or
4. Hopping from beach to beach in public / private boats (prices start from R$10 or Rs.170 per ride)
   If you plan to do that, it would be best to stay in the Centro region where most people prefer staying.

Beach hopping in Buzios

Back to my exploration of Buzios on foot, my first stop was Praia Forno followed by Praia Brava.

Forno was a peaceful red sand beach with nothing much to write home about, while Brava had a few resorts along its shore.

I liked them both, but i wanted to do a quick recce of everything i could on Day 1. So i headed next to Joao Fernandes beach.

This one seemed much bigger and nicer and had a lot of beach shacks to chill at, so i grabbed a refreshing caipirinha here and soaked in some sun with these beautiful views!

If there’s one thing i love more than beaches though, it is hiking up to viewpoints for a bird’s eye view for a poor man’s drone view – so that’s what i did next – and wow, did it deliver or what!

Next up were the twin beaches of Azeda & Azedinha.

These seemed to have a chill and fun vibe too, and i grabbed another caipirinha here before moving on to Azedinha to check out its natural pool formation, literally around the corner from Azeda.

Brigitte Bardot and her Brazilian beau are fondly credited for the influx of tourism in Buzios – so they have a fitting tribute in the town which makes for a photo-op when you’re here.

It was now time for some food, so i headed to the cobblestoned walking steet in Centro, which is foodie and shopping heaven.

Do NOT miss eating at Chez Michou here, which served up some heavenly crepes!

I tried their chicken curry and had a fun chat with the staff explaining what “bhagwaan ke liye” meant in Portuguese!

Dessert was my favorite food in the whole world – acai (which is basically frozen berry pulp), and i found this amazing place which served it in different forms, just a little ahead of Chez Michou.

Finally, it was time to call it a day, and based on my Airbnb host’s recommendation, i went to experience the sunset at Porto Da Barra. She was right. It was definitely worth it 🙂

Big thanks to my Instagram friend Regan Zanes (The Gringo In Brazil) for helping me decide Buzios as the perfect weekend getaway from Rio De Janeiro!