Búzios
A summer retreat on the coast east of Rio, more than twenty beaches within a short drive of Rua das Pedras, and an international runway 28 km away at Cabo Frio.
- Arrival
- Cabo Frio International · CFB
- To the town
- About 28 km from the airport by road
- Private jets
- Customs at CFB; small airfield in Búzios
- Best time
- February to March · May to October
The city
Shells, a film star and twenty beaches.
The town takes its name from the shells once heaped on its sand. In the 1960s it became a summer escape for families from Rio, and a visit by Brigitte Bardot carried its name abroad: her bronze figure now sits on the boardwalk at Praia da Armação, a few steps from the boutiques and galleries of Rua das Pedras, which wakes up as the light goes.
Geribá draws surfers, Manguinhos and Rasa the kitesurfers, Ferradura families; Forno has reddish sand and clear, still water. The Pau-Brasil protected area takes in further coves and the offshore islands of Papagaio, Dois Irmãos and Comprida.
- Orla Bardot A promenade of timber decks and stone along Armação, with the actress cast in bronze looking out to sea.
- Praia do Forno Red-tinged sand and calm, transparent water ten minutes from town, with a viewpoint above.
- Pau-Brasil reserve Protected coves at Caravelas and José Gonçalves, and the singular ecosystem of the Serra das Emerências.
Arriving
Cabo Frio for jets, a strip for lighter aircraft.
Cabo Frio International, six kilometres east of Cabo Frio and about 28 km from Búzios, has a runway of 2,550 metres. From Rio de Janeiro the road covers some 170 km, about three hours by car; hotels also arrange the transfer by helicopter.
- São Paulo 1 h 00
- Punta del Este 2 h 45
- Lima 5 h 25
- Barbados 6 h 00
- Miami 9 h 05 long-range jet
When to go
February to March, and May to October.
The southern winter is the driest part of the year here. From June to September rain falls to 40 to 56 mm a month and afternoons hold at 25 °C. November to January brings the heaviest rain, and the sea is warmest, at 24 to 25 °C, from January to May.
- 29° J 96 24°
- 29° F 77 25°
- 29° M 84 25°
- 28° A 91 25°
- 26° M 72 24°
- 25° J 42 23°
- 25° J 42 22°
- 25° A 39 21°
- 25° S 56 21°
- 25° O 80 22°
- 27° N 106 23°
- 28° D 126 23°
Where to stay
Above the bay and on Ferradura.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Insólito Boutique Hotel Rooms each themed on a piece of Brazil, from Jorge Amado to naïf painting, with pools facing the sea and two boats kept for guests.
- Vila d'este A small hotel over Búzios bay, its pool above the water and direct access to the Orla Bardot.
- Casas Brancas Boutique Hotel & Spa Thirty-two rooms run by the same family since the 1970s, with a Mediterranean terrace and a restaurant facing the sea.
Where to dine
Where to book in Búzios.
The MICHELIN Guide covers only Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in Brazil. These are among the best rated tables in the top price band on Tripadvisor, with its Best of the Best and Travellers’ Choice awards.
- 74 Restaurant Tripadvisor Best of the Best 2026 Contemporary $$$$ Casas Brancas, Armação
- Restô Canto Tripadvisor Best of the Best 2025 Mediterranean seafood $$$$ Rua das Pedras
- Místico Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice 2025 Mediterranean seafood $$$$ Abracadabra, Armação
- Rocka Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice 2026 Seafood, lunch only $$$$ Praia Brava, about 3 km
Elsewhere in Brazil
More reasons to come.
- Rio de Janeiro Ipanema, the Sugarloaf, and Christ the Redeemer above the bay.
- São Paulo The largest city of the southern hemisphere, and its restaurants.
- Trancoso Painted houses around the Quadrado, and beaches below the cliff.
- Fernando de Noronha A protected archipelago far out in the Atlantic, with a cap on visitors.
- Manaus An opera house in the forest, and the meeting of the waters on the Amazon.
- Foz do Iguaçu The Brazilian side, for the panorama of the whole falls.
Flying to Búzios?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.