Búzios

Beautiful Búzios sits on a jutting peninsula scalloped by 17 beaches. A simple fishing village until the early ’60s, when it was ‘discovered’ by Brigitte Bardot and her Brazilian boyfriend, it’s now one of Brazil’s most upscale and animated seaside resorts, littered with boutiques, fine restaurants, villas, bars and posh pousadas. The Mediterranean touch introduced by the Portuguese has not been lost – indeed, the narrow cobblestone streets and picturesque waterfront contribute to Búzios’ image as Brazil’s St Tropez.

Búzios is not a single town but rather three settlements on the same peninsula – Ossos, Manguinhos and Armação de Búzios. Ossos (Bones), at the northern tip of the peninsula, is the oldest and most attractive. It has a pretty harbor and yacht club, plus a few hotels and bars. Manguinhos, on the isthmus, is the most commercial. Armação, in between, is the heart of town, with the most tourist amenities.