Armação dos Búzios (often shortened to just Búzios) is a coastal city in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
Búzios is more than a city, consisting as it does of a peninsula beach resort with twenty beaches.

In the early 1900s Búzios was an almost unknown village of fishermen. It remained as such until 1964, when the French actress Brigitte Bardot visited Búzios, since then Búzios became popular with the Carioca’s high society, who wanted to escape from the chaotic city life of Rio de Janeiro and enjoy over 23 beaches that the peninsula offers. The city grew to be an international tourist destination.

Today, the peninsula is a traveling site that offers calmness, direct contact with nature and scenic views. The west coast beaches offer calm, clear waters while the east coast ones, facing the open sea, are more wild and draw surfers and water sports enthusiasts. Azeda, Ferradura, João Fernandes and Armação are amongst the most popular beaches in town. At night, Rua das Pedras, Buzios' main street, offers its visitors an active nightlife and a great variety of shopping and restaurants.

History

During the 16th century, the Tupinambá Indians occupied the area, which is now known as Búzios. During the 17th century, the Europeans invaded what was then a small village, and as a result, the Tupinambá developed strict relationships with the French pirates and smugglers, who were interested in smuggling pau-brasil (famous Brazilian reddish wood) and selling African Slaves. Eventually, the French were expelled by the Portuguese due to their bloody disputes with the Tupinambás, which resulted in a significant decrease in the Indian population in that region.Statue of Brigitte Bardot in Búzios.In the 18th century, the gold trade from Minas Gerais and its exportation to Europe from Rio de Janeiro attracted many ships to the Guanabara Bay. Additionally, the increasing number of ships along the city’s coast brought close attention to the whale hunting practice that took place in that area. The name “Armação dos Búzios,” for instance, comes from the process of separating the meat from the bones. Also, a famous beach in Búzios called “Praia dos Ossos” was named after the great number of whales’ bones found along the shore. Another curious fact about this practice at the time was that the city lights were fueled with whale oil, and the famous Sant’Ana Chapel located on the top of a hill between Praia dos Ossos and Praia da Armação was built with rocks and whale oil as well.

Around 1850 when the slave trade was abolished in Brazil, Búzios was able to establish itself as a city that cultivated agricultural and fishing habits, instead of being just a smuggling, slave-trading and whale-hunting site. With time, the once European dominated city shifted into a community composed by a mix of native descendants, blacks, and interracial citizens. In 1940, Antonio Alipio da Silva was the first political representative to initiate a political life in Búzios. As a consequence, the small town started to grow and attract a greater variety of people. During the mid-1900s, Búzios was already known to Rio’s high society, as it was a relatively reserved beach getaway from the chaotic urban life. However, it was only around 1964, when Brigitte Bardot visited the small town, which Búzios became well known.

When to go

High Season is from November till March and June to July (when Brazilian schools are on holiday). Low season is from March until May and August till October. April and May can be a very good month to go because it is dry and quieter for families looking for relaxing times. December is the busiest month, and it is great for parties, although you may face some lack of basics (water and food supplies) and prices rise substantially. In general, the area can get very congested during the high season, while during the low season there is almost no one there except at weekends. Avoid going in March because it can be quite wet.