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Armação dos Búzios, better known as Búzios, is a resort town about three hours from Rio de Janeiro. It was made popular in the 1964 when French actress Brigitte Bardot visited with her Brazilian boyfriend, Bob Zagury. This small town has several good beaches, great nightlife, and lots of shopping and restaurants.
Getting There
I took a bus from Rio’s bus station, Rodoviária do Rio. Auto Viação 1001 is the bus company that serves the Búzios-Rio route and has hourly departures throughout the day. If traveling to Búzios for the weekend, it may be best to reserve a seat ahead of time. The bus stops just a five minute walk from the heart of town.
Bamboo Búzios Seashore Hostel
I stayed in Búzios for a week at Nomad Búzios Seashore Hostel (now Bamboo Búzios Seashore Hostel). It was a great place to stay. I loved the breakfast, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the location was unbeatable. It was right on the beach, Praia do Canto, with an incredible view of the harbor and sunset. Drinks at the bar were also very cheap.
I stayed in a dorm with 12 beds but was pretty lucky – it was low season and only a few of the beds were full. I can imagine it could be a little messy and uncomfortable during high season. The only thing I didn’t like about the hostel was the mosquito problem in the room. I was kept up a few nights even after practically bathing in mosquito repellant. The hostel is a little hard to find – its entrance is located in the dining area of a pizza place.
Where to Eat
The most important thing to know about Búzios is that it’s not cheap. I didn’t eat at any nice restaurants, but other than fast food, even the “cheaper” places were overpriced and of very low quality. I can’t endorse any specific restaurant I ate at, but I did try Mr. Brad, Bananaland, and a sports bar next to my hostel. The pizza place out in front of the hostel is pretty good and reasonably priced, and guests get a 10% discount.
Getting Around
I should also mention the whole of Búzios is walkable as long as you are staying in the heart of town. There are several hostels and hotels located outside of town and I could imagine it would be good to have a bike or car, or hire a taxi. Some of the beaches are walkable from town, and others need transportation. All in all, it’s very easy to get around and extremely safe.
