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.
Leme is a small stretch of beach to the east of Copacabana, at Avenida Princes Isabel. It’s a much quieter beach than Copacabana, and there’s much less action.
A short walk west of where Copacabana ends is a stretch of three other very popular beaches, Leblon, Ipanema, and Arpoador. This is my preferred stretch of beach in Rio de Janeiro and where I spent the most beach time. There’s also a promenade along most of the length of the beach, just like in Copacabana.
Copacabana beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world. The word Copacabana itself creates images of hundreds of perfect bodies on a crowded beach, men and women flirting with each other, playing football, working out, or laying out for a tan.
Rio de Janeiro has some of the best and most famous beaches in the world, along with a strict beach culture that Cariocas say should be followed if you want to fit in.
The main attractions in Colonia del Sacramento are in the small historic district. If you have time, there are a few interesting things to see just outside of that part of town.
One of the popular day tours from Buenos Aires involves going to two suburbs north of the city, San Isidro and Tigre. This entry focuses on Tigre.
Pichilemu is a laid back beach town in Chile known as one of the best surfing spots in the world, with the best year-round surfing in South America. It’s about three and a half hours by bus from Santiago’s Terminal Alameda.
While the city of Viña del Mar itself isn’t all that great, the beaches are pretty good. They aren’t always safe for swimming (the red flag was up every day at each beach), but if you’re into surfing or sunbathing, you’re in luck. But be warned – the water is freezing.
My Chilean friends all told me to go to Viña del Mar. My expat friends told me to avoid it. Because of the difference of opinion, I decided to check it out for myself.