Buzios

Buzios is a peninsula town about two hours east of Rio de Janeiro, often compared to St. Tropez since Brigitte Bardot made it famous in the 1960s. Ships anchor offshore and tenders bring passengers to the waterfront, where a bronze statue of Bardot marks the promenade. Rua das Pedras, the main cobblestone street, is lined with boutique shops, galleries and open-air restaurants serving grilled seafood and caipirinhas. The peninsula has over 20 beaches, each with a different feel. Ferradura is sheltered and calm, good for families, while Geribá gets surf. Water taxis run to smaller coves like Praia da Azeda that are harder to reach on foot. Seafood is the thing to eat here: try moqueca, a coconut-based fish stew, with farofa on the side. The town is compact enough to walk, and the pace is deliberately slow, which is half the point of the place.