Winter Travel 2014 – Búzios, Brazil — New York

Brazil: Búzios
Ibiza­style clubs, windy waters, seaside coxinha.
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By Joshua David Stein Published Oct 17, 2014
(Photo: Mark Leibowitz)
Beaches for Every Body
More than 20 beaches surround this small peninsula and range from windswept to sheltered.
Stats
Competitive windsurfer Ricardo “Bimba” Santos offers his picks.
Average Nov.–Mar. air temp.: 77°
For the dormant: “Fishing boats fill the water of Ossos, a peaceful beach on the northeast tip. It’s
ideal for sunbathing or watching the sunset.”
Average Nov.–Mar. water temp.:
73°
Low­season population: 23,000
High­season population: 100,000
For the buoyant: “Small and semi­wild, Forno is sheltered in a cove on the south side. The deep,
Drive time from Rio: Around 2
warm water—forno means oven—offers the best diving.”
hours
For the volant: “Windsurfers flock to a beach on the north side called Manguinhos. It’s famous
among sailors, too, for the 30­knot winds.”
For the surfant: “Geribá, on the south side, has a long, even, consistent beach break. Seaside stalls
sell coxinha (chicken fritters) and Noi beer.”
From Pão de Queijo to Foie Gras
Búzios has culinary options for both the jet set and hoi polloi. Chef Danio Braga, of Sollar Búzios, picks
out his go­tos.
$ “For breakfast, I love to have orange cake and coffee at Maria Maria Café (Rua das Pedras, 151;
2623­4681) on a patio overlooking the fishing boats bobbing in the water.”
$$ “Sukão (Praca Eugenio Honold; no phone) has the best sandwiches in town. Try the salpiçao
(Brazilian chicken salad) on potato bread, or the pão de queijo (cheese bread balls). It’s in the laid­back
Barrio Ossos.”
$$$ “The best fish can be found at Restaurante O Barco (Av. José Bento Ribeiro Dantas, 1054; 2629­
8307), just off Armaçao Beach. Order the fresh grilled anchovies.”
$$$$ “For something more refined, Argentine­by­way­of­Ibiza chef Gustavo Rinkevich’s Rocka Beach
Lounge (Praia Brava, 13; 2623­6159) serves local ingredients imaginatively made—like a chicken foie
gras with pepper gelée and pistachio farofa.”
$$$$$ “The white­tableclothed offshoot of a Rio institution, Satyricon (Av. José Bento Ribeiro Dantas
500; 2623­2691) attracts Búzios’s most glamorous. The owners maintain their own fishing vessels but
also import king crab from Alaska, salmon from Norway, and fruit from the Amazon.”
24­Hour Brazilians
“The kids here,” says DJ Marcos Carnaval, a Búzios regular, “party hard.” Here, his night­to­day
itinerary.
3 to
6
(Photo: Courtesy of the vendor)
p.m. “Day clubs weren’t popular until people saw them in Ibiza a few years ago. The Silk Beach Club
(Rua 17, Lote 14; 2623­3083) was one of the first.”
6 to midnight. “Have a rare quiet drink at the Porto Da Barra complex (Av. José Bento Ribeiro
Dantas, 2900), a cab ride away.”
Midnight to 2 a.m. “Privilège (Av. José Bento Ribeiro Dantas, 550; 2620­8585) is a massive dance
club.”
3 to 10 a.m. Pacha Buzios (Rua das Pedras, 151; 2292­9606) is full of celebrities. It’s magical
watching the sunrise from the dance floor.”
Where the Locals Would Stay
“The main draw of Pousada Amendoeira (from $74;
amendoeira.net), which has nine simple rooms, is that it
sits at the nexus of five of the best beaches: Ossos, Azeda,
Azedinha, João Fernandes, and João Fernandinho.” —
Ana Julia Tango, online­brand consultant
“The Pousada La Chimère (from $135;
lachimere.com.br) is both elegant and rustic, and its 25
rooms circle a lush courtyard and pool. It sits on a
charming square across from Búzios’s one antique gallery.”
—barbara lowenstein, blogger, Tropical Daydreams
“Most of the 32 elegant rooms of the Casas Brancas
Boutique Hotel & Spa (above; from $683;
(Photo: Courtesy of Casas Brancas Boutique Hotel & Spa)
casasbrancas.com.br), which opened in the ’70s, have
panoramic water views. The hotel also has one of Búzios’s
best restaurants, Café Atlântico, and by far one of its most spectacular decks.” —ana elisa paz, owner of
Cine Bardot and organizer of the Búzios film festival
Who’s Who in Búzios
Octávio Raja Gabaglia The Oscar Nieyemer of Búzios, the architect helped pass a 1983 law that
outlawed buildings over two stories. Christina Motta The oft­Instagrammed statue of Brigitte Bardot is the work of this local sculptor.
Flávio Aristides Freitas Hailliot Tavares The leftist writer spent years in political exile before
retiring to Búzios, where he now writes a column for Brazilian newspaper Zero Hora.
Next: Curaçao, the Caribbean
Related:
Articles by Joshua David Stein
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