The Best Beaches in Buzios (Brazil)

Armacao dos buzios (or Buzios), is a beautiful fishing town located just outside Rio De Janeiro and a popular holiday destination for wealthy professionals from Brazil’s Capital. 

This quaint town was made famous back in the 1960s after Bridgette Bardot visited the then small fishing village and couldn't get enough, publicly raving about her experience. As you walk around the town you’ll notice many references to her, with a golden statue and many restaurants and hotels named after Miss Bardot. 

Buzios is a peninsula about a 2.5hr drive from Rio, and has 20 glorious beaches to choose from, all with something different to offer. Below we’ve picked the 10 best beaches in Armacao dos buzios, and what makes them special so you can pick the best Buzios beaches for your taste. 

Praia da Ferradurinha

Best for: Families | Swimming | Snorkelling

‘Inha’ means little in Portuguese when added to another name. Ferradurinha beach is the smaller beach that sits next to Ferradura Beach in Buzios which is one of Buzios’ biggest beaches. 

Praia Da Ferradurinha offers calm, clear waters for a relaxing day at the beach. There are just a couple of restaurants for food & drink so it’s calmer than some of the other beaches in Buzios. 

The cove means the water is warmer and waves are rare making it  a great beach for swimming and snorkelling. If you’re lucky you might even spot a few sea turtles swimming nearby. 

Because Praia Da Ferradurinha is small, and highly rated in Armacao dos buzios it can get very busy, so It’s best to get there a bit earlier in the day, especially in the high season. 

Praia de Geribá

Best for: Surfing | Windsurfing | Kitesurfing.

If you love surfing Geriba Beach in Buzios is the one for you. It’s one of Buzios’s biggest beaches and spans about 2000m long. It’s on the southern point of the peninsula and faces the open ocean, making it a reliable wave spot. There is a surf school located in the middle of the beach, just turn up and the teacher will be around if it’s a good day for surfing (i.e. the waves aren’t too rough). Aside from surfing you’ll often see windsurfers and kite surfers if the weathers just right. 

Geriba Beach is also home to Fishbone restaurant. A beachfront restaurant with sun loungers and great food. It’s on the pricier end for Buzios restaurants, but the food portions are big, and super fresh ingredients. 

Praia da Foca

Best for: Privacy | Swimming

Foca beach in Buzios, or Seal Beach as it means in English, is a tiny secluded beach that can be accessed by an unmarked trail making it less well known by tourists. It is just a small plot of sand surrounded by lots of flat rocks, this protects the beach from waves and wind, and forms a calm cove for swimming. 

There are no facilities on the beach, so be sure to stock up with essentials if you plan of staying for the day. 

Praia da Tartaruga

Best for: Turtle Spotting (Snorkelling) | Families | Watersports | Restaurants

Tartaruga Beach stands for Turtle Beach, and you guessed it… it is famous for Sea Turtles. As Tartaruga beach is tucked in on the North west side of the peninsula it is one of the warmest beaches in Buzios for swimming. Again you’ll find an array of great restaurants and water sports to suit everyone’s needs. It’s a great beach in Armacao dos Buzios for filling the day. 

 This is one of Buzios’ most sought after beaches, and in the high season can get incredibly crowded so it’s worth bearing that in mind. If you walk further down the beach and away from the sea taxis it gets much calmer.  

Praia da Armação 

Best for: Boat trips | Restaurants | Bars | Shopping

Praia da Armacao is Buzios’ beach that lines the main part of town. It’s very rare to see people sunbathing here, but the cobbled streets that follow the beach are full of restaurants, bars and swanky shops. The beach is full of small fishing boats and offers a spectacular view whilst eating dinner in Buzios. 

This is also the beach where you would take a half day boat tour, to explore different coastal hotspots, including a small Island just off the shore. 

Praia Olho de Boi 

Best for: Nudists

Olho de Boi isn’t for the faint hearted. The beach can only be accessed by a long trek through the topical cliffs, clothing is optional (rarely worn by visitors). Beach Olho de Boi is Buzios’s only nudist beach, and for this reason is normally less preferred by families. 

However if this is your vibe, just a bit of advice, wait until after the trek to take your clothes off!

Rocky cliffs on each side of Praia Olho de Boi help create a pool of warm clear water for swimming…naked. There aren’t many amenities on the beach but there is a small beach hut for snacks and water.

Praia de João Fernandes 

Best for: Families | Watersports | Restaurants

João Fernandes Beach is one of the most desirable beaches in Armacao Dos Buzios. It has something for everyone. 

Restaurants and bars line the beach, and they have beach chairs and umbrellas. If you plan on eating or drinking during the day they offer them for free. Beach holiday music plays out across the beach from all the restaurants while sellers offering clothes, snacks and Ice cream wander the beach.

João Fernandes Beach is also great for families, several water sports providers are available on the beach, you can do paddle boarding, kayaking and water trampolining. If you hire a kayak you can paddle out to explore Praia João Fernandinho.

As you can see Armacao dos buzios  has beaches that offer enough variety to have something for everyone. Remember this is just a selection of what we consider Buzios’s best beaches, but there are 20 in total with even more to offer. 

Comment below if you have any Buzios suggestions.