It's
anyone's guess how small or sleepy the fishing town of Búzios
truly was when French starlet Brigitte Bardot stumbled onto
its sandy beaches in 1964, but it's certain that in the years
since the little town used the publicity to turn itself into
Rio's premier beach resort. So phenomenal was the growth that
at the height of the 1999 season, Búzios' mayor appeared
live on Rio TV and begged people to stop coming. Clearly, no
one paid him any mind: in the summer the town is packed with
Brazilians on vacation, many Carioca celebrities own places
here, and Argentineans continue to invade with a gusto not seen
since the Falklands debacle. Despite the influx the town has
managed to retain a good deal of the charm of its fishing village
past.
Búzios
(the town's full name is Armação de Búzios)
sits on the tip of a long, beach-rich peninsula jutting out
into the clear blue Atlantic. The sheer number of beaches close
to town makes it easy to experience Brazilian beach culture
firsthand. Geribá Beach is the place for surfing. Quiet
and calm and very deep, Ferruda Beach is perfect for a lazy
afternoon snorkel. Far from town are more isolated spots to
steal a quiet moment with a special beach friend, while right
in town on Ossos Beach you can sip a caipirinha at a beachside
cafe and pretend for a moment you're young, rich, and beautiful.
In this South America Saint-Tropez everyone else certainly is.
Finally,
on top of serious inquisitions into beach culture there are
more trivial pursuits such as diving, sailing, windsurfing,
fine cuisine, and endless opportunities to shop.
