Armação dos Búzios
Municipality
Municipality of Armação dos Búzios
Flag Seal
Location in Rio de Janeiro
Coordinates: 22°44′49″S 41°52′55″W / 22.74694°S 41.88194°W / -22.74694; -41.88194
Country	Brazil
Region	Southeast
State	Rio de Janeiro
Government
• Mayor	Alexandre Martins (Republicanos)
Area
• Total	70.978 km2 (27.405 sq mi)
Elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	34,477
• Density	490/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−3 (BRT)
HDI (2010)	0.728 – high[2]
Website	buzios.rj.gov.br

Armação dos Búzios (Portuguese pronunciation: [aʁmɐˈsɐ̃w duz ˈbuzjus]), often referred to as just Búzios, is a municipality located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is 173 km east of the city of Rio de Janeiro. By 2020, its population consisted of 34,477 inhabitants and its area of 71 km². Today, Búzios is a worldwide tourist site.

Búzios remained almost unknown until 1964, when the French actress Brigitte Bardot visited the small village. Since then, in Búzios became popular with the Carioca's high society, who wanted to escape from the city life of Rio de Janeiro and enjoy over 23 beaches the peninsula offers. The town eventually grew to be an international tourist destination.

The peninsula's west coast beaches offer calm, clear waters while the east coast ones, facing the open sea, are more wild and draw surfers and water sports enthusiasts. Azeda, Ferradura, João Fernandes and Armação are amongst the most popular beaches in town. At night, Rua das Pedras, Buzios' main street, offers its visitors an active nightlife and a great variety of shopping and restaurants.

History

During the 16th century, the Tupinambá Indians occupied the area, which is now known as Búzios. During the 17th century, the Europeans invaded what was then a small village and as a result, the Tupinambá developed strict relationships with the French pirates and smugglers, who were interested in smuggling pau-brasil (Brazilian reddish wood) and selling African Slaves.^[3] Eventually the French were expelled by the Portuguese due to their bloody disputes with the Tupinambás, which resulted in a significant decrease in the Indian population in that region.

In the 18th century, the gold trade from Minas Gerais and its exportation to Europe from Rio de Janeiro attracted many ships to the Guanabara Bay. Additionally the increasing number of ships along the city's coast brought close attention to the whale hunting practice that took place in that area. The name "Armação dos Búzios", for instance, comes from the process of separating the meat from the bones. In addition, a beach in Búzios called "Praia dos Ossos" was named after the great amount of whales' bones found along the shore. Another curious fact about this practice at the time was that the city lights were fueled with whale oil, and the Sant'Ana Chapel located on the top of a hill between Praia dos Ossos and Praia da Armação, was built with rocks and whale oil as well.^[4]

Around 1850 when slave trade was abolished in Brazil, Búzios was able to establish itself as a city that cultivated agricultural and fishing habits, instead of being just a smuggling, slave-trading and whale-hunting site. With time, the once European dominated city, shifted into a community composed by a mix of native descendants, blacks and interracial citizens. In 1940, Antonio Alipio da Silva was the first political representative to initiate a political life in Búzios.^[5] As a consequence, the small town started to grow and attract a greater variety of people. During the mid-1900s, Búzios was already known to Rio's high society, as it was a relatively reserved beach getaway from the chaotic urban life. However, it was only around 1964, when Brigitte Bardot visited the small town, that Búzios actually became well known.

Main sights

• Chapel Our Lady Untier of Knots.^[8]

Geography

Armação dos Búzios is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in an area known as Região dos Lagos. The peninsula of 8 kilometers in extension features 23 beaches: Geribá, Tartaruga, João Fernandes, João Fernandinho, Ferradura, Ferradurinha, Azeda, Azedinha, Ossos, Manguinhos, Tucuns, Brava, Amores, Armação, Forno, Foca, Olho de Boi, Caravelas, José Gonçalves, Virgens, Canto, Rasa, Moças.^[9]

Transportation

Búzios is served by Umberto Modiano Airport which operates flights of general aviation. There are regular buses that travel to Búzios from Rio de Janeiro and other cities of the region.

Gallery

• 
  Azeda beach
• 
  Caravelas beach
• 
  Bardot bay
• 
  Streets of Búzios
• 

Entertainment

Common outdoor activities include snorkeling, hiking, fishing, scuba diving, tanning, and beach hopping on aqua taxi or buggies. Rua das Pedras, literally translated as "Stone Street", is the center of the city life, featuring a variety of stores, restaurants, clubs, bars and art galleries.

Restaurants include Chez Michou, the busiest place to eat French-style crepes and drink caipirinhas in town; Satyricon specialized in sea food; Pizzeria Capricciosa, located side-by-side with Satyricon yet specialized in Italian food. Sollar, located in the beginning of the Orla Bardot, which features the Italian chef Danio Braga. Nightlife in Búzios is serviced by clubs/bars like: The House of Rock and Roll, Privilège, Pacha, Anexo and Zapata. In terms of what to wear, women are usually dressed in flat sandals due to the difficulty to walk on the cobblestone streets.^[11]

Also on Rua das Pedras, there are stores such as Animale, Richards, Osklen, Oh Boy!, Maria Filó, Lacoste, Farm, Eclectic Havainas, Salinas, Lenny Niemeyer, Banco de Areia, Bum Bum and Água de Coco.^[12]

Notable people

• Lenny Lobato, footballer.

References

External links

• Media related to Armação dos Búzios at Wikimedia Commons
• Armação dos Búzios travel guide from Wikivoyage