Every time I visit Búzios  (the real name is Armação dos Búzios) I fall even more in love with this city. Located 110 miles from Rio de Janeiro, Búzios started getting popular around 1960 when the French star Brigitte Bardot was escaping from Paparazzis in Rio de Janeiro. Her boyfriend (a Brazilian at the time called Bob Zagury) hid her inside a car and took a boat to this paradise. At the time, Búzios was just a fishing village and did not receive many visitors besides rich families that came to spend time on the beach.

The impact of her visit in Búzios was huge and the city started to be well known internationally. Bridget spent almost 2 months in Búzios, spending her time by  lying out at the beach, playing guitar and talking with the locals. After this period of time, Búzios reach the status of the “Brazilian Saint Tropez” and the village was elevated to a city. Brigitte Bardot represents a lot for this small town, so much so that they named several landmarks after her, including a movie theater, a seafront called Orla Bardot and a beautiful statue on one of the most beautiful shorelines.

The beauty of the city of Búzios attracts visitors from all over the world, but what’s most surprising is the quantity of Argentinians you’ll find in the city, not just as visitors but as business owners running local restaurants and pousadas (a kind of B&B or a boutique hotel). The shore is very distinctive with a brilliant blue colored waters and the beaches are usually surrounded by fish boats. Búzios was recent named “The Best Destination Sun and Beach 2012″  by EUROAL 2012.

The food in Búzios deserves a blog post unto itself. With a big community of Argentinians, French and Italians this city offers fantastic gastronomic experiences. Sea food is what they make best, fish and shrimp are the most popular ingredients but you can easily find pasta and the famous Argentinian “asado“  (barbecue).

Adventures in Brazil offers the best experience for you, your friends and family. Send us a e-mail and we will more than happy to organize your next travel vacation.

With Carnaval just around the corner, I couldn’t resist posting this is an amazing time lapse video of Rio de Janeiro – the City of Samba – made by Keith Loutit and Jarbas Agnelli. The images are captured from Carnaval 2011. Muito legal (very cool)!

The City of Samba from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Over the years I’ve made great Cariocas friends – “Cariocas” is a nickname for people originally from Rio de Janeiro, like Bostonian from Boston and New Yorkers from NY. This fantastic group of friends has helped me put together a list of 10 local hot spots that you won’t find in guide books or on the web – these are the “real” Brazil!

1- Bira de Guaratiba

Located 45 minutes outside the city of Rio de Janeiro, Bira is a culinary gem located in Guaratiba.  Offering visitors fantastic views from the Restinga da Marambaia and delicious sea food dishes, a visit to this paradise is highly recommended.

Address:
Caminho da Vendinha, 68
Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 23020-810, Brazil
Phone: (21)2410-8304
No website available at this time

2- Maze Jazz

The first Friday of every month, Maze B&B opens its doors for a night of Jazz music. Located inside a pacified slum, Maze visitors will be stunned by the breathtaking views of Rio while sipping on fresh caipirinhas and listening to Bossa Nova jazz. The live music starts at 9pm and goes all night.

Address:
Rua Tavares Bastos, 414
Catete, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22221-030, Brazil
Phone: (21) 2558-5547
http://jazzrio.com/en/

3- Don Pascual

Don Pascual is located in the middle of the Mata Atlântica, the restaurant itself is situated in a forest! Harmonizing nature and food, this restaurant offers a good selection of wine and a mix of Brazilian/Mediterranean cuisine.

Address:
Estrada do Sacarrão, 867
Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22785-085, Brazil
Phone: (21) 2428-6237
http://www.donpascual.com.br/

4- Aconchego Carioca

Famous amongst Cariocas, this spot serves boteco food. Boteco’s are small bars in Brazil that offer creative small dishes, similar to Spanish tapas. Be sure to try a bolinho (dumpling) filled with Feijoada – you’ll love it! Add a cold beer and your meal will be perfection

Address:
Rua Barão de Iguatemi, 379
Praça da Bandeira, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20270-060, Brazil
Phone: (21) 2273-1035
Website under contruction: http://www.aconchegocarioca.com.br/

5- Festa Segredo

Festa Segredo (Secret Party) takes place once a month and is limited to 300 people at a time. The address of the secret location is shared on Facebook, so you have to connect to their Facebook page. People that attend the party are invited to write down a secret on a communal board. It’s an all night party filled with beautiful  people dancing all night long. It’s can be hard to get in, especially if you are not a Portuguese speaker, bit worth it if you can find a spot. Good luck!

Address:
https://www.facebook.com/segredo.festa

6- Bar Chico e Alaíde

Another boteco for you to try. Located in Leblon neighborhood, this place serves more than 40 different kind of small plates like bolinhos, empadas e caldinhos. Cold draft beers called Choop are very popular here.

Address:
Rua Dias Ferreira, 679
Leblon, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22431-050, Brazil
Phone: (21) 2512-0028
http://www.chicoealaide.com.br/

7- Lapa 40º

Lapa 40º is a bar in the Lapa neighborhood that offers live Samba music. It’s a big venue with 4 floors, live music and  5 pool tables on the first floor (pay per hour) and some more on the third floor . This is a great local spot to enjoy a beer and catch up with friends. Live samba brands perform on the 4th floor, entrance fees are charged after 10pm.

Address:
Rua Riachuelo, 97
Lapa  Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20230-013, Brazil
Phone: (21) 3970-1338
http://www.lapa40graus.com.br/site/

8- Casa Moreira Salles

This used to be the residence of Walter Moreira Salles (1912-2001), one of Brazil’s most successful bankers and a politician. In 1990 this house was converted in a cultural center to promote photography, literature, and Brazilian music.

Address:
Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 476
Gávea – Rio de Janeiro
Phone: (21) 3284-7400
http://ims.uol.com.br/
*Call to confirm time

9- Casa de Rui Barbosa

This house belonged to Rui Barbosa (1849-1923), an important Senator, Minister of Finance and Diplomat. After his death, the Brazilian government bought the house and created a Foundation in his memory. Rui lived there for 28 years and all his furniture and personal library with 35,000 books remain in the house. The landscape and grounds surrounding the house are beautiful and showcase many different varieties of Brazilian plants and trees.

Address:
Rua São Clemente, 134 -
Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22260-000, Brazil
Phone: (21) 3289-4600
http://www.casaruibarbosa.gov.br/
*Call to confirm time

10- Mirante do Pasmado

Mirante do Pasmado is a open park with great views of Guanabara bay and Sugar Loaf Mountain. Great place to take a walk after lunch and enjoy the views.

Address:
In Botafogo neighborhood. After passing the Pasmado tunnel, turn on General Severiano Street.

P.S.: Many thanks to all my Carioca friends who always support Adventures in Brazil and provide us with local tips and experiences to share with our travelers: Carol Sauer, Vivian Prudente de Moraes, Cristiano Ricon and Eduardo Almeida. You guys rock!

Brazil is an incredible destination – an enormous country with something to offer every type of traveler. And yet, for many people it’s an undiscovered experience – an unfulfilled ”bucket list” dream. Well, it’s time to turn dreams into reality! Here are 7 amazing reasons to begin planning your next trip with Adventures in Brazil. Start packing!

The plan to build a vertical generator of sustainable energy has been all over the news – especially in Brazil. It’s a bold statement Brazil is making by shining the 2016 Olympic spotlight on renewable energy.

Designed by Rafaa Architecture & Design in Zurich, this vertical concept structure will be placed in Cotonduba Island and will generate renewable energy during the day for use in the Olympic Village.  Produced by solar panels, the excess power will be used to pump sea water inside a tank built as a tower. At night the water will be released, producing energy to be used in the city and creating the stunning cascade effect you see in the picture below.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about interfering with the natural beauty of Rio – if you’ve been there you know what I’m talking about! The landscape of Rio de Janeiro is naturally amazing, surrounded by mountains and spilling out into the sparkling Atlantic ocean. But maybe this project will be another attraction for the Marvelous City. What is your opinion about it? Do you think the Solar City Tower adds or detracts value for the Olympics?