First things first, if you haven’t been to Brazil it’s an absolute must. While there I visited Rio de Janeiro and Búzios and fell in love with the country. I’m happy with our decision to split time between a more major city (Rio) and a smaller coastal town (Búzios) and would recommend doing the same if possible. There’s truly so much to do and see, one week wasn’t nearly enough and I’ll be back in the future!
Things to Know When Traveling in Brazil
- It’s helpful to know basic phrases in Portuguese. We ran into a language barrier occasionally during our time in Brazil, but luckily, I had the necessities down (obrigada, cafe, banheiro, etc.)
- Most hotels, restaurants, bars, and activities accept credit cards. Having some local currency on hand is helpful if you’re planning to visit street markets or vendors.
- Rio and Búzios were both very Uber-friendly. Our friend who grew up in Rio recommended Ubers over local taxi companies.
- Tipping isn’t customary.
- Our hotel warned us to keep any valuable jewelry behind when walking around Rio. We didn’t run into any issues with pickpocketing or theft, although it’s probably best to err on the side of caution.
Rio De Janeiro
Where to Stay
Hotel Emiliano – This highly recommended five-star hotel is located in the heart of Copacabana Beach. Emiliano is a smaller hotel (which I personally prefer) with *all* the bells and whistles. The rooms were modern, yet comfortable and the rooftop pool was stunning. I only spent one night there but would recommend to anyone looking for high-end accommodations in the area.
Hotel Fasano– Another well-known luxury hotel located along Ipanema Beach. Location-wise I preferred Fasano since it felt slightly less touristy compared to Copacabana. Keep in mind it’s less than a mile from Emiliano, so you can walk between the two neighborhoods with ease. The hotel was designed by Philippe Starck, known for his unique design drawing inspiration from the ’50s and’60s. The hotel overall was beautiful, although I couldn’t get past how dark the hallways and rooms were. At the risk of sounding like my parents, I didn’t jive with the dark, enclosed-feeling interior (especially since Fasano is in a vibrant, tropical city!) In this aspect I much preferred Emiliano.
All that being said, the rooftop area at Hotel Fasano was very impressive. It’s much larger than Emiliano’s and has a sprawling view of Ipanema Beach. Alicia Keys actually stayed at Fasano when we were visiting!
Things to Do
Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches
Both beaches are world-known and worth exploring. As I mentioned above, the beaches are next to one another so you can easily walk the boardwalk and check out each during your stay. Stop for a refreshing Caipirinha (Brazil’s national cocktail) along the way! Caipirinhas have cachaca (a local liquor), sugar, and most commonly, lime. We came across other fruity flavors such as mango and pineapple as well.
Hang Gliding or Paragliding
If you’re an adventure-seeker, carve out time one morning to hang glide above Ipanema beach. We used Rio Hang Gliding and I highly recommend! Although I was only in the air for six minutes, the excursion took two hours overall. Keep in mind this includes the time to drive up the mountain with your guide, equipment fittings, and a few trial runs on land. We went first thing in the morning and had the remainder of the day at our leisure.
Christ the Redeemer & Sugarloaf
Someone in our group coordinated a four-hour tour to see Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf, two of the top attractions in Rio. The tour guide thoroughly explained the history of each site and was also very helpful when it came to transportation. I don’t have the exact name of the company we used, although several tours are available via GetYourGuide.
There are two main modes of transportation to visit Christ the Redeemer at the summit of Mount Corcovado. There’s a train (which we did) or if you’re looking to get your steps in, people also hike. I recommend taking the train, as we were warned tourists are occasionally robbed on the hike.
With Christ the Redeemer checked off the list, our tour bus next went to Sugarloaf. The infamous cable car was the third in the world at its inception and continues to run today from Rio two small mountains off the coast. The view from the top is supposedly spectacular, although we visited on an overcast day and couldn’t see much. Save this outing for a clear day with good visibility if possible!
Sunset Cruise on Guanabara Bay
Looking to get out on the water during our time in Rio, we figured what better way than a sunset cruise? Our group met the crew outside Bar Urca (grab a beer and empanada beforehand) and sailed around Guanabara Bay for three hours. The ticket price included light snack and drink options and we all really enjoyed the experience.
Explore Santa Teresa and Lapa
Santa Teresa is an artsy, bohemian neighborhood in Rio. We took an Uber from our hotel and first stopped in Explorer Bar for a drink. From there we wandered around the area and eventually went to Aprazivel for dinner. As you’d imagine from the Michelin star rating the food was very good, although I’d argue the view stole the show. Once we wrapped up dinner, our waiter recommended heading to Lapa to explore the nightlife scene. Granted it was a Tuesday, but the bar we went to was pretty quiet. I wanted to revisit Lapa later in the week, however we didn’t get the opportunity.
Tijuca National Park
Tijuca is the largest urban rainforest in the world and part of what makes Rio so special. Christ the Redeemer rests atop the park, however, the Botanical Gardens and Parque Lage are also located within Tijuca.
Hippie Market
Every Sunday the Faire de Arte, commonly known as the Hippie Market, opens in Ipanema. This is conveniently located just around the corner from Hotel Fasano. Grab a coffee beforehand and spend some time exploring the many outdoor booths. The Hippie Market has countless art pieces, clothing, jewelry, and leather goods. I bought a pair of beautiful earrings for the equivalent of $12 USD!
Jardim Mistico
As the name suggests, this is an outdoor pop-up music event at an undisclosed location. The concept started during the pandemic and has continued since given its popularity. We were lucky enough to go with a close friend from Rio and it was a unique and reallyyy fun experience.
Once tickets are purchased, an initial pickup area for Jardim Mistico is released. From there, vans shuttle people to the undisclosed location (this particular night was in a forest within Rio.) It was extremely busy, there were probably over a thousand people in attendance. It essentially felt like a huge party in the middle of the forest with a live DJ, drinks, and food. The event was helpful to attend with a local, it would’ve been difficult to navigate the logistics with a language barrier. We also didn’t have cellphone reception at the event, so download your tickets in advance!
Búzios
Where to Stay
Casas Brancas – This hotel is an absolute must if traveling to Búzios. I’ll go as far as to say Casas Brancas is my favorite hotel that I’ve stayed at. It’s a small, boutique hotel steps from downtown Búzios, is architecturally beautiful, and boasts exceptional service. For some reason still unbeknownst to me, the front desk manager upgraded us (at no additional cost!) to their master suite. My jaw nearly hit the ground when we walked into the room and I noticed the private balcony overlooking Armação bay.
Free breakfast was also included in our stay at the hotel’s restaurant, 74. Everything from freshly squeezed juices to indulgent croquette breakfast sandwiches were available and somehow each item was equally amazing. We returned for dinner given our positive experience in the morning, although I’ll get into that more below.
Things to Do
Explore the Downtown
There are several restaurants, shops, and bars located in the downtown area by Armação Bay. Carve out some time to stroll the cobblestone streets and window shop during your time in Búzios.
Madame Bardol
Located right on Armação Bay, it’s a great place to stop for an afternoon cereveja. Our waiter recommended the local beer, Brigitte, which was light and refreshing. We didn’t try any of the food, although our friends went for dinner one night and mentioned it was just okay.
Water taxi
Why Uber when you can take a water taxi? There are several water taxi stops within Armação bay and it’s a great way to visit multiple beaches within a day. We opted to start downtown and end at Joao Fernando Beach. The beach was busy since there are several hotels and beach clubs in the area, but luckily, we secured chairs without a problem.
Brava Beach
My favorite beach in Búzios. If you’re seeking a less crowded, more peaceful setting this is the beach for you. The beach boasts incredible views of surrounding lush, green cliffs as well. Our friends raved about their experience at Rocka, a restaurant just above Brava Beach. Go figure the day we visited the restaurant was closed..
74
My last shameless plug for Casas Brancas. The food and cocktails at 74 were simple and fresh (in the best possible way). We got the sashimi platter of the day, an appetizer sampler, and steak and everything was so freaking good. Ugh, I loved this place and want to go back.
Mistico
We didn’t end up going here (we went to a decent Italian spot downtown instead to meet friends) however the concierge highly recommended. Figured I’d pass along!
Until next time, Brazil!