Brazil

Brazil is a very large country with 8000 km of coast to the Atlantic Ocean. It has 185.000.000 inhabitants who speak Portuguese. Its capital, Brasília, is located approximately in the centre of the country.

State of Rio de Janeiro

Taking its name from the city of Rio de Janeiro, which was founded by the Portuguese in 1530, the state is known for it tourist attractions and for enjoying one of the strongest economies in Brazil. Recent offshore oil discoveries have boosted the economies of smaller cities along the state's northern coast.

Buzios

The City of Armação de Buzios is located at approximately 2 hour drive (180km) north from the city of Rio de Janeiro. Buzios is an old fishing village, which has experienced explosive growth in the past 30 years, becoming a major international tourist destination. It now has hundreds of small hotels and is famous for its outdoor nightlife. The city occupies a small area of a long but narrow cape which is surrounded by beaches and coves. Buzios is a nautical sports center with clubs, schools and professional operators offering possibilities of sailing, surfing, kitesurfing, board sailing, scuba diving and snorkeling. Buzios also has an international golf course.

Armacao de Búzios is a lovely beach resort with boutiques, fine restaurants, fancy villas, bars and pousadas very diferent from the simple fishing village at the early sixties, when it was “discovered” by Brigitte Bardot and Roger Vadin.

Búzios is not a single town but, rather, three settlements on the peninsula – Ossos, Manguinhos and Armação – and one further north on the mainland, called Rasa. Ossos (Bones), at the northernmost tip of the peninsula, is the oldest and most attractive part – considering activities and nightlife. It has a pretty center, harbor and yacht club, several hotels and bars, and a tourist stand. Along the beach of “Praia do Canto” is the charming street “Rua das Pedras” – the main street for shopping and entertainment.

The peninsula’s southern beaches are trickier to get to, but they are prettier and have better surf. The northern beaches are more sheltered and are closer to the towns. Working anticlockwise from south of Magunihos, the first beach Geribá and Ferradurinha (Little horseshoe). These are beautiful beaches with good surf, but the Búzios Beach Club has build condos here. Next on the coast is Ferradura, which is large enough for windsurfing, and Lagoinha, rocky beach with rough water. Praia da Foca and Praia do Forno have colder water than the other beaches. João Fernandes are both good for swimming and snorkeling, as are the Azedinha and Azeda. Praia dos Ossos, Praia da Armação, Praia do Caboclo and Praia dos Amores are pretty to look, but not for lounging around. Praia da Tartaruga is quiet and pretty.

Sailing Conditions

July is the coolest period, when it is quite dry as well. The average annual temperature is around 21ºC, with average annual high of 28ºC and average annual low of 18ºC. The winter might be comparable with summer climate in northern Europe.

Buzios is well know by its strongs winds. But in July the wind is perfect for sailing.