Brazil Buzios, Paraty and Costa Verde

Overview

Head either east or southwest along the coast from the bright lights of Rio de Janeiro and you enter a different world.  The forest-smothered coastline, scalloped with rocky bays and exquisite beaches, is studded with laid-back beach resorts, secluded upmarket hotels, and colonial-era ports.

Búzios is a chic resort set on a peninsula fringed by white-sand crescent coves three hours’ drive east from Rio. Revealed to the world by Brigitte Bardot, it resembles somewhat a privileged spot on the Côte d’Azur, but with a genuine Brazilian vibe. You'll find swish villas, cobbled streets, trendy boutiques, colonial pousadas, elegant restaurants and lively nightlife.

Head southwest out of Rio along a winding coast road with waves of steep mountains cloaked in dense mata Atlântica rainforest tumbling to tiny sandy bays. Outstanding among fishing ports and leisure resorts is the baroque architectural masterpiece Paraty, a little bit of imperial Portugal in Brazil.

The jade-green ocean is peppered with islands, one of the largest being undeveloped Ilha Grande, ringed by sugary beaches and with a choice of laid-back pousadas and hiking trails.