Parati or Buzios for day trip from Rio de Janeiro?

Question

I will be in Rio de Janeiro for 10 - 11 days during their summer season. I want to leave Rio for 1 - 2 days and go to Parati or Buzios or maybe some other coastal town. I basically want to visit a beautiful coastal town that is small, charming and hopefully less touristy than Copa, Ipanema, etc. Of course, I'd need to rent a hotel room for 1 - 2 nights and need to find a way to get to whichever place I go to.

How long does it take to get to Buzios or Parati by bus and how much does it cost? Which place to you think I should go to?

Any assistance or recommendations would be appreciated! I know very little about these places but have had them recommended to me.

Answer 1

Hop a bus to Buzios, it is as you described, slightly touristy but not overwhelmingly so. I have not been to Parati. If you have a day where you just want a nice beach that is comparitively not touristy, on the other side of the hill from Imanema is Barra de Tijuca. the international surf competitions are held there. Not a lot of nightlife, but who cares? They have 24 hour food and drink kiosks on the beach, sit back and relax. its closer than Buzios, although I think Buzios is definately worth a look.

Answer 2

Ah, i dont know which one to pick..Parati is wonderful, and Buzios is wornderful too,, but i think Parati has less tourist..they are there, but less and i think more of Brazilian tourists..Buzios is a totally different direction..and should be a wonderful trip too, in terms of what you can see from the window.. If you are goind either places, you will have to go to Rodoviaria Novo Rio and take the bus from there..From wherever you are in Zona Sul, you can take a community bus there for about R$ 2.00.. When you get to your destination, look for pousadas, something like a bed and breakfast..Hope  everything goes well and enjoy my city..  PS. Actually, on the way to Paraty, you can go to the famous Ilha Grande on the way, but for that you will need about  two days...By the way, depending where you are, you wont have to go to Rio' s main bus terminal i mentioned above..just go to Avenida Brazil to take the bus to Parati, and on this trip, you will see much more very small town beaches ..

Answer 3

Búzios is 10.

Answer 4

If you want to hang out at the beach and hit upscale bars, go to Buzios. If you want to see a historic town, maybe take a boat ride on a calm bay or maybe do some hiking in the Atlantic Rainforest, go to Paraty.

Paraty is about 4 hours by bus. I'm not sure of the ticket price, but it isn't expensive. I've only been to Buzios by car. A cheaper option nextdoor to Buzios is Cabo Frio.

See the links below.