Brazil: Activities
Activities
The majority of sports and activities unsurprisingly revolve around the beach, from snorkelling and scuba diving to parasailing, paragliding, jet skiing and fishing. But there are other activities such as golf you can try horseback riding with guided tours, which usually allow the horses to run through the water.
The esplanade is a great place to people watch and catch the sunset. Rua das Pedras in the town lots to offer from art galleries to chic stores. Buzios has an enviable reputation for its restaurants that offer cuisines from all over the world. Eating al fresco and people watching is the norm in Buzios, which has transformed itself from a humble fishing village to Brazil’s St. Tropez.
If you’re in Buzios at the right time you may be able to catch a glimpse of the whales that pass by here from September through to December. Wander along the cobbled streets of Rua das Pedras and enjoy the myriad of boutique shops or stop at one of the many exuberant restaurants and bars and take in the special atmosphere.
Brazil: Climate
Climate
The Búzios peninsula extends about 5 miles into the Atlantic and ocean currents influence its climate. Beaches located in north Búzios have calm and warm water while the beaches in the south are mostly facing the open ocean and have slightly cooler waters.
There is an annual average of 26ºC which makes for pleasant temperatures in the area, and the average sunny days and starry nights is about twice that of Rio de Janeiro and three times that of Angra dos Reis. .
Brazil
In Brazil our primary villa is located in the small peninsula resort of Búzios, about 2 hours (about 120 miles) east of Rio de Janeiro. Búzios is widely regarded as the St. Tropez of Brazil, where the beautiful people are to be found during the season enjoying its fine restaurants and many other attractions.
The name Búzios includes 3 three communities on the peninsula: Ossos, Manguinhos and Armação, with 23 sandy beaches to choose from.
Brazil: Surrounding Area
Surrounding Area
Ferradura is a natural basin with the land sloping gradually upward to the nearby hills.
Named because of its horseshoe shape, Praia da Ferradura, or Horseshoe Beach, is mostly calm and clear. Many travel guides and sites list this beach as a great place to snorkel. But be advised that snorkelling is best at the ends of the beach where the rock croppings begin. A good variety of marine life can be seen around the southeast end of Ferradura.
There are a number of kiosks located on the north shore of the beach and parking is available here for a small fee, but remember, the whole beach is public. Feel free to stroll around and bring a camera.
Sand – medium grain, no coral or shell.
Facilities – are found at the kiosks along the north shore. Food, snorkel rental, water sports.
Shade – some umbrellas are found in spots for the local food, as long as you order something you can enjoy the umbrella. Most of the beach is lined with private homes, so no umbrellas are allowed in those areas. The entire west side is shaded mid afternoon.
Chile: Climate
Chile’s climate is as diverse as its geography. Aside from the obviously extreme climatic conditions of the Andes an the Atacama, however, the country enjoys a comfortable temperate climate.
Country of Chile: Main details
Chile stretches over 4,300 km (2,700 mi) along the southwestern coast of South America, a distance roughly the same as that from San Francisco to New York, or Edinburgh to Baghdad. At the same time, its width never exceeds 240 km (150 mi), making the country more than eighteen times longer than its widest point.
Chile is a country of startling contrasts and extreme beauty, with attractions ranging from the towering volcanic peaks of the Andes to the ancient forests of the Lake District. There are a multitude of very good parks here, and plenty of opportunities for fine adventure travel. Chile is justly famous as the location of Torres del Paine, considered by many to be the finest nature travel destinations in all of South America.
The most obvious factor in Chile’s remarkable slenderness is the massive, virtually impassable wall of the Andes, a mountain range that is still rising and that contains more than fifty active volcanic peaks. The western border is of course the Pacific Ocean, but it is a misconception to picture Chile as nothing more than the steep western slope of the Andean peaks. All along its length Chile is marked by a narrow depression between the mountains and the sea. To the north the land rises and becomes more arid, until one reaches the forbidding Atacama Desert, one of the most inhospitable regions on earth. To the south just the opposite transformation takes place: the land falls away, and the region between mountains and ocean fades into the baffling archipelagic maze that terminates in Chilean Patagonia. Chile’s southern extremity is marked by Cape Horn, a treacherous headland surrounded by almost continuously storm-tossed seas and passable only through the foggy stillness of the Strait of Magellan.
In the center of the country, however, is a long and expansive river valley, a five hundred mile corridor occupied in the north by vineyards and great farms and in the south by primeval forests and enchanting lakes. Santiago, the capital, anchors the northern and more prosperous section of the central valley. The lush Lake District to the south, however, is the homeland of Chile’s indigenous peoples, the Araucanians.
Also part of Chile are two notable Pacific possessions-the Juan Fernandez Islands and the famous Easter Island, both of which are administered as national parks. The Juan Fernandez islands are located about 670 km off the Chilean coast, while Easter Island is situated 3700 km distant.