just over 170-kilometres east of rio de janeiro is located the peninsula of armação dos búzios - the extremity of land poking out into the atlantic ocean is an incredibly beautiful area rich in idyllic beaches, stunning views, ecotourism, and nature reserves - as a result, búzios is the fifth most visited destination in brazil.

the tupinambás indians occupied the area before the first europeans arrived and they thrived in the abundant land where they fished, hunted, and grew fruit and vegetables in the fertile soil.

midway through the 16th century smugglers and pirates began to use the beaches of búzios as docking points for pau-brazil, which is a highly valued hard wood, shipping operations, and to drop off and pick up african slaves from the sheltered alcoves - to this day, manguinhos beach still hosts a small hut built by the slaves.