Meet Lulu, your guide dog, and beach expert!

If you don't like dogs, talk to my paw! - Princess Ludmilla

Whenever we can, we take our family dogs with us when we travel. Lulu has been to Búzios three times, as far as I can remember, and she loved each one of them. We decided to add some of her photos to this album, for all of you dog lovers and Labrador fans. By the way, her full name is Princess Anastasia Ludmilla Romanoff, excuse me.

PHOTOS AND details about our favorite beaches

Enjoy the albums and read the comments

Búzios is a peninsula. In practical terms this means that is bathed by the ocean on both sides. There are small romantic beaches with tranquil waters, and others that are open and great for surfing. To move around there's a hop-on hop-off boat taxi that can take you from one beach to the next.

There is also a more complete boat tour that is offered daily, and you stop for a dip at some beaches and spots. Same thing about the trolley bus - you get a sampler of the variety. But when you've been going to Búzios since the beginning of times like we have, you do have favorites. These are some of our suggestions, with photos to match.

JoÃo Fernandes

This is the right beach if you like to be pampered

With a good number of hotels and inns plus a private beach club, this is one of Búzios’ most sophisticated beaches. If you want to associate your beach experience with a good massage or facial and Jacuzzi at a spa, it's all there. Chose from caipirinha to fresh seafood of the day. Most hotels in this area offer some kind of transportation to the city center so you do not have to walk all the way.

Azeda & Azedinha

Escaped by little from becoming a private condo

These two small beaches right next to each other have tranquil waters that are never rough. You have to negotiate with amount of available sand strip with the tide. This area, with it colonial mansion at the beach, and a wild strip of tropical forest, almost became a private condo.

PRAIA DOS OSSOS

The most traditional beach in Buzios has a history

You can reach them on foot with a short walk off Praia dos Ossos. This beach was one of the first to become fashionable, and the houses in front of the beach are gorgeous. The sand is very fine and white, and the sea is perfect for windsurfing. The name of the beach dates back to the colonial years, when the beach was used by whalers.

Praia de GeribÁ

Surfers are never wrong about beaches...

Geribá this is a longer yet gorgeous beach, a few minutes off Downtown Búzios. A favorite with surfers for decades, Geribá offers a number of lodging alternatives in addition to the private houses and mansions. There are bars along the beach where you can order your drinks, and fresh seafood platters if you get hungry.

Ferradurinha and Praia dos Amores are a short walk away and worth visiting. The dramatic rocks at Ferradurinha are odd enough to shoot a low-budget sci-fi movie. Talking about odd, the sand at Praia do Forno cannot be beat. Remove the top layer, and the color changes to red!