Praia dos Ossos - Bones Beach Buzios

This beach is easy to find if you know where to look for it. Near downtown, you can walk to it after having a refreshing lunch or morning cafe. Trees hang down over this Buzios beach and homes front the road that runs in front of it. A perfect place for a sunset picture as it faces due west, Ossos is bathed in fascinating history. Don’t miss this highly recommended beach and take time to take in the peacefulness that now permeates the winding road that takes you past this beauty.

There is beauty in the fact that time passes on and we can enjoy the present. For once this calm cove, in the center of Buzios, was the scene of death.

Two stories make their rounds in the town of Buzios.

One, is that the Praia dos Ossos, or Beach of the Bones, got its name from the processing of whales for oil and the bones were left around the beach area. Whales were hunted in Buzios to near extinction after gold was discovered in Minas Gerais around 1720. However in 1768, the Portuguese rulers put an end to whaling, (even though we have photographs of whales on the shores of Buzios from the past century).

The second story is even more gruesome. The local Tamoio Indians became friends with the French merchants, harvesting precious Brazilwood, shipping to Europe. The Portuguese controlled Brazil at the time and had enough of the pillaging. They ambushed the Tamoios on this very beach. Or, so the story goes…

Let’s put that in the past because this beach is so stunning, you would not have seen Buzios without getting a glimpse. In the cove of Praia dos Ossos, you’ll find beautiful yachts, small fishing boats, and water taxis. The water is mirror-like, reflecting the colors of the sunset like a soft spun kaleidoscope.

Igreja Santa Ana Church in Buzios

A walk down the cobblestone road that fronts the beach is memorable. Century old ipe trees line the beach and offer a wonderful views. You’ll find a small kiosk operated out of an old boat hull right in the sand, with refreshments.

This is an excellent place to catch a sunset before walking to a local restaurant. Praia dos Ossos is central to where the business center of Buzios used to be.

The area is surrounded by commerce. But make it a point to get here before the sun sets, so you can visit the famous Igreja de Sant’Ana to the left and up a few steps. It is the oldest church in the area.

A water taxi can take you to the other nearby beaches, or bring you here. You’ll find Praia dos Ossos enchanting and romantic and well worth a stop on your visit to the Buzios peninsula.

Praia dos Ossos – BEACH INDEX: