Four Final Destinations & Highlights in Brazil – Buzios, Arraial do Cabo, Ouro Preto, and Tiradentes

When we left Rio de Janeiro, the idea was to meander up the coast and eventually make it to the state of Bahia to reconsider our route and plans.

Since our camper is for sale, we had to be flexible. The issue with Brazil is that it is huge! And because, as Americans in an American vehicle, Venezuela is off limits for safety reasons, we couldn’t drive the northern loop back to Colombia. This meant that wherever we drove in Brazil, we would have to backtrack that distance south in order to leave. There are no (decent) roads in the Amazon.

Since Niteroi didn’t work out for us, we needed a plan B, namely driving north to Cabo Frio and camping there. We had a horrible day on the road with tons of (unmarked and camouflaged) speed bumps, narrow and busy lanes, hot weather, and three potential camp spots that didn’t work out, because of new rules against campers or the wind being too strong, whipping up seawater.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

São Pedro da Aldeia

Eventually, we settled in a quiet waterfront suburb of São Pedro da Aldeia, on the south side of the giant saltwater lagoon. The wind was less strong, the people were friendly, and our backyard was grassy with palm trees and nice views.

Despite being parked close to the dirt road with through traffic, we enjoyed our stay and walks with Maya and even returned from Cabo Frio once the wind picked up again.

Cabo Frio

We had hoped for a pleasant week of beach camping in Cabo Frio, but it was not meant to be. This area is notorious for its strong winds. The three of us did manage to snatch a few nights and our new Australian friend Larry joined us. We’d seen him in Rio as well, but due to my work assignment we hadn’t had time to hang out with him.

In Cabo Frio, we went for beach walks and a stroll into the dunes. Across from our parking spot was a small freshwater lagoon, which was perfect for doggie rinse-offs after sandy and salty outings. The weather was heating up a lot.

Arraial do Cabo

The four of us (including Maya) organized an Uber from Cabo Frio to the most popular and stunning beach of Arraial do Cabo. Except, the driver could only drop us off 4km away from the praia – only authorized cabs and vehicles were allowed past this point – so we faced a steep, hot, and sweaty walk to cross the hills towards the beach.

Once there, a refreshing dip in the icy waters followed for me and Maya, who seemed to be tolerated on leash, despite the information we had read beforehand about dogs not being allowed on the sand and in the water.

Larry, sweet and considerate as he is, rented three beach chairs and a parasol to ease my discomfort and turn this day into a real holiday! It was the first time for all of us (in fifty years) to experience a beach rental and touristy beach time, like most other visitors.

For the next couple of hours, we ordered snacks, drank heaps of water, chatted, watched the scene, and relaxed. An industrious boy “snagged us” with bracelets for a return trip by motorboat. The dog could go for free. No more climbing and sweating this way!

Since we weren’t in a hurry and my migraine stayed at bay thanks to the liters of water I gulped, we prolonged our vacation day with more treats in town, finally eating our very first (and, unfortunately, last) açai bowl. Delicious! Larry and we kept treating each other back and forth.

It turned out to be a super day and made us realize we really should have fun and splurge more often. We are not on a vacation – overlanding is our life – but that doesn’t mean it has to be all work, research, and chores with no play. 🙂

The Airport of Cabo Frio

And that’s when Mark suggested I ought to start my extension process to stay another 90 days in Brazil, which was not an issue for him as an American. I’d entered the country on my Belgian passport, because Belgians don’t need an $80 visa like Americans, and I’d heard many accounts of other Europeans obtaining extensions after their initial 90 days. I had about two weeks left on my entry stamp at that point.

Well, after two hours of trying to talk and reason with the immigration officers at the Cabo Frio airport, it became apparent, for the first time, that I might be out of luck. Belgians can only visit Brazil for 90 days every 180 days, just like Brazilians can in the Schengen countries of Europe. Darn.

We felt like we still had two options: try the extension plea in another, less touristy office (Dutch friends of ours succeeded on their second attempt) or use the loophole we’d also heard about: overstay one day, pay the $20 fee, and receive 60 days to leave the country (and sightsee in the meantime). We’d try the more official way when driving inland the following week.

Búzios

Realizing my time might be running out in Brazil, we had to speed up a bit. Búzios had been on our wishlist; many locals had raved to us about it and the place wasn’t much of a detour. We spent two nights close to the downtown and beach area and were joined by Larry for one of them. We really liked our camping spot by a peaceful pond and – of course – wished we could have stayed longer.

Búzios was “discovered” by French actress Brigitte Bardot and, despite us thinking the place might be overrated and swamped, we actually liked the vibe and the town a lot. It would make a great vacation destination.

The downtown area is relatively cute and very walkable, with beaches everywhere! And Maya was allowed on them. We strolled along the sands on our only full day and climbed a trail over a hill to see the bays on the other side.

We enjoyed an excellent lunch at Maria Maria based on Larry’s recommendation. We have to admit it’s one of the few places in Brazil where we thought the food was tasty, healthy, and homemade.

In the afternoon, the heat increased again as we strolled the boardwalk and reached the opposite end of the bay. A historic area with lots of trees, flowers, and a church with a statue of Mother Teresa greeted us there.

Across every hill awaited another beach. I read there are seventeen in the Búzios area. But the sun and our dwindling energy sent us home mid-afternoon.

We returned to the waterfront for drinks and dinner, which concluded our short-cut beach time in Brazil. On top of that, my photo files were corrupted on my ancient computer when I moved them over from my phone. The only photos left are the ones I retrieved from a Facebook post.

Ouro Preto

Mark and I had two more must-do cities in mind. They are located in the state of Minas Gerais, a huge detour on our route to leave the country in Paraguay. We found ourselves driving north for two days to reach Ouro Preto with a stop in the bustling city of Juiz de Fora, where we spent the night at a noisy truck stop and tried – in vain again – to obtain that 90-day visitor extension for me.

After all the driving, we found a really nice camping spot south of Ouro Preto, mostly in nature. Apart from a couple doing sunset shoots in the hills, we were alone. It was the perfect space to do another oil change, the downside being me having to travel with 7 liters of used oil and the resulting trash at my feet for many more hours of driving to leave the area.

Ouro Preto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a fascinating city from colonial times. The houses in the center are colorful and picturesque. The churches, parks, and squares are plentiful and we even stumbled across a piece of nature and quiet in the middle of the city.

The streets of Ouro Preto are steep and narrow, which we knew ahead of time. We found a perfect parking spot next to a church on a hill, where we could have spent the night, but we preferred the natural area. It promised better sleep. Except when the wind picked up so much that the camper rocked all night and Maya was antsy and bothersome.

Tiradentes

Our last highlight in Brazil was this unassuming colonial town of Tiradentes, which isn’t on the radar of many land travelers. We snatched a prime camping spot upon arrival: on the shady side of a small park, in the midst of the train action, but away from the town’s buzz and traffic.

Tiradentes is the arrival – or departure – point of an old steam train, which puts it on the tourist list. We didn’t quite realize the implications of this until we returned from a walk in the cute town at the exact time the unique train arrived. How cool to witness it pass by and be hand-turned for its return journey!

The historic town itself was a joy to explore. The streets were less steep than in Ouro Preto, the vibe more relaxed, and everywhere was easily walkable, providing picture-perfect scenes, including the horse-drawn carriages.

We only stayed one night to account for a week on the road, being prepared for possible delays. Yes, we would have loved to spend more time in Tiradentes; it quickly became our favorite town in Brazil.

Leaving Brazil

We had decided to leave the country for a few reasons and prepared for the long haul of 1,000 miles (1,600km) to Foz do Iguaçu at the border with Paraguay, planning to cross into Ciudad del Este, familiar terrain. Why were we ready to leave Brazil after barely three months, almost half of that sitting still because Mark left to the US and I had a big translation project?

Worry: We didn’t feel 100% comfortable going the “overstay route.” What if they’d deny me, 1,000 miles from the closest border? Principle: if they don’t want me in the country to spend my tourist dollars, I’d rather leave. The roads and the drivers: Brazil has been extremely stressful each time we hit the narrow roads without shoulders but packed with aggressive drivers, huge semi-trucks, low, overhanging tree branches (trees are not trimmed here) and electrical wires, and hundreds of hidden speed bumps.

And the realization that Brazil is not a good place to sell our camper. Most overland travelers skip the country entirely; others only touch the surface, driving to Rio and turning back. Paraguay would be a better, more central location for travelers wanting to start their overland adventure in South America. In our truck camper.

The drive to the Paraguayan border was not very exciting. It had the usual toll roads, patched-up secondary roads, thousands of semi-trucks, camouflaged speed bumps, flipped-over eighteen-wheelers (a different one for every day of driving), a tasty churrascaria for lunch, and the last Brazilian chores in Foz do Iguaçu. If the weather had been better, we might have returned to the famous falls to see them with clear river water, but that wasn’t meant to be.

The last place to share and to end this blog on a positive note was a camping spot we’d found in our free iOverlander app early on our drive back. Check this out: we squeezed ourselves between a fence and a tree for shade, next to a river with pretty little waterfalls, perfect for all of us to cool off.

In walking distance, privately-owned land sported more and bigger waterfalls, Salto Raulino. I went there by myself for a short visit, but Maya would have loved it as well. Luckily, we had our cute and free falls back home!

Yes, we would love to return to Brazil, but we do think it’s a country better visited by plane and backpack than by camper.

Next up: Our September 2025 expense report

Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs? Check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir: