Eat Well, Be Well, Live Well

I thought that after moving to Brazil I would be trying all sorts of local dishes and generally cooking up a storm. However, between work, and my oven, which doesn’t have a broil function, and my burners, which don’t allow any simmering, I have reduced my cooking ambitions enormously. Add this to the fact that everything I do here in Brazil takes longer than it did in California. For example, I used to ride my bicycle to take my son to school, which roundtrip amounted to approximately 20 minutes. Now I go by car to take my children to school and it takes 50 to 60 minutes–and another 50-60 to collect them in the afternoon. So my cooking has suffered, but we are making the most of living here by visiting some beautiful beaches.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the beaches we’ve visited thus far, along with a few photos of each.

Porto de Galinhas – The town itself is fairly touristy with only so-so food, but the area boasts expansive beaches, clear water and natural pools in which you can safely snorkel. We stayed at the beautiful Nannai resort outside of town, where we overate at every meal since the buffet spreads (I posted a a few pics on my Instagram) were out of this world and just too tempting to resist. The area is easy to access by flying into Recife then taking a one hour car ride south.

Praia dos Carneiros – We first visited this beach just for a day as part of our trip to Porto de Galinhas (it’s about an hour’s drive south), but we immediately wanted to go back. So a few weeks later, we made a special trip Praia dos Carneiros and stayed in a modest pousada.

We love this beach because it has a very sleepy, underdeveloped, and even still wild aspect to it. Everywhere you see jungle that looks impenetrable even though it’s probably not. There’s a fairly famous (at least to Brazilians) restaurant, Beijupa, right on the beach.

Buzios – Often referred to as the St Tropez of South America, Buzios is a charming town with great little boutiques, amazing food (many of the best restaurants are owned by Argentines), and crystal clear water for snorkeling and diving. Twenty-eight beaches surround the town, some of which are easier to access than others. I saw incredible sea creatures I’ve never seen before, and coral that looks like giant red potatoes. (Too bad I don’t have an underwater camera, and that the waterproof case I bought for my iPhone is impossible to use in the water!) I celebrated my birthday at Rocka Beach Club and Lounge which has a picture perfect view overlooking the beach.

Buzios is slightly more difficult to get to in that you have to fly into Rio de Janeiro then make a 4-5 hour journey by car to the actual town, but I loved it. We stayed in a modest but comfortable pousada on the hill above one of the beaches, and even though Brazil is a long, long way from home (California), I can envision having a home to retire to in Buzios.

Happy trails!