Coronavirus

Buzios, “Brazil’s Saint Tropez,” shuts down and throws tourists out

Rising Covid-19 cases in Armação dos Buzios has led courts to close down local hotels and commerce. Holidaymakers have 72 hours to leave the town

Buzios, "Brazil's Saint Tropez," shuts down and throws tourists out
Armação dos Buzios is a picture-perfect destination. Photo: Catarina Belova/Shutterstock

Located just 130 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro on a jutting peninsula with 17 beaches, Armação dos Buzios is a picture-perfect location for tourists. Its Mediterranean feel and cobblestone streets earned the city the nickname “Brazil’s Saint Tropez.” Cosmopolitan magazine once described the vibe in the lazy fishing village as “sea, little fishing boats, colourful wildflowers, and total silence. Bliss.” 

But during a deadly pandemic, bliss is nowhere to be seen in Buzios.

A court ordered the city to be shut down on Thursday and gave tourists 72 hours to check out from their hotels and hit the road. The ruling came after Buzios registered 490 new coronavirus cases between December 9 and 16 — a 3,700-percent increase from averages in October.

Judge Raphael Campos said the explosion of new cases in Buzios has put the region in a “red...

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