Steps From the Sand: Why Villa Raphael Is the Best Beachfront Stay in Búzios, Brazil

Sitting just three hours from the buzzy beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Búzios is my favorite spot to bring friends and family. Not just for its dozens of beaches, all sitting within a rocky peninsula, but for the ease of getting around and the walkable city center, where tons of shops, bars, and restaurants line the cobblestoned streets.

And Villa Raphael captures so much of what I love about Búzios: that easy seaside lifestyle paired with the kind of warm Brazilian hospitality that makes you feel at home.

Set directly on Ferradura Beach, the hotel puts you just steps from the sand. One of the biggest luxuries is falling asleep to the sound of the waves—doing so from one of Brazil’s most charming seaside hotels is just the cherry on top.

Set directly on one of the calmest beaches in Búzios, Villa Raphael feels more like a private estate than a traditional hotel. The property is made up of yellow-trimmed, colonial-style buildings spread across a gardened property dotted with coconut palms and a heated pool overlooking the ocean.

The open-air reception area immediately opens up to a scene that can only be described as paradisiacal, the kind of setting that stops you in your tracks and makes you immediately give yourself a pat on the back for choosing the oceanfront hotel.

The hotel has several room tiers, but the most coveted is the Premium Room. With its own terrace, private pool, an outdoor shower, and special perks—like a cocktail served on a floating pool tray and a full breakfast spread delivered to your room—make it fit for a honeymoon.

Breakfast was easily the culinary highlight of the stay. The spread was divine: a basket overflowing with freshly baked breads arrived at the table each morning, along with a menu of dishes made to order, including cheesy tapioca, veggie omelets, and sweet crepes stuffed with everything from coconut to dulce de leche. And like every true Brazilian household, there was a different homemade cake each day, plus fresh fruit, juices, and coffee. I was also surprised by the sparkling wine available—a welcome addition to our brunch.

This was all part of the hospitality that makes me love traveling in Brazil: service always feels genuinely personal, with little touches like chocolates delivered to our room each day and a goodbye bag with two water bottles and artisanal sweets. 

Villa Raphael also has a pool bar, two beach tennis courts, a gym, a spa, an underground cinema, and group yoga classes every Friday. Guests can also use the hotel’s chairs and umbrellas on Ferradura Beach and order drinks and snacks from the bar while on the sand.

It’s truly easy to spend all day at the hotel. Days start with breakfast overlooking the gardens, followed by a morning on Ferradura Beach and an afternoon between the pool and your room. Finally, dinner overlooking the water or room service. I confess that their fish sandwich—which I can only describe as a gourmet take on McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish—was ordered more than once.

When you do want to explore, the restaurants, shops, and nightlife around Rua das Pedras are a short drive away. One important thing for families to know: Villa Raphael only accepts guests ages 15 and older, so the property is geared more toward couples and adults than families with young children.

Villa Raphael has six room categories, ranging from simple garden-facing suites to a spacious villa-like room with a private pool. The decor leans into Búzios’ coastal, colonial style, with white, arched interiors, blue and yellow accents, and plenty of natural light.

The standard rooms keep things simple; the master category adds a private terrace, and the luxury option overlooks the gardens. But if you want to wake up to an ocean view, opt for the Superior Sea View or Super Luxury categories, both of which have balconies peeking over Ferradura Beach. Super Luxury rooms are larger, with two separate living spaces.

But if you can, I wholly recommend splurging a bit more for the Premium room.

This room ranks among the top five hotel rooms I’ve stayed in—the bed faces the patio, with sliding glass doors opening out to a private garden with an outdoor shower and a plunge pool facing the beach. It feels like your own little private villa within the hotel. 

The room comes with extra perks, too. One afternoon the hotel brought me a cocktail and cheese plate on a floating tray in the pool, and I really did feel like an influencer on a Bali beach. I also opted for breakfast to be served in the room one morning—the staff arranged a full-on spread on the outdoor table, with sparkling wine, juices, and a carafe of coffee—and it was one of my favorite moments of the stay.

Villa Raphael’s restaurant is open throughout the day, but, need I say it again, breakfast was the meal I looked forward to most.

Rather than a traditional buffet, each morning started with a generous basket of breads and spreads, plus an à la carte menu of breakfast favorites made to order. I especially loved the sweet crepes and the homemade cakes, and the sparkling wine was a nice touch, too.

Lunch and dinner were centered on seafood dishes. One standout was essentially a gourmet take on a Filet-O-Fish: a crispy fish sandwich that felt perfectly appropriate steps from Ferradura Beach. Drinks can be ordered around the property; the cocktail menu mixes classics with Brazilian fruits and tropical signatures.

Villa Raphael has a small on-site spa offering massages, body treatments, and hydrotherapy, which was the ideal way to spend a rainy day on the peninsula. I tried the signature Villa Raphael massage featuring hot stones to work out muscle tension. The treatment normally includes time in the whirlpool, but the hydrotherapy tub was out of service, so the spa extended my massage instead—a welcome substitution that turned it into a full hour of hands-on treatment.

The spa menu also has an anti-stress massage, lymphatic drainage, bamboo therapy, reflexology, and longer day-spa packages. Hydrotherapy treatments include aromatic and essential-oil baths, starting at R$140.

On the wellness front, there is a steam room available for use. You just need to reserve a slot ahead of time. Which is nice, because it makes it a private session. There are complimentary group yoga classes every Friday at 5 p.m., and private sessions can also be booked for R$150. As for anyone looking to be more active, there’s a small gym on the property and beach tennis courts.

The pool sits at the heart of Villa Raphael’s garden, surrounded by loungers and palm trees and just steps from the sand. It’s large enough for a proper swim but still feels quiet and intimate, with food and cocktails available poolside throughout the day.

The biggest perk, though, is direct access to Ferradura Beach. You can walk straight from the hotel grounds onto the sand and use the hotel’s complimentary chairs, umbrellas, and beach service. Ferradura’s protected, horseshoe-shaped bay tends to have calmer, shallower water than many of Búzios’ beaches, making it particularly nice for swimming.

Villa Raphael is geared more toward couples and adults looking for a quiet beachfront stay than families traveling with young children. The hotel does not have a dedicated kids’ club or a long list of children’s programming. Its biggest family-friendly asset is the location itself: direct access to a beach with typically calm, shallow waters.

Families who do stay here can also take advantage of the pool, cinema, beach service, and spacious accommodations, but travelers looking for supervised activities, playrooms, or resort-style kids’ entertainment may be better served elsewhere.

With Ferradura Beach right outside, much of the experience revolves around the water—swimming, paddleboarding, or just hanging out on the sand. Back at the hotel, guests can play beach tennis, book a massage, take a yoga class, or relax by the pool. When you’re ready to explore beyond the property, here are a few ideas:

The setting alone is hard to beat: tropical gardens opening directly onto Ferradura Beach. But the Premium Room stole the show, with its own private garden and pool overlooking the water—it felt like having a little villa within the hotel.

Book the Premium Room if you can. The private pool and garden are worth the upgrade. And have breakfast delivered to your room at least once; enjoying the full spread beside your private pool was one of my favorite experiences of the stay.