Búzios, the little finger of Brazil that juts into the Atlantic, hit the headlines when Brigitte Bardot arrived there in the 1960’s. Two and a half hours from Rio by car, or a 1-hour flight, Búzios has been a resort magnet since then for hip Brazilians and even hipper Europeans …so… Americans, listen up! . Dune buggies, good food (dinners begin at 10, 11 p.m.), great drinks, fishing villages, sambas, surfers and sugar beaches, and … TAH TAH …amazingly low prices.

Best bed: check out the 33-room simple, stylish and charming Casas Brancas, complete with restaurant and spa. For info and good hotel pix: La Datco Tours.