The verdict on Tartaruga Beach
- Who it suitsSnorkelers, families and anyone who wants calm, clear, warm water and a low key kiosk lunch over a scene, with easy access by road or boat.
- Best spotA kiosk table near the rocks at either end of the bay, mask and fins on hand, before or after the schooner tours pass through at midday.
- One thing to knowThis is a kiosk beach, not a built club, so come for the swim and the seafood rather than a lounger scene, and treat turtle sightings as a lucky bonus.
Published 13 March 2026. Last reviewed 3 April 2026
Praia da Tartaruga is the Buzios bay you go to for the water rather than the scene, and on that count it earns its place. It sits on the sheltered north side of the peninsula, a short drive of about ten minutes from the centre of town, tucked into a cove of rock and green vegetation that gives it a quiet, half hidden feel. The sand is a compact golden strip, the kind of small beach where the rustic wood kiosks at the back are as much a part of the picture as the shoreline. Read it as a working snorkel and lunch bay, not a lounger runway, and it rarely disappoints.
The pull here is the calm, clear water. Tartaruga faces into a protected bay, so the sea is typically warm and gentle with little swell, which makes it one of the friendliest spots in Buzios for a slow swim, for kayaking and standup paddle, and above all for snorkeling along the rocky edges where the fish gather. The beach takes its name from the turtles that are sometimes seen in the shallows, and while a sighting is never a promise, it is a fair reason to bring a mask. Between swims, a kiosk table with grilled fish and a cold drink is the whole ritual, and it is a good one.
The honest notes are about timing and scale. Tartaruga is small and it is a fixed stop on the schooner and boat tours, so around the middle of the day the anchorage fills and the calm bay gets busy with visitors coming ashore. Come on a weekday or arrive early to have the quieter version, keep an eye on the boats when you snorkel, and remember there is no lifeguard, so stay within your depth and treat the usual calm as typical rather than guaranteed. Parking is paid and a short walk from the sand, so travel light, use reef safe products, and carry your rubbish back out.
Come to Tartaruga for the calmest snorkeling and the kiosk lunch, then round out Buzios elsewhere. For a sheltered swimming cove near town go to Azeda Beach, for a long lively town beach with more space try Geriba Beach, and for another quiet swimming cove see Joao Fernandes Beach. For the full picture start at the best beaches in Buzios, for loungers and dining browse the Buzios beach clubs directory, and to plan your timing read when to go to Buzios.
Kiosks, not a built beach club
Tartaruga runs on a row of rustic wood kiosks rather than a formal beach club, and we will not invent one. The kiosks serve seafood, grilled plates and cold drinks and rent chairs and umbrellas right on the sand, which suits the low key mood of the bay. For a wider choice of bars, restaurants and the formal venues around Buzios, use the Buzios beach clubs directory.
Photo: DJWL-1969 via GoogleThe bay, served by kiosks
The service here is a shaded kiosk table, a rented chair and a plate of grilled fish rather than a built club with day beds. Come for the snorkeling and the seafood, keep your gear light for the walk from the car park, and save the cocktail bar and the long formal lunch for central Buzios a short drive away. For venues that do exist, browse the Buzios beach clubs directory.
Tartaruga Beach, Buzios
Praia da Tartaruga is on the northern side of the Buzios peninsula, a drive of about ten minutes from the centre of town along signed roads, with paid parking a short walk from the sand. If you would rather come by water, the beach is a regular stop on the schooner and boat tours that anchor in the bay to snorkel, so you can reach it on wheels or on the sea depending on your plan for the day.
Because facilities are limited to the kiosks, bring sun cover, water, reef safe products and your own snorkel gear if you have it, and carry your rubbish back out. Come early or on a weekday for the quieter bay and the clearest water, snorkel within your depth as there is no lifeguard, and keep clear of the boats that anchor offshore. Conditions are typical rather than guaranteed.
Not ready to book?
Keep the good shorelines coming. Shore Notes is our occasional letter on the best beaches and the clubs worth your day, sent straight to your inbox. One field, unsubscribe any time.
Book a Buzios beach club or table
Tartaruga is a kiosk beach with no formal club, so send your details and we will help arrange a lounger, a table or a sunset drink at the beach clubs and restaurants around Buzios. We confirm current rates and availability with the venue before you commit. Nothing is charged here.
Independent and honest · 1,340 beaches ranked across 103 destinations · We answer to no resort
Tartaruga Beach FAQ
How do you get to Tartaruga Beach in Buzios?
By road or by boat. Praia da Tartaruga sits on the north side of the peninsula, a drive of about ten minutes from central Buzios along signed roads, with paid parking a short walk from the sand. Many visitors also arrive on the schooner and boat tours that stop here to snorkel, so you can reach it on wheels or on the water depending on your day.
Is Tartaruga Beach good for snorkeling?
Yes, it is one of the better bays in Buzios for it. Tartaruga faces into a sheltered cove with typically calm, clear, warm water and a rocky shoreline that holds fish, so mask and fins reward you close to the rocks at each end. There is no lifeguard, so treat the calm as typical rather than guaranteed and snorkel within your depth, and keep clear of the boats that anchor offshore.
Are there kiosks or restaurants at Tartaruga Beach?
Yes, rustic wood kiosks line the back of the sand and serve seafood, grilled plates and cold drinks, and they rent chairs and umbrellas. It is a kiosk beach rather than a built beach club, which is part of its low key charm. For a wider choice of bars and formal venues, the restaurants of central Buzios are a short drive away.
Why is it called Tartaruga Beach?
Tartaruga means turtle in Portuguese, and the bay is named for the turtles that are sometimes seen in its calm, clear water. Sightings are never guaranteed, so treat any encounter as a bonus, keep your distance, and never chase or feed marine life if you are lucky enough to share the water with one.
When is the best time to visit Tartaruga Beach?
The Brazilian summer from December to March brings the warmest water and clearest snorkeling, though it is also the busiest. For calm water with more room, come on a weekday or arrive early before the boat tours, and aim for the middle of the day when the light lifts the colour in the bay.