Costa Verde (the Green Coast) starts two hours from Rio. This string of beaches offer a magnificent selection of some of Brazil's finest resorts. To the west, the Angra dos Reis (Bay of Kings) mountains plunge into the sea. Islands, beaches, and coves dot the landscape. To the east, Buzios, a small peninsula that was once a tiny fishing village, now offers no less than 17 white sand beaches and a lively nightlife. "Brigitte" overlooks it all; the statue of the actress Brigitte Bardot was constructed during her heyday after she paid a visit to Buzios. At the end of this glorious coastal stretch sits Paraty (or Parati) and Ilha Grande, rising out of the bay.