The Igreja de Sant'Anna is the oldest building in Búzios, a small white chapel perched on a hill above the town centre with views over the bay and the fishing harbour. From a distance it is a landmark — a point of white against the green hillside that appears in photographs of the town from nearly every angle.
Up close it is modest: a single nave, a simple facade, wooden pews, and an altar dedicated to Saint Anne. It lacks the grandeur of the great colonial churches in Rio or Salvador, but that is partly the point — it was built by fishermen for fishermen, and it remains a functioning church with a community attached to it. Mass is still said regularly, and on feast days the church fills. The terrace outside offers one of the better views in town.