As far as thank-you gifts go, this is a good one. The Brazilian seaside resort of Búzios honoured its favourite holiday-maker with her very own stretch of seafront. And what a strip of land the Orla Bardot is, running from the centre of town to one of the peninsula's 23 beaches with breathtaking views of the bay.
Ever since Brigitte first "hid" here with her Brazilian boyfriend in 1964, a litany of world stars, from Mick Jagger to Madonna, have followed her path. But none left quite the impression Bardot did. Her declaration of love for the tiny fishing village catapulted it into the global spotlight and led to its inevitable, albeit tastefully restrained, development as a hub of upmarket tourism. These days it is, rather unsurprisingly, known as Brazil's St Tropez.
Not that the locals seem to mind her intervention - with good reason, they positively celebrate it. There's a Bardot cinema. There's even a plaque commemorating the room in which she stayed for the summer. And in the middle of the Bardot seafront sits a bronze statue of the French actress, straw hat in hand, savouring the view as if it were 1964 all over again.
Nowadays, the comparisons with St Tropez extend well beyond Bardot's patronage. For Búzios, just three hours' drive from Rio, is the playground of Brazil and Argentina's elite.
There is glamour here all right and it's very, very Brazilian. Every torso is tanned to the shade of the wood that gave the country its name and many look like they are no stranger to the scalpel. But it's the de rigueur beachwear that sets Brazilians apart. "Tiny" is about the only way to describe it. The girls favour bikinis the size of Dairylea triangles with thongs that could cut their own slice of cheese, while boys see no shame in skimpy white briefs that look like they were bought from Versace Junior. It wouldn't work in Brighton, but in Búzios it all looks right.
Night-time in Búzios is when its cobbled and immaculately manicured central area really comes alive. Well-groomed tourists amble down Rua das Pedras, the town's busiest street, casting a critical eye over the boutiques and international restaurants that run its length. But the real focus for these well-heeled perambulists is each other: this is where the evening stroll is turned into an art-form. For those without a jumper to drape over their shoulders, the best thing to do is skip dessert at whatever eaterie you choose, grab a chocolate crepe at the open-air Chez Michou, sit back and watch the action.
Night-time in Búzios also means one other thing: caipirinha, the ubiquitous Brazilian cocktail of cane spirit, sugar and lime. A caipirinha may be the closest that alcohol gets to class-A drugs. It has a taste so sweet that one is never enough and a kick as hard as a Roberto Carlos thunderbolt. Four of them and you'll be talking to your flip-flops.
But people don't come here primarily for the night-time action; they come for the beaches. And they have a pretty daz zling selection to choose from. Many of Búzios' 23 glorious specimens are within walking distance of the town. Much better fun, however, is to hire an open-top buggy (think of a Mini Moke designed by the Cartoon Network) and decide which stretch of sand suits you best: the coves of Forno or Azedinha for tranquillity, Ossos for posing, Geribá for surf or Olho de Boi for an all-over tan.
Deciding on which hotel suits you best is easier: just look in your wallet. For aspiring Bardots and Jaggers, there's an unsurprising wealth of top-end accommodation, among which the Casas Brancas appears to be a perennial favourite. But for those who read OK! rather than appear in it, there's a remarkably wide selection of pousadas scattered along the fringes of town that are as elegant as they are cheap. For around £20 a night, you'll get a large room, a warm welcome and a big breakfast.
And that's the one thing that really distances Búzios from its flash cousin on the Côte d'Azur: its value. This is, after all, Brazil, where the cost of living is cheap, even in its most dazzling resorts. Here, you can eat like royalty for £20 every night, hire a buggy for a tenner and neck killer caipirinhas for 80p a fix.
The best thing about Búzios, however, is still free: the view from its seafront. On our last day, we sat ourselves down beside Bardot's statue for one final screening in glorious Technicolor. Tiny white fishing boats pegged the curve of the bay. The sea was the cobalt blue of Brazilian football shorts. Yachts and water-taxis skirted around the Ilha do Caboclo, a tiny fist of green just a few hundred yards out to sea. We looked at Brigitte. She hadn't moved. With a scene like that, it's little wonder.
Way to go:
Getting there: Varig (0870 1203020, varig.co.uk) flies Heathrow-Rio de Janeiro from £550 inc tax.
Where to stay: Pousada Casas Brancas (+22 2623 1458, casasbrancas.com.br); doubles from £90 per night. Pousada Hibiscus Beach (+22 2623 6221, hibiscusbeach.com.br) has bungalows with private balcony and sea view from £40 per night for two. Pousada Estrada (+22 2623 1851, mangley@mar.com.br), elegant guesthouse, doubles from £18 with huge breakfast.
Where to eat: For French-inspired seafood and a view of the bay, try Cigalon. For meat-eaters, the Estancia Don Juan. Both are on Rua das Pedras. For seafood by the sea, try the Recanto do Sol on João Fernandes beach. Restaurante do David on Rua Manoel Turibio de Farias does a mix of seafood, Italian and Brazilian dishes - with free pre-prandial caipirinha.
Where to drink: Zapata is a jumping Mexican bar and club on Rua das Pedras. Arrive late. Along the street, Patio Havana has live music and ocean-side patio. Best for a caipirinha at sunset is the friendly Bar do Ze.
Further information: Brazil Tourist Office (020-7629 6909, brazil.org.uk). buzios online.com.br/indexe.htm.
Country code: 0055.
Flight time London-Rio de Janeiro: 13hrs.
Time difference: -4hrs.
£1 = 5.19 reals.