COSTA DO SOL, called popularly by REGIÃO DOS LAGOS.
The North Coast of Rio de Janeiro with 11 cities: Saquarema - Araruama - Iguaba Grande - São Pedro d’Aldeia - Cabo Frio - Arraial do Cabo - Armação de Búzios - Rio das Ostras - Barra de São João - Casemiro de Abreu - Macaé
Hi. How are you?
My name is Viviane. I’m brazilian. I was born in Rio de Janeiro. I moved for Cabo Frio in 2004 and I lived in Costa do Sol there for five years (1 year in Iguaba). But I want to show the ‘Região dos Lagos” for everybody that want to know this beautiful place.
This page is different, because you are going to know the step by a person that lived in the place that you have interesting to know. English isn’t my first language, so sorry for some mistakes. The last time that I wrote in English was in 1998 ( more than ten years!).
What do you want to know? Lake? Beach? Or river?
Lake
if you like to play in lake, you can go to Araruama, Arraial do Cabo, Iguaba Grande or São Pedro d’Aldeia. The people like to sit in these lakes in plastic chair .
Araruama and Arraial do Cabo are very interesting because in the downstair , you can see the lakes and the upstair you can see the beach of Atlantic Oceanic ( beach of Pernambuca, beach Seca, Figueira, Monte Alto…). These beaches are a good idea for surfers, because the brave sea. Is the same sea of Saquarema, Maricá, Jaconé, Ponta Negra, Itaipu… Saquarema offered a lot of championship of surf.
Kitesurf is practiced in Praia da Dunas and Praia do Foguete ( you can access these beaches by Praia do Forte is the coast , but in other direction of sand and wind.
Beaches
ARRAIAL DO CABO
Surfers can go to the beach of Atlantic Oceanic that I told or Praia Grande in the center of Arraial do Cabo. These water are very cold.
In Arraial do Cabo , you can know Prainha, Praia do Fogo, Gruta Azul (Blue Grotto), Praia dos Anjos, Pontal do Atalaia (for Pontal do Atalaia: take a taxi to know or go by walking a lot if you like trekking. Access nearby Praia Grande) , Praia do Pontal.
Prainha is beautiful because the green or blue water shocking in the rocks. I don’t know to identify the color of the water. It’s fantastic. Look at Prainha in the photo and try to descibe the color. It is ‘UNLOSEABLE”!
CABO FRIO
If you came from Brasil without a bikini and accessories, you can buy the best and cheapest in Rua dos Biquínis - Gamboa. You can go walking, by bus urban, by boat in the canal. In the same canal , you can take a boat to visit the Japanese Island, it’s a lake that have some restaurant in the morning and afternoon. In the canal of the center of Cabo Frio, in Rua do Canal have a lot of restaurant, but not cheap. You can eat at night in the Rua da Passagem, it is a little park that have ambient music and soap. Rua da Passagem it’s a good place to talk with friends and family who want a calm place to spend the night. The young people prefer the Rua do Canal and the Praia do Forte.
In Praia do Forte, at night have a lot of restaurant, pizza and fast-food, and people walking in every direction doing nothing. Everyday_ morning, afternoon and night_ you can walk, run, play sports in Praia do Forte. You can visit the Forte de Cabo Frio at morning and afternoon (night is closed); you can see the child dools in the park in front of the beach. At night, you can visit the Feira in front of the beach and buy present and eat the brazilian hot-dog. The brazilian hot dog of Rio de Janeiro is different. It’s a self-serve hot dog with a lot of addicional. Delicious! And you can eat a coco sugar ( I don’t know how to mean in English “cocada ”, something produced by condensed milk and coconut and other fruit optional).
The sand of Praia do Forte is so white and fin. You can run or walk in the sand since the Praia do Forte for Praia das Dunas and Praia do Foguete.
You can take a bus in the center to go to the Peró. You can go to Praia do Peró and walk in the sand for Praia das Conchas (Shell Beach). It’s pretty!
To have lunch, in the center you take the bus (bus Araruama, or Bacaxá, or Iguaba Grande, or São Pedro da Aldeia) and go down in Salinas Grill and Gas Station ( three points of bus after Sendas supermarket, it’s two points of bus before Ponte do Ambrosio). You have to pass the other side of the avenue (Avenida América central - center americ avenue). So go in direction of Praia do Siqueira, the beach that have Cabofolia. In this beach, you can eat a wonderful fresh fish and sea foods in the bar of Pernambuco. Good eat and cheap. Something like R$40,00 for six person (=R$7,00/person).
If you want to eat a domestic brazilian food and pay cheap. You chose the fish and they prepare in the same moment. But this beach is only contemplative, an upwelling area.( something like R$14,00/Kg in self-serve)
In São Cristóvão near Trevo de Arraial, have a point of bus in front of a bar that serve a great food in the avenue that you go to the center of Cabo Frio. Near this bar have a point of taxi. In this avenue a left and avenida América Central a right you can rent a car or bugre. Is better to visit Búzios by car. In the São Cristóvão Square, you can take bus to Búzios, you can eat sandwiches with shredded beef or chicken, and Açaí juice. Everything is rich. The sandwich have egg, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato... And the açaí, it's a ice cream with all kind of cereal that you can imagine.
In the same square, beside the catholic church, you can eat in a restaurant too. Good food with barbecue, opened only by day.
ARMAÇÃO DE BÚZIOS
Since Cabo Frio , the first beach of Búzios is Praia José Gonçalves. Praia José Gonçalves is small, beautiful, calm water and must be visited at morning or afternoon (never night because its empty at night and don’t have population near).
The second beach is Tucuns. It’s a simple beach.
If you go more in direction of Praia da Rasa, you can know my favorite beach near of a Fuel market. A empty beach, with calm water, hot sun, delicious wind ( between Praia da Rasa and Praia de Manguinhos).
By bus, you can visit the center ( Orla Bardot, Praia João Fernandes, Praia dos Ossos, Rua das Pedras). You can eat in Rua das Pedras every hour. You can climb the rocks of the beach and appear in other beach (it’s so funny in Búzios).
You can take a taxi or walking, I think that you have to rent a car to know Buzios because some beach is not near of the road . but you to visit Praia da Ferradura, Praia da Ferradurinha, Praia do Geribá . in Praia Brava, you can climb the rocks and appear in other beach and sea the other pretty side of Búzios.
Climb the road of the João Fernandes’s beach, you can see Búzios in the station water of Prolagos and see Búzios in the Mirante of Prolagos. It’s a uncomparable sight and witness.
RIO DAS OSTRAS
Once time of year, in Rio das Ostras, you can hear blues and jazz in the beach in the Festival Jazz e Blues, is called like "Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues, always in june. It’s unforgettable hear the best musicians playing jazz in the sunrise and sunset. And it's free.
In Rio das Ostras yet, I love Praia da Joana is distant far the principal avenue, difficult access, but a beautiful place to spent the day. Most famous is Praia da Tartaruga.
MACAÉ
have a lot of beach and restaurant. But I likePraia dos Cavaleiros, it’s a organized beach (
separate places to play vleyball, frescoball…), hot and calm water, pretty and comfortable beach.
BARRA DE SÃO JOÃO / TAMOIOS / CASEMIRO DE ABREU
it’s a beach with strong sand and Brown water. I prefer the others beaches of Região dos Lagos. It’s a good place to buy fish and food sea to prepare at home.
River
I never went to Sana in Casemiro de Abreu. Everybody like to go there to make a picnic near the river and waterfall. Everybody that went want to return and made a lot of excellent commentaries.
So it is my advice and opinions of Região dos Lagos. My preferences:
To relax, read a book:
1º Praia de Manguinhos - Búzios
2º Praia do Forno - Arraial do Cabo
3º Praia das Dunas - Cabo Frio
4º Praia da Joana , da Tartaruga - Rio das Ostras
5º Praia dos Cavaleiros - Macaé
To live: Bairro Braga - Cabo Frio, a residencial area nearby center of Cabo Frio.
To arrive since Rio de Janeiro: by Serra (RJ-106). How to take? -In this form, first BR-101 >> RJ-104 after Ponte Rio-Niterói >> RJ-106 in Niterói/São Gonçalo.
(I don't like "Via Lagos" - RJ-140, the landscape of Serra/Saquarema, Maricá is more pretty). But if you prefer Via Lagos, BR-101>> RJ-140>> RJ-106 in São Pedro da Aldeia
I invited you a know Niterói too. After Ponte Rio-Niterói, take the first place to your right and Welcome Niterói. To go to Região dos Lagos, you have a way by Praia de Icaraí, by Pedra do Elefante, by Piratininga, by Praia de Itaipuaçu and take the RJ-106 only in Várzea das Moças or Inoã. Try do this way by google maps or google earth. You are really amazed with the landscape.
The North Coast of Rio de Janeiro with 11 cities: Saquarema - Araruama - Iguaba Grande - São Pedro d’Aldeia - Cabo Frio - Arraial do Cabo - Armação de Búzios - Rio das Ostras - Barra de São João - Casemiro de Abreu - Macaé
 |
| O céu estava lindo na Praia do Forte, mereceu uma foto. |
The sun that shine 300 days of year in a blue and clear sky.
My name is Viviane. I’m brazilian. I was born in Rio de Janeiro. I moved for Cabo Frio in 2004 and I lived in Costa do Sol there for five years (1 year in Iguaba). But I want to show the ‘Região dos Lagos” for everybody that want to know this beautiful place.
This page is different, because you are going to know the step by a person that lived in the place that you have interesting to know. English isn’t my first language, so sorry for some mistakes. The last time that I wrote in English was in 1998 ( more than ten years!).
What do you want to know? Lake? Beach? Or river?
Lake
 |
| Iguaba Grande beirando a RJ-106 |
if you like to play in lake, you can go to Araruama, Arraial do Cabo, Iguaba Grande or São Pedro d’Aldeia. The people like to sit in these lakes in plastic chair .
 |
| São Pedro da Aldeia - beirando a RJ -106 |
 |
| Praia do Foguete - Cabo Frio |
Kitesurf is practiced in Praia da Dunas and Praia do Foguete ( you can access these beaches by Praia do Forte is the coast , but in other direction of sand and wind.
Beaches
ARRAIAL DO CABO
Surfers can go to the beach of Atlantic Oceanic that I told or Praia Grande in the center of Arraial do Cabo. These water are very cold.
In Arraial do Cabo , you can know Prainha, Praia do Fogo, Gruta Azul (Blue Grotto), Praia dos Anjos, Pontal do Atalaia (for Pontal do Atalaia: take a taxi to know or go by walking a lot if you like trekking. Access nearby Praia Grande) , Praia do Pontal.
 |
| Vista superior do Pontal do Atalaia |
 |
| No cume do Pontal do Atalaia |
 |
| Prainha - Arraial do Cabo |
 |
| Prainha - Arraial do Cabo |
Praia do Fogo - Fire Beach you can go by boat in Praia dos Anjos - Angel’s beach or climb the mountain for ten minutes. Climb the mountain in Praia dos Anjos to see in the up and to go to Praia do Fogo is the best option. Take the boat in Praia dos Anjos only to visit the Gruta Azul . Gruta Azul is beautiful. You never had seen something like this place, Gruta Azul is the brazilian Caribe. In Praia do Fogo, you can eat oysters in the bar of the beach.
If you came from Brasil without a bikini and accessories, you can buy the best and cheapest in Rua dos Biquínis - Gamboa. You can go walking, by bus urban, by boat in the canal. In the same canal , you can take a boat to visit the Japanese Island, it’s a lake that have some restaurant in the morning and afternoon. In the canal of the center of Cabo Frio, in Rua do Canal have a lot of restaurant, but not cheap. You can eat at night in the Rua da Passagem, it is a little park that have ambient music and soap. Rua da Passagem it’s a good place to talk with friends and family who want a calm place to spend the night. The young people prefer the Rua do Canal and the Praia do Forte.
 |
| Areia da Praia das Dunas, similar a da Praia do Forte |
 |
| Praia das Dunas - Cabo Frio |
The sand of Praia do Forte is so white and fin. You can run or walk in the sand since the Praia do Forte for Praia das Dunas and Praia do Foguete.
You can take a bus in the center to go to the Peró. You can go to Praia do Peró and walk in the sand for Praia das Conchas (Shell Beach). It’s pretty!
 |
| Praia das Dunas - Cabo Frio |
If you want to eat a domestic brazilian food and pay cheap. You chose the fish and they prepare in the same moment. But this beach is only contemplative, an upwelling area.( something like R$14,00/Kg in self-serve)
In the same square, beside the catholic church, you can eat in a restaurant too. Good food with barbecue, opened only by day.
ARMAÇÃO DE BÚZIOS
Since Cabo Frio , the first beach of Búzios is Praia José Gonçalves. Praia José Gonçalves is small, beautiful, calm water and must be visited at morning or afternoon (never night because its empty at night and don’t have population near).
The second beach is Tucuns. It’s a simple beach.
If you go more in direction of Praia da Rasa, you can know my favorite beach near of a Fuel market. A empty beach, with calm water, hot sun, delicious wind ( between Praia da Rasa and Praia de Manguinhos).
 |
| Praia de Manguinhos |
By bus, you can visit the center ( Orla Bardot, Praia João Fernandes, Praia dos Ossos, Rua das Pedras). You can eat in Rua das Pedras every hour. You can climb the rocks of the beach and appear in other beach (it’s so funny in Búzios).
 |
| Praia dos Ossos |
You can take a taxi or walking, I think that you have to rent a car to know Buzios because some beach is not near of the road . but you to visit Praia da Ferradura, Praia da Ferradurinha, Praia do Geribá . in Praia Brava, you can climb the rocks and appear in other beach and sea the other pretty side of Búzios.
 |
| Praia de João Fernandes |
Climb the road of the João Fernandes’s beach, you can see Búzios in the station water of Prolagos and see Búzios in the Mirante of Prolagos. It’s a uncomparable sight and witness.
 |
| Vista a partir do Mirante da Prolagos |
RIO DAS OSTRAS
Once time of year, in Rio das Ostras, you can hear blues and jazz in the beach in the Festival Jazz e Blues, is called like "Rio das Ostras Jazz & Blues, always in june. It’s unforgettable hear the best musicians playing jazz in the sunrise and sunset. And it's free.
In Rio das Ostras yet, I love Praia da Joana is distant far the principal avenue, difficult access, but a beautiful place to spent the day. Most famous is Praia da Tartaruga.
MACAÉ
have a lot of beach and restaurant. But I likePraia dos Cavaleiros, it’s a organized beach (
separate places to play vleyball, frescoball…), hot and calm water, pretty and comfortable beach.
BARRA DE SÃO JOÃO / TAMOIOS / CASEMIRO DE ABREU
it’s a beach with strong sand and Brown water. I prefer the others beaches of Região dos Lagos. It’s a good place to buy fish and food sea to prepare at home.
River
I never went to Sana in Casemiro de Abreu. Everybody like to go there to make a picnic near the river and waterfall. Everybody that went want to return and made a lot of excellent commentaries.
So it is my advice and opinions of Região dos Lagos. My preferences:
To relax, read a book:
1º Praia de Manguinhos - Búzios
2º Praia do Forno - Arraial do Cabo
3º Praia das Dunas - Cabo Frio
4º Praia da Joana , da Tartaruga - Rio das Ostras
5º Praia dos Cavaleiros - Macaé
To live: Bairro Braga - Cabo Frio, a residencial area nearby center of Cabo Frio.
To arrive since Rio de Janeiro: by Serra (RJ-106). How to take? -In this form, first BR-101 >> RJ-104 after Ponte Rio-Niterói >> RJ-106 in Niterói/São Gonçalo.
(I don't like "Via Lagos" - RJ-140, the landscape of Serra/Saquarema, Maricá is more pretty). But if you prefer Via Lagos, BR-101>> RJ-140>> RJ-106 in São Pedro da Aldeia
I invited you a know Niterói too. After Ponte Rio-Niterói, take the first place to your right and Welcome Niterói. To go to Região dos Lagos, you have a way by Praia de Icaraí, by Pedra do Elefante, by Piratininga, by Praia de Itaipuaçu and take the RJ-106 only in Várzea das Moças or Inoã. Try do this way by google maps or google earth. You are really amazed with the landscape.
 |
| Nascer do Sol (Sunrise) - Sampaio Corrêa - via Serra |
 |
| Serra em Saquarema |
 |
| Serra em Saquarema beirando a rodovia RJ-140 |
