Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
though, is holidaymaking: you'll find holiday homes, arts and crafts shops and young
surfers here in abundance.
Saquarema is widely rated as second only to Florianópolis (see p.574) as Brazil's
surfing capital, and the
Praia de Itaúna
, 3km from town, is a favourite with surfers, who
gather every year for the National Championship in mid-May. A strong undertow
makes its waters potentially dangerous for the casual swimmer, so if you want to swim,
head instead for the
Praia da Vila
, where the seventeenth-century church, Nossa
Senhora de Nazaré (daily 8am-5pm), stands on the rocky promontory. For fishing, the
Praia de Jaconé
is a popular haunt, stretching 4km west of Saquarema.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
SAQUAR
EMA
AND AROUND
Hotel Fazenda Sítio Nosso Paraíso
Estrada do Rio
Seco 115 (off Rodovia Amaral Peixoto, 16km north of
Saqarema)
T
22 9969 1969,
W
nosso-paraiso.net.
Set
amid 25 acres of lush farmland a 20min shuttle-bus ride
from the beaches, with its own bar, swimming pool and
sauna. Meals are made using the farm's own produce, and
the hotel can be reached on buses from Rio or Niterói
travelling to Bacaxá via RJ-106.
R$180
Maasai
Travessa Itaúna 17, Praia de Itaúna
T
22 2651
1092,
W
maasai.com.br.
A great-value beachside hotel
where the rooms are spacious and the attractive grounds
include a pool. They've als
o got a
bar and restaurant, and
rent out bicycles to guests.
R$280
Cabo Frio and around
During summer, and especially at weekends,
CABO FRIO
is at a pitch of holiday excite-
ment, generated by the out-of-towners who come here to relax in the fresh sea breeze. The
town was founded in the late sixteenth century, but it was only really in the twentieth
century that it developed, thanks to the salt and tourist industries. Built around sand
dunes, Cabo Frio has plenty of
beaches
and is the main transport hub for the eastern end
of the Costa do Sol. Lately, the
canalside
area to the north of the centre has become very
lively, particularly in the evenings and at weekends, when its bars and restaurants are full.
The closest beach to town is the
Praia do Forte
, which marks the southern end of the
town centre. At its eastern end, the fort of
São Mateus
(irregular hours, but most likely
9am-5pm at weekends and in summer) was built by the French in 1616 for protection
against pirates. The town's other beach,
Praia da Barra
, is larger and more popular. Six
kilometres north in the direction of Búzios, near Ogivas,
Praia do Peró
is a good surfing
spot, peaceful and deserted on weekdays, and further on, the small
Praia das Conchas
has sand dunes and clear, calm, blue waters.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
CABO FRIO AND AROUND
By bus
The bus station is on Avenida Júlia Kubitschek, 2km
northwest of the centre. Local buses to São Pedro da Aldeia
and Arraial do Cabo stop next to it, those for Buzios stop
just across Avenida Júlia Kubitschek. Intercity buses from
Cabo Frio serve Niterói (20 daily), Rio, São Paulo and
Petrópolis, but travelling to Santos or Bahia, your best best
is to take a bus to the sugar-cane-processing town of
Campos to pick up a connection.
Tourist o
ce
On Rua Marechal Floriano (aka Boulevard
Canal), near the junction with Rua Nilo Peçanha, with
another o
ce at the bus station (daily 8am-6pm;
T
22 2646 7959,
W
cabofrio.rj.gov.br).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Atlântico
Rua José Bonifácio 302
T
22 2643 0996,
W
hotelatlantico.tur.br.
Bright little rooms with all you
need (compact bathroom, TV, a/c), and friendly
management too.
In the
centre of town, just a few blocks
off Praia do Forte.
R$207
Fun Hostel
Rua Jorge Lóssio 1318
T
22 2647 3531,
W
cabofriocentralhostel.com.
The only hostel left in Cabo
Frio offers reasonably spacious dorms, small private rooms,
and big breakfasts. Dorms
R$45
; doubles
R$180
La Plage
Rua dos Badejos 40, Praia do Peró
T
22 2647
1746,
W
laplage.com.br.
Cabo Frio's most expensive
hotel, boasting well-app
ointed
rooms by a lovely beach,
but removed from town.
R$250
Porto Fino
Rua Jorge Lóssio 160
T
22 2643 6230,
W
pousadaportofino.com.br.
One of the better-value
accommodation choices among several options on a long
FROM TOP
PARATY
P.128
; PALÁCIO DE CRISTAL, PETRÓPOLIS
P.118
>
