South America › Brazil › Rio de Janeiro
Arraial do Cabo
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All places →Arraial do CaboDon't missTownsThe water here is unreal, properly turquoise, and the whole town is built around getting you out into it. Stay in Arraial rather than Cabo Frio - every boat leaves from Praia dos Anjos and you want to be walking distance from it. Climb the hill behind the town for the view down onto Prainhas do Pontal do Atalaia, all cactus and white sand and boats sitting on their own shadows, and go back up in the evening. Four days felt about right and I would go again tomorrow.Cabo FrioDon't missActivitiesThis is the dive, and it is the only reason I have any photographs of Cabo Frio. Green water rather than the blue you get on the boat trips, maybe ten metres of visibility, rock and weed rather than coral - and then a green turtle that hung around long enough for everyone to get their picture. It is colder than you expect for Brazil, so take the thicker suit if they offer you one.Mirante do Pontal do AtalaiaDon't missViewpointsDrive up for the sunset and nothing else. The cliff faces the right way, the sun drops into the sea behind the islands, and you can see the whole coast from up there. It is ten minutes out of town and everyone has the same idea, so go early enough to park.Praia BravaDon't missOutdoorsA walk over the headland from town and then nothing - white sand, turquoise water, and on the morning I went about six other people on the whole beach. The trail starts up by the road and drops down through the scrub, and it is worth doing slowly because the view along the coast on the way down is half of it. There is no kiosk, no shade and no anything, so take water. Easily the best hour I had in Arraial.Praia do FarolDon't missOutdoorsYou can only get here by boat and that turns out to be the best part. The trip runs around Ilha do Farol under the granite, into the cave, past the lighthouse on top, and the water goes from deep navy to a turquoise I did not really believe until I was in it. The beach at the end is white sand and shallow and busy in the way a good beach is busy. Do not try to be clever about the boats, just take the one from Praia dos Anjos with everyone else.