Discover the best beaches and nightlife in Niteroi, Brazil. It is a bustling city in the capital state of Rio de Janeiro, a very important commercial place and people who live here commute daily to Rio for work or business. Niteroi’s beaches, museums and fortresses attract crowds of tourists every year and its nightlife is considered among the best in Brazil. Read on to learn more about the best things to do in Niteroi!
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1. Go surfing at the Itacoatiara Beach
Niteroi in Brazil is a tourist’s paradise, although it maybe located on the ‘other side’ of Guanabara bay, it attracts huge crowds to its beautiful beaches. Itacoatiara beach is also known as Itacoá by the locals, and you have to get there by ‘Barcas’ which is a ferry boat; you can board it from Praça XV, or bus or by car when you cross Rio-Niteroi bridge. This beach is a surfer’s paradise, and perfect for those looking to spend some quiet moments away from the hustle and bustle of life.
Itacoatiara Beach
Address: Itacoatiara beach in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Facebook: Itacoatiara Beach
2. Serra da Tiririca State Park
Serra da Tiririca State Park is a well known state park in Rio de Janeiro. It occupies an area of 3,493 hectares (8,630 acres) including a marine park and coastal Itacoatiara. It is characterized by rough and rugged terrain with slopes beyond 50°. The park has 8 hills and many archaeological sites. This park was created because of a joint campaign by the civil society against environmental damage which began in the early 1980s and the park was brought into effect in 1991 with the aim of protecting the Atlantic Forest vegetation. In 1992, UNESCO named it as part of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve.
Serra da Tiririca State Park
Address: R. das Rosas, 24 - Itacoatiara, Niterói - RJ
3. Visit the famous Joao Caetano Municipal Theater
Joao Caetano Municipal Theater in Niteroi was originally built in the 19th-century; it was renovated in between 1992 and 1995. This theater is considered by historians to be an integral part of Brazilian theater. While renovating this theater it was decided to maintain its neoclassical architecture belonging to the time period of 1888 and 1889, while adding some modern additions to it. In the year 1900, the theater was renamed in the honor of Brazilian super star actor João Caetano, who remained a powerful stage actor in this theater during 1842 till the time of his death in 1863.
Joao Caetano Municipal Theater
Address: Rua Quinze de Novembro, 35 - Centro, Niterói - RJ, 24020-125, Brazil
4. Be amazed at the Basilica of Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora
Basilica of Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora or the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians is a Catholic church located in Niteroi; it is dedicated to Our Lady Help of Christians, who is the patroness of the religious order for Salesians and Archdiocese of Niteroi. It is a blend of the architecture of the Mozarabic and Gothic style of architecture. This basilica has the largest pipe organ in Latin America with 11,130 sound tubes and the sound of its large bells can be heard all over Niteroi. It is the main residence of the home of the children of St. John Bosco in Brazil.
Basilica of Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora
Address: Rua Santa Rosa, 216, Santa Rosa, Niteroi, Brazil
5. See the saucer shaped museum of contemporary art (Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum)
The Contemporary Art Museum in Niteroi is popularly called the Saucer Shaped Museum as well. It is a popular landmark in Niteroi in Rio de Janeiro and its art collection is on a renewable loan from Joao Sattamini, the Brazilian art collector with the largest private art collection in the entire world.
The building structure was completed in 1996 and was designed by famous Brazilian architect, Oscar Neimeyer and engineer Bruno Contarini. The building is famous for its saucer-shaped cupola, and it has 3 floors. The Contemporary Art Museum’s viewing gallery looks out over Guanabara Bay and Sugar Loaf Mountain.
Museum of Contemporary Art
Address: Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Website: Museum of Contemporary Art
6. See the amazing Campo de Sao Bento
Campo de Sao Bento is officially known as Prefeito Ferraz Park and is located in Niteroi. The park was built in 1908 on the same place where the Sao Bento Monastery had been from the year 1697. It was built according to the project plan given by Belgian landscape engineer Arséne Puttemans. It has flower beds, lakes, toys for kids, an amusement park and conducts handicraft fairs on weekends.
Campo de Sao Bento
Address: Alameda Edmundo de Macedo Soares e Silva 1, Niteroi - Rio de Janeiro
Website: Campo de Sao Bento
7. Camboinhas Beach
It is worthwhile to visit Camboinhas Beach (it’s easier and faster to hire a fisherman’s boat to cross the canal rather than driving around the lagoon to get there). Other beaches include: Piratininga, Prainha (cliff diving from the Whale Rock) and Sossego, all on the Atlantic side. Boa Viagem, Inga, Icarai, Sao Francisco, Charitas, Jurujuba (fishermen village, not for swimming) Adao and Eva, are all along the bay, starting at downtown and ending at the Fortress.
Camboinhas Beach
Address: Camboinhas Beach, Brazil
8. Explore the mysterious Santa Cruz da Barra Fortress
Santa Cruz da Barra is a popular tourist attraction of Brazil built in the year 1555 on the order of Nicholas Durand de Villegaignon, who founded the Antarctic France in Brazil. It is located in the east part of Guanabara Bay in Niteroi and is in front of Fortaleza of São João, Urca. It was difficult to get to this attraction till the early 1940s as there was no access to it by road or by sea, as the sea around it was very violent and had strong currents. There were many additional building works done on the fortress by the Portuguese and other rulers there; in the 18th-century it was being used as a prison and many hangings were carried out there.
Today the fortress is in the control of the Brazilian Army and can be accessed by tourists. Things to see here are the 40 artillery pieces of various time periods, dungeons, the chapel of Santa Barbara from the 17th-century, the sun watch built in 1820, the place where hangings happened, a wall of shootings and an amazing view of Rio de Janeiro.
Santa Cruz da Barra Fortress
Address: Estrada General Eurico Gaspar Dutra, s/n, Niterói - RJ, 24370-375, Brazil
Website: Santa Cruz da Barra Fortress
9. Enjoy the Parque da Cidade
Parque de Cidade or City Park in Niteroi is the best place for you to get a good view of Rio de Janeiro. It has a great viewpoint with a panoramic view of the beaches of Niteroi, Guanabara Bay, the sea, Sugar Loaf hill, etc. The park was inaugurated in 1976, and is an environmental preservation area situated on Viração hill.
You can reach this park by car, bike or foot; it is quite a steep climb to reach the top of the park. Once on the top you will need to access the two ramps to do paragliding and you can see the most spectacular sunset.
Parque da Cidade
Address: Estr. da Viração, s/n - São Francisco, Niteroi - RJ, 26177-600, Brazil
Website: Parque da Cidade
Fascinating Niteroi - a perfect vacation spot!
Niteroi has so much to offer visitors and we are glad that we could showcase it to all of you, so that you can plan your next vacation to this beautiful and remarkable place.
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