Rio de Janeiro’s coastline is home to paradisiacal beaches and unique hospitality

I begin this text with a non-negotiable truth: the state of Rio de Janeiro it’s incredible. The capital of Rio de Janeiro is called wonderful, but the coast and mountains also hold breathtaking landscapes and delicious experiences to be shared.

These are exactly the other corners that the new special season of CNN Viagem & Gastronomia wants to show. Through two episodes, I visit some of the most stunning places on the coast and in the interior of Rio de Janeiro. All this to encourage you to learn more about our country or inspire foreign tourists to put Brazil on their route.

On the 18th and 19th of November, the G20 summit a group of the 20 largest economies in the world, which accounts for 75% of the world’s GDP, arrives in the Marvelous City. The meeting must inject R$432.5 million in the local economy, according to a study by Visit Rio, but it will also serve as a showcase for authorities to see and learn more about our land.

With that in mind, in the first chapter of the season, I embarked on some of the wonders of the coast, where, in addition to shade and fresh water, I found paradisiacal beaches, maritime experiences and lots of good food. Angra dos Reis , Buzios and Paraty These are the destinations covered, but I would like to warn you: it is not possible to embrace all the charms in a single column or in a 40-minute program.

Therefore, the experiences below serve as a summary, but also as an invitation, in which I highlight what to do , where to stay and where to eat . Ready to tour the Rio coast with me?

Angra dos Reis: unparalleled beauty

It is very difficult, and even unfair, to choose a single place on the coast of Rio that is the most beautiful, but Angra dos Reis is certainly at the top. The landscape is marked by forest walls surrounded by the refreshing emerald sea.

The difference is that Angra brings together 365 islands one for each day of the year. The largest and best known is the Big Island a UNESCO Heritage Site, which is a synthesis of the region, as it is home to beautiful beaches, trails and diving areas.

The main thing to do in Angra is to enjoy the sea on a boat, look for quiet corners and drop the anchor. THE dentist beach is one of the best known, and lives up to the praise, as well as the Blue Lagoon and the Green Lagoon . In numbers, it is estimated that there are around two thousand beaches in Angra. Other names may appear on the list, such as Praia Lopes Mendes, Praia da Piedade, Praia da Ilha dos Macacos, Praia de Palmas, Praia de Dois Rios and Saco do Céu.

For those who like to enjoy marine life and swim or snorkel, the Botinas Islands are recommended. It is worth mentioning that several marinas, nautical clubs and boat rental options are available to us in Angra.

For hosting that helps us with all this, Fasano Angra dos Reis It does the job well, as well as being a destination in its own right. There are 60 spacious accommodations, with 54 facing the sea, in addition to all the quality of the brand’s gastronomic and well-being programs.

A deserted beach is on our doorstep and tailor-made experiences are part of a menu with options on land, at sea and in the middle of the forest. Add this to a cinematic swimming pool, a 2 thousand m² spa, and fresh cuisine and we have the best of Angra. Golf course, canoeing, trails, bike rides and trips to the sea are on the menu.

Among the experiences, a moonlit dinner prepared with the freshest of the day highlights the region’s ingredients. Scallop tartar, grilled octopus with red wine and Fasano’s famous tiramisù, assembled on the spot, can be among the stages. The seafood reminds us that Angra is a major producer of oysters and scallops, many of them coming from Ilha Grande Bay, which brings together shellfish farmers who have worked there for decades.

Angra dos Reis X-ray

• Distances: 150 km from Rio de Janeiro and 400 km from São Paulo;
• When to go: year-round destination; high season between December and March, with high humidity; low season between April and November, with mild temperatures and less rain;
• Main attractions: tour of Ilha Grande, beaches, boat trips, diving, trails.

Búzios: refuge and sophistication

It is inevitable to associate Búzios with its charm. Much sought after destination for quiet Carnivals and holidays, the Armação de Búzios it was a district of Cabo Frio until 1995, but achieved emancipation. Before, in the 1950s, it began to be a vacation spot for Brazilian and French families. The transformation came in 1964, when the actress Brigitte Bardot spent a vacation here.

It was the boost that Búzios needed to be put on the route. Since then, it has become a favorite spot for both us Brazilians and foreigners, as it brings together delicious beaches, boutique hotels, good restaurants and for being just a short distance from Rio.

The beaches of Geribá, João Fernandes, da Ferradura, Brava, Azeda and Azedinha and Praia dos Ossos are among the most famous. Boat trips leave daily from Píer da Armação and Píer do Centro. In addition to the beaches, I like walking around the center and enjoying the shops and restaurants. THE Rua das Pedras It’s perfect for this, the most important commercial street here. It follows the shore of Praia da Armação and connects to the Orla Bardot a tribute to the French actress, immortalized here in the form of a sculpture.

If you feel hungry, my tip is Rocka Restaurant & Beach Lounge standing on the sand of Praia Brava. The Argentine chef Gustavo Rinkevich leads the cooking and serves dishes that change depending on what’s freshest that day. My tip is to enjoy a drink on the sofas in the sand and head to the table, where a Mediterranean-inspired menu with fresh fish, squid from Arraial do Cabo, oysters and organic vegetables harvested from the own garden takes over.

Among the choices, I tried a perfect egg with scallop foam, seaweed powder and bottarga. As a main dish, I enjoyed the mackerel of the day with chestnut farofa, plantain puree and aroma of cachaça. The beetroot hummus with quail egg and the ceviche with tucupi sauce and pepper sorbet are also among the flagships. Bravo!

The hotel industry is not left behind: the discovery was the A Concept Hotel & Spa on Praia de Manguinhos, which houses this refuge with great sophistication. With a minimalist design and sustainability as its focus, the hotel has 25 spacious suites, some with views of the sea or the golf course. The main pool is almost on the sand, and a water sports center helps us with various activities, such as jet skiing, wakeboarding, stand up, kayaking and kitesurfing.

The experience menu also has relaxing massages and different types of yoga, which benefit from the beautiful surrounding environment. Want more action? Tennis courts are available. In terms of gastronomy, two exquisite restaurants serve us with refinement. THE The Jul’s with a woody atmosphere, is contemporary, serving recreations and fish and seafood also to non-guests.

But the highlight goes to the Sushi 11 a Japanese restaurant overlooking the golf course that serves fish directly from the Asian country, a selection of sashimi and dog’s eye with umeboshi. It is worth it!

Búzios X-ray:

• Distances: 165 km from Rio de Janeiro and around 590 km from São Paulo;
• When to go: high season from December to March, with hot and humid weather and various festivities; low season from April to November, with milder weather, but with holidays on the calendar;
• Main attractions: Orla Bardot, Rua das Pedras, Porto da Barra, beaches, boat trips.

Paraty: historical, natural and gastronomic wonders

Finally, Paraty served as a beautiful farewell to the coast of Rio de Janeiro. It gives us a combination of history and nature, as well as excitement with different events throughout the year. A UNESCO heritage site, Paraty enchants me with the colonial houses and stone streets of the historic center, which prohibits the circulation of cars. There are also caiçara restaurants and boat trips.

Elected Creative City of Gastronomy the production of cachaça and the valorization of fish and seafood together with ingredients from the Atlantic Forest set the tone of the meals. Married Paraty International Literary Festival (Flip) the city also breathes literature.

The tip is to take advantage of it on four main pillars: get “lost” in the historic center; boating; taste cachaças and enjoy the rich local cuisine. In this article you can see a complete three-day itinerary in Paraty, but below I give some highlights.

In the center, the route through churches It’s a kick to discover the past. Among them are the Church of Santa Rita, the city’s postcard; the Rosário Church; the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios and the Church of Nossa Senhora das Dores. Typical candy carts line the streets, but restaurants, like the emblematic Plantain which has completed three decades of history, can satisfy us with caiçara cuisine.

Cachaça stills are part of the local culture and the Paratiana may be the chosen one. She stands in front of Bananal Farm which gives another taste of the region. The farm is nestled in the Atlantic Forest and focuses on agroecology and sustainability, with a wooden trail, which includes trees up to 400 years old, and a restaurant with its own organic products.

Speaking of food, the Pindorama at Pousada Casa Luz, offers us an immersion in unconventional ingredients at the hands of chef Rafael Morente. At his side, I went in search of mushrooms and plants to use in the kitchen. The result was surprising. Among the menu items are natural fermentation bread with wild mushrooms and flowers and fish with a cashew nut crust and peach palm hearts drizzled with native bee honey.

Back to the center, my home in Paraty was Turquoise House a historic construction made up of three mansions, which offer us colonial architecture filled with contemporary comfort. The breakfast is heavenly, with artisanal products and freshly made recipes, and the nine suites are an invitation to rest with rustic furniture and a chic beach vibe.

Don’t forget to go out to sea: daily boats leave from Paraty Pier across the bay. Prices depend on the type of vessel and the itineraries, the most common of which pass through islands such as Cocos, Cotia, Praia da Conceição, as well as Praia da Lua and Ilha do Algodão.

Paraty X-ray:

• Distances: 258 km from Rio de Janeiro and approximately 270 km from São Paulo
• When to go: April has a slow pace and pleasant weather; high season runs from December to March; low season continues in the other months, but festivals and holidays tend to attract many visitors.
• Main attractions: historic center, cachaça stills, Fazenda Bananal, boat trips around Paraty Bay and caiçara restaurants.

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Source: CNN Brasil