Macae
Introduction
Macaé sits in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, roughly 180 km northeast of the state capital. It is also the birthplace of Washington Luís, the 13th president of Brazil.
Before you go
Macaé is the base for most of Brazil's offshore oil exploration, so expect a working city rather than a resort town. Plan your trip around that character: business travel shapes the hotels, restaurants and services you'll find.
Getting there
How you reach Macaé depends on which direction you are coming from. Travellers arriving from the Baixadas Litorâneas can enter the first district's urban area via the RJ-106 highway through Imboassica, or via the BR-101 through Aroeira. If you are coming from other municipalities in northern Rio de Janeiro, you enter through Cabiúnas. The city lies about 180 km from Rio de Janeiro.
- By bus: frequent long-distance services run from Rio de Janeiro and Vitória. From Rio's Rodoviária Novo Rio in the Central Zone, the route to Macaé station is operated by the company 1001.
- By air: Joaquim de Azevedo Mancebo Airport (MEA, formerly Benedito Lacerda Airport) has scheduled flights from Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont and Campinas.
Getting around
Macaé is a spread-out city, and how you get around reflects its role as an offshore petroleum hub. There is no metro, tram or suburban rail network, and no train links the city to Rio de Janeiro or other nearby centres, so plan on road-based transport. Long-distance buses are the main way visitors arrive, with frequent services from Rio de Janeiro and Vitória; from Rio, the route runs from Rodoviária Novo Rio to Macaé's own station, operated by "1001". By road, which entrance you use depends on where you are coming from: from the Baixadas Litorâneas via the RJ-106 you enter through Imboassica, via the BR-101 through Aroeira, and from other municipalities of Northern Rio de Janeiro through Cabiúnas.
Within the city, buses are the main form of public transport, though local routes, fares and passes are not detailed here, so confirm ticketing arrangements when you arrive. Taxis are practical for reaching the beaches and outlying districts, and ride-hailing apps are a reasonable fallback. Walking works best within a single neighbourhood rather than as a way to cross the city; the beaches of Cavaleiros and Pecado are places to stroll once you have arrived, but you will generally need a vehicle or bus to get there. The rural towns of Sana and Frade, out in the municipality's interior, are not walkable from the city and require road transport, and the tourist infrastructure has historically seen limited investment, so do not expect a dense, pedestrian-friendly core. If you fly in, Joaquim de Azevedo Mancebo Airport (MEA) handles scheduled flights from Rio de Janeiro–Santos Dumont and Campinas as well as offshore platform operations; taxis are the most straightforward way into the city from there, and the transfer is short.
Where to stay
For somewhere quiet and clean to stay, look to the Centro, where you'll find a small inn on Rua Vereador Manoel Braga. It's a low-key option with breakfast included, and its central location puts you within reach of the city's everyday amenities.
Food & drink
No food or drink information is available for this destination in the source material, so there is nothing to recommend here.What to see and do
In Macaé you can explore forested districts and historic sites. Arraial do Sana is known for its forests and waterfalls, with several campgrounds, and you can practice rafting and abseiling there. The Serra de Macaé, reached mainly via the RJ-168 highway, offers waterfalls, canoeing events and traditional festivals in honour of the patron saint. History is present in the Monte Elísio manor house, built in 1852 in the Visconde de Araújo neighbourhood and now the headquarters of the Nossa Senhora da Glória Institute, with a wooden staircase bearing the initials of Visconde de Araújo. You can take a guided tour of Forte Marechal Hermes, a late 19th-century fortress built to defend the coast from corsairs. The Church of Sant'Ana, dating from 1630, sits on an elevation with a view over the whole city, next to a cemetery of the same name, and is the start and end point of the Senhor do Senhor Morto procession on Good Friday. Visits are also allowed at the Imbetiba Lighthouse, built in 1880 and restored in 1999, reached via the Petrobras interchange at Campista beach. For events, the Latiff Mussi Exhibition Park in São José do Barreto hosts Expo Macaé, with a rodeo and Brazilian popular music shows. Carnival brings parades of painted oxen, carnival blocks and the parade of samba schools on Linha Verde. The municipality contains part of the Central Rio de Janeiro Atlantic Forest Mosaic of conservation units, and at the União Biological Reserve you can only visit on a guided tour of 10 to 20 people, reserved by phone or email; it is home to an endangered golden lion tamarin. Its most famous beaches are Cavaleiros and Pecado, and the Macaé Oilers play American football.Three days in Macae
Day one: Arrive in Macaé and settle into the Central Zone, the city's commercial heart, where you can get your bearings on foot. From Rio, long-distance buses run to the Rodoviária Novo Rio and onward to Macaé, while travellers arriving by air can use Joaquim Azevedo Mancebo Airport (MEA), also known as Benedito Lacerda Airport, with connections via Santos Dumont and Campinas. If you are coming from Vitória or northern Rio, the BR-101 and Washington Luís routes bring you into town. Spend the afternoon walking the Central Zone and getting a feel for this Brazilian city on the Baixadas Litorâneas stretch of Rio de Janeiro state.
Day two: Head for the coast and the neighbourhoods along the water. Cavaleiros is one of Macaé's beach districts, and Pecado is another stretch of shoreline worth your time. Both sit within easy reach of the centre by taxi, and walking between them lets you take in the sea air. The beaches here are the main draw for visitors, so plan your day around the sand and the warm coastal atmosphere rather than a packed schedule of sights.
Day three: Use your last day to explore beyond the urban edge. Imboassica, Aroeira and Cabiúnas are districts within the municipality, each with its own character, and the surrounding area opens toward Sana and Frade, inland destinations in the wider region. If you have time before your departure, a taxi out to one of these spots gives you a different view of Macaé than the beaches and the centre. From here, the BR-101 and the road toward Rio or Vitória carry you onward.