Stand on the ferry deck as it pulls out of Praça XV in Rio de Janeiro, and the city you are heading toward assembles itself across the water: a saucer of glass and concrete balanced on a rock above the bay, a long ridge of green mountains behind it, and a shoreline of beaches curving east toward the open Atlantic. That building is the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, and it is the first thing most visitors see of Niterói. The second thing they notice is that the crowds are all behind them.
Niterói suits travellers who have already done the obvious Rio sights and want a day or two of beaches, forts and viewpoints without the queues. The ferry crossing is short and cheap, the bayside neighbourhoods are walkable, and the Atlantic beaches to the east feel considerably quieter than their Rio equivalents.
This guide covers the sights and experiences named in the source material, ordered roughly by how much they reward the trip, followed by a plan for a single day.
Top things to do in Niterói
1. Niterói Contemporary Art Museum
Also known as the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói, or MAC, this is the building that looks like a flying saucer jutting out over the sea at Mirante da Boa Viagem. It was built in 1996 and is worth the visit to Niterói on its own; the source material treats it as the city's signature sight.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, or until 19:00 during daylight savings time. To get there, take bus 47B from the bus terminal on your left as you exit the ferry station. Combine it with the bayside walk along the Caminho Niemeyer, which continues past the People's Theater.
2. Parque da Cidade
Parque da Cidade sits on top of a mountain in the Charitas neighbourhood and gives an expansive view over the city of Rio de Janeiro. Watching the sunset from up there is the reason to make the trip.
You can reach it by car or taxi. Go in the late afternoon so you arrive with time to spare before the light goes.
3. Itacoatiara Beach
Itacoatiara is one of the state's most beautiful beaches and is reached by bus number 38. It has a reputation as a surfer's paradise and hosts part of a world circuit of surfing competition, so expect a young crowd.
Have a snack at one of the cabana-bars along the shore, or take the trails up into the mountains to watch rock surfing. It pairs naturally with Itaipu Beach, which is not far away.
4. Itaipu Beach
Itaipu Beach is a fishermen's colony surrounded by sand dunes, a lagoon, a canal, a white church on a hill and some colonial-era ruins. The source material describes it as lost in time, and it is probably one of the best sunsets you can see over Rio's shoreline, with Copacabana, Ipanema, the Cagarras islands and Barra da Tijuca on the horizon.
Stay for the end of the day. It sits close enough to Itacoatiara and Camboinhas that you can link the three beaches in one outing.
5. Camboinhas Beach
Camboinhas Beach offers some of the most beautiful views of Rio de Janeiro from this side of the bay. It is a good place to spend the day: not very crowded during the week, very swimmable and walkable, with kiosks and little restaurants right on the beach serving snacks, full meals including good seafood, and cold drinks.
It is easier and faster to hire a fisherman's boat to cross the canal than to drive around the lagoon. The sunsets here are worth staying for.
6. Fortaleza de Santa Cruz
Fortaleza de Santa Cruz stands at the entrance to Guanabara Bay and gives a close-up view of Sugar Loaf Mountain from an entirely different angle. It is open Thursday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00, with guided tours.
On weekdays you will need a car or taxi to get there. On Saturdays and Sundays you can take the tourist open bus known as the Jardineira from downtown Niterói at the ferry station; it runs along the bayshore and stops at the town's main attractions and neighbourhoods.
7. Barão do Rio Branco, Imbuí and São Luís Forts
Three forts and some ruins overlook the bay, with a splendid view of the surrounding mountains of Niterói and Rio. Enter at Rio Branco Fort in Jurujuba for a guided tour of this fort and the other two. The address is Al. Mal. Pessoa Leal, 265, and the forts are open Saturday and Sunday, 09:30 to 16:00.
Each fort is ticketed separately, so plan to pay per fort rather than once for the group. Allow enough time to see all three in one visit.
8. People's Theater
The Teatro Popular Oscar Niemeyer opened in 2007 and is the newer addition to the Caminho Niemeyer, the series of architectural buildings along Niterói's bayside. It is a short walk beyond the bus terminal to your left as you exit the ferry station.
Treat it as part of a bayside walk rather than a destination on its own, and pair it with the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum further along the water.
9. Guanabara Bay Tour
This is a two-hour bay cruise on a ferry, and a camera is essential. It showcases the postcards of Rio and Niterói. Narration is in Portuguese only, but the view is worth a thousand words.
The cruise runs on Sundays only and departs at 09:30 from the Main Ferry Station in downtown. Because it leaves early, it works best as the opening move of a Sunday in the city.
10. Shopping in Icaraí
Icaraí is the most traditional neighbourhood in Niterói and has plenty of shops for all tastes. Paulo Gustavo, the first street parallel to the beach, is the most popular shopping street in town, running from exclusive boutiques down to little t-shirt shops, with plenty of exotic juice bars and small restaurants along the way.
Do not leave town without tasting açaí, a Brazilian palm fruit from the Amazonas served very cold with a very earthy flavour. The neighbourhood is also good for jogging and biking, with views of Sugar Loaf and Corcovado across Guanabara Bay.
11. Downtown shopping
In Downtown, or Centro, Plaza Shopping is the largest shopping mall in town and sits across from the ferry station, Estação das Barcas. It carries basically all the stores you would find in any mall in nearby Rio de Janeiro.
Niterói Shopping is the other downtown mall, on Rua da Conceição. It is a landmark and easy to find, since it is the tallest round building you can see. Both are convenient if you are arriving or leaving by ferry.
12. Nightlife in São Francisco
São Francisco, the neighbourhood adjacent to Icaraí, is filled with lively bars, pubs and restaurants, especially along the ocean front. Note that there are not many discos in Niterói, as people prefer to go to Rio to dance.
Come here after a sunset at Parque da Cidade or a late afternoon on the bay beaches, since it is on the same side of town.
13. Watersports at Charitas, São Francisco and the Atlantic beaches
You can windsurf in Charitas and São Francisco, and cliff dive at Prainha or Piratininga. Prainha's cliff diving is done from the Whale Rock.
These are weather-dependent activities, so keep them flexible and slot them into whichever day has the better conditions.
14. The bay beaches
Boa Viagem, Ingá, Icaraí, São Francisco, Charitas, Jurujuba and Adão & Eva run along the Bay, starting at downtown and ending at the Fortress. Jurujuba is a fishermen's village and is not proper for bathing.
This chain is easy to walk or ride in sequence, and it links naturally to Fortaleza de Santa Cruz at the far end. Praia de Fora and Praia do Imbuí are noted for their historical value.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the ferry station in downtown and walk to the People's Theater, then take bus 47B to the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum at Mirante da Boa Viagem and spend the morning there. If it is a Sunday, take the Guanabara Bay Tour instead, which departs at 09:30 from the Main Ferry Station, and visit the museum afterwards.
Afternoon. Head east to the Atlantic beaches. Take bus 38 to Itacoatiara Beach, have a snack at one of the cabana-bars, and walk or take a fisherman's boat across the canal to Camboinhas Beach for a swim. If you have time, continue to Itaipu Beach and its dunes, lagoon and white church on the hill.
Evening. Watch the sunset from Itaipu Beach over Rio's shoreline, or go up to Parque da Cidade in Charitas by taxi for the view over the city of Rio de Janeiro. Finish with dinner and drinks in São Francisco, where the bars and restaurants line the ocean front.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum?
Take bus 47B from the bus terminal on your left as you exit the ferry station. The museum is at Mirante da Boa Viagem and is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, or until 19:00 during daylight savings time.
When can I visit the forts?
Fortaleza de Santa Cruz is open Thursday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00, with guided tours. The Barão do Rio Branco, Imbuí and São Luís forts are open Saturday and Sunday, 09:30 to 16:00, and you enter at Rio Branco Fort in Jurujuba for a guided tour of all three.
What is the easiest way to reach the beaches on the Atlantic side?
Itacoatiara Beach can be reached by bus number 38. From there, Itaipu Beach is not far, and for Camboinhas Beach it is easier and faster to hire a fisherman's boat to cross the canal than to drive around the lagoon.
Is there a boat tour of the bay?
Yes. A two-hour bay cruise on a ferry runs on Sundays only, departing at 09:30 from the Main Ferry Station in downtown. Narration is in Portuguese only, but the views of Rio and Niterói are the point.
Check the ferry times from Praça XV, pick a clear day, and start planning your crossing to Niterói.