Araruama stands on the edge of one of the largest lakes in Brazil. The lake - of the same name as the town - covers an area of 192 square kilometers, its saline water fringed with sand that is said to be effectie in treating rheumatic and dermatological conditions.

The town itself has sprawled considerably over recent years as holiday homes, campsites and hotels have sprung up to accommodate the growing numbers of cariocas who come here at the weekend.

There's no shortage of unpolluted beaches within walking distance, though the most popular ones are located some distance away - Praia Seca, the nearest of these, with its impressie dunes, is some 16km away, part of the much larger Maçambaba beach, which continues all the way to Arraial do Cabo.