SAQUEREMA , 100km east of Rio, is a smaller town in a beautiful natural setting, squeezed between the sea and its sixteen-kilometre-long lagoon, retaining vestiges of its origins as a fishing village. Local anti-pollution legislation means that the environment still sustains much wildlife, including the microleão monkey which you may be able to glimpse on a walk into the nearby forests. Saquerema has a healthy agricultural sector, too, based on fruit cultivation, and orchards surround the town. The main business nowadays, though, is holiday-making: you'll find holiday homes, art and craft shops and young surfers here in abundance. Saquerema is widely rated as second only to Florianópolis as Brazil's surfing capital, and the Praia de Itaúna , 3km from town, is a favourite with the surfers, who gather every year for the National Championship in mid-May. A strong undertow makes its waters potentially dangerous for the casual swimmer, so if you want to swim without struggling against the currents head instead for the Praia da Vila, where the seventeenth-century church, Nossa Senhora de Nazaré (daily 8am-5pm), stands on the rocky promontory. For fishing, the Praia de Jaconé is a popular haunt, stretching 4km west of Saquerema.

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All in all, if you're looking for a place to stop awhile, there's a lot to recommend Saquerema: a relaxed atmosphere, plenty of bars and restaurants, and lots of action at the weekend. Places to stay near the centre of town include the Costa do Sol, Av. Salgado Filho 5720 (phone 024/651-1233; $10-$35), and the Lagoa Azul, Av. Saquerema 1580 (phone 024/651-1142; $35-50), which has a pool. Further out, on the Praia de Itaúna, is Pousada do Suiço, Rua das Pitangas 580 (phone & fax 024/651-2203; $20-35), also with a pool.

  Rio de Janeiro guide

  Rio de Janeiro
  Brief history
  State
  Travel details
  Warning
  Orientation: Centro,
    Zona Sul, Zona Norte
  Getting around
Nightlife
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  Rio Gay
  Best of Rio
  Info
 Favelas
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 Carnaval
Eating and drinking:
    Churrascarias, vegetarian
For eating in Brazil, read also:
Eating & drinking
     Street foods,
     snacks
     Restaurants
     Vegetarian/natural
     Soft drinks, hot
     drinks 

Rio pictures 1
Rio pictures 2
and see also

Pictures of Rio by
Thereza Eugenia

Pictures of Brazil by
Cecilia dos Guimaraes
Bastos
 

Zona Sul

 Buzios

Buzios Town and its beaches
Restaurants
Eating options
Getting there
Getting around
Climate and travel info
Buzios Beaches
  Buzios Beaches 2
Buzios Scuba Diving
  Buzios Golf
 Buzios Stones St and
    night life
Ecotourism
Hotels in Buzios