Its tropical vegetation, bizarre mountains, and incomparable beaches have made the Costa Verde, Rio's southwest coast, a favorite destination of Cariocas and tourists alike. The "green coast" highway, Estrada Rio-Santos (BR 101), is one of Brazil's most beautiful stretches of road, as well as the most scenically rewarding route for the drive from Rio to Sdo Paulo.
A little-known and perhaps useful fact about Brazil is that there are a few nude beaches. One of them, Abrico, is to be found along this expanse of coast, 40 kilometers southwest of Rio.
The Costa Verde also offers numerous jumping-off points for boat excursions to offshore islands. To reach the coast itself, the best route to take is Avenida das Americas to Bafa de Septetiba via Barra de Tijuca. After passing through the industrial zone of Santa Cruz and Itaguaf, you arrive in ltacuruqa, a fishing village from which sailboats make the crossing to Septetiba Bay, a trip that can also be booked in Rio as a day excursion. Outings to privately-owned 11ha Sao Bernardo - especially worthwhile for visitors staying in Rio - can be arranged through Rio Sightseeing. The somewhat more expansive Jaguanum and ItacurugA islands contain several small hotels. Well worth making an effort to be present for is the cavalcade of ships held off Itacuruqd on June 29, the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, a day on which many other coastal communities also stage similar pageants.
Boats to Ilha Grande, a nature reserve featuring fascinating fauna and splendid beaches, depart from Mangaratiba, about 100 kilometers from Rio. The adjoining 60-kilometer stretch of the coast highway offers magnificent views of bay and islands. Enticing beaches and seafood restaurants also dot this landscape.
Angra dos Reis is better known for its nuclear power plant (the only one in Brazil) than it is for the countless superb beaches scattered across its dozens of bays and 370 islands. The city, whose name means "Royal Bay," has a population of 90,000 and is the largest town on the Costa Verde. Favorite holiday activities in Angra include golf at Hotel do Frade, as well as harpoon and deep sea fishing.
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