Brazil Travel Blog

NAME: pousada Tanto Mar

WHERE: Arraial do Cabo, Río de Janeiro

WEBSITE: www.tantomar.com.br

IN ENGLISH: no

PRICES ON THE WEBSITE: yes

LOCATION: at the top of the Pontal do Atalaia, with a spectacular view of the city and the praia dos Anjos. [Google Maps].

THE BUILDING: two houses built on the top of a hill. The main building has a large dining room, kitchen ,reception, a common room and three rooms. The other building hosts the rest of the rooms. There is a swimming pool and a games room with billiards, table football [foosball] and a ping-pong table, as well as a large garden.

THE ROOMS: comfortable, with no outstanding features.

PRICES IN NOVEMBER 2007: We paid R$110 per room per night - prices for the low season.

BREAKFAST: included on the price. Quite good, with the added bonus of taking it from the dining room that overlooks the bay.

FOOD: during the low season the pousada serves no meals; just some frozen pizzas and basic sandwhiches.

RECEPTION: friendly.

OUR OPINION: excellent value for money in Arraial do Cabo. With just two snags. First the pousada is only recommended for those driving a car, you can’t get there walking. You will need the car for absolutely everything, whether you want to have lunch or go to the beach. Second, it is a pousada only recommended for those seeking absolute peace and quiet. No buildings or shops nearby.

This is a summary of the entries posted along the last couple of months on the Região dos Lagos, an area that includes the tourist destinations of Arraial do Cabo, Búzios and Cabo Frío, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

I published two destination cards, Destination: Arraial do Cabo and Destination: Búzios. Along with the destination cards, two entries with photo albums: Brazil in pictures: Arraial do Cabo and Brazil in pictures: Búzios, as well as a third entry decidated to the praia do Forno, in Arraial do Cabo: The most beautiful beach in Brazil?.

We paid a quick visit to Cabo Frio and its Rua dos biquinis.

To understand the region better I prepared three Maps of the beaches of Arraial do Cabo, Búzios and Cabo Frio.

Some help on how to travel from one town to another in Transportation between Arraial do Cabo, Cabo Frio and Búzios.

Finally, an entry on Prices in Búzios.

Japanese temakis (large cone-shaped pieces of nori on the outside and the ingredients spilling out the wide end) are well known by fans of Japanese food, especially in São Paulo. And unknown to the vast majority of the population.

Out of a sudden, temakis became popular in Rio de Janeiro, where they are referred to as cones. In a short period of time several temaki restaurantes have opened and there is even a fast-food chain specializing in temakis. Among the reasons for their success, the fact that they are eaten with your hands (no need to use chopsticks), they contain rice (Brazilian staple food) and they are prepared with natural ingredients in a healthly way (no frying pans to be seen).

On the entry I published recently with photographs of Arraial do Cabo (Brazil in pictures: Arraial do Cabo) I mentioned I was keeping the photographs of the Forno beach for a future opportunity. Well, here it is. We visited the beach on a cloudy Sunday morning - we liked it but didn’t fell in love with it. When we were back in Arraial, mother nature decided to send the clouds away. As we suspected the beach we had just seen might be something of a true marvel under the sun, we decided to go back once again. We made the right choice. Stunning colours! Crystal-clear waters! A moving view!

The beach is crescent-shaped and surrounded by vegetation everywhere. It can be reached on foot or by boat. The right-hand side of the beach (facing the sea) is where the most transparent waters are found; there is a good snorkelling point around the rocks there.

There are boats coming and going non-stop. Every now and then, a boat anchors at the beach.

There are several bars at the beach where you can sit and relax and enjoy life far away from civilization.

Abstent from my photographs are some of the reasons that allow Sancho beach, in Fernando de Noronha, to rest untroubled in the knowledge that she is the absolute number one. While Forno could rise to the challenge when it comes to comparing blue and crystal-clear waters, when the environment around the beach is taken into account it suffers a heavy defeat at the hands of Sancho. From the bar where we sat enjoying a finger-licking dish of fried squid rings we could see: a Brazilian navy submarine anchored in the middle of the bay, the top of an oil rig anchored at Arraial harbour for maintenance work; and the houses of the shanty town at the top of the hill, about to beging its unstoppable descent onto the beach.

We hope we manage to preserve Noronha, as many of the other Brazilian paradises have entered the path of degradation from which there is no return.

The three towns mentioned on the title of this entry are quite close to each other, and everyone should make sure that on their trip to the Região dos Lagos they get to visit them all.

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On a private car, and outside the high season, it’s simple and quick to get from one town to the other. Ten minutes from Arraial do Cabo to Cabo Frio, and 20 minutes from Cabo Frio to the entrance of the Búzios peninsula.

There is reasonable public transportation as well. The buses linking the three towns belong to the company Salineira .

From Arraial do Cabo to Cabo Frio (and viceversa) there is a bus every 10 minutes during the day.

From Arraial do Cabo to Búzios (and viceversa) there are 6 direct buses per day (a las 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21). If the schedule doesn’t suit you, you can always take the bus to Cabo Frio and from there another bus to Búzios.

From Cabo Frio to Búzios (and viceversa) there is a bus every 20 minutes during the day.

The Terminal Novo Rio is Rio’s main bus station. It is near the centre of the city, in an unsavoury area of the city. We do not recommend walking around the station, it is not safe - the station is safe, though. It consists of two large buildings connected by a footbridge.

Enlarge map

The station’s website Terminal Novo Rio couldn’t be more unfriendly. The only information, a box Partidas where you can write the name of your destination to find out which companies travel there (with links to their websites when available), which platforms do the buses leave from, which counters do you buy the tickets from, and how long is the trip - both in time and distance.

At the Novo Rio there is a left-luggage facility (Guarda Volume en portugués). At the time of writing this entry the cost per piece of lugagge is R$5. You need to take them with you at the end of the day.

HOW TO GET TO THE NOVO RIO TERMINAL FROM RIO’S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (GALEÃO/TOM JOBIM)

There is a regular shuttle service run by the company Real connecting the airport with the bus station. Buses run every 30 minutes, from 05:30am till 23:30pm. Right now, the ticket costs R$6.

You have to make sure the bus you are boarding goes to Novo Rio, as some of the routes operated by the company do not go to the bus station. Also, be aware the terminus might not be at the Novo Rio but much further away. When in doubt, ask the driver.

HOW TO GO FROM THE NOVO RIO TERMINAL TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY

For those unfamiliar with Rio, the simplest and safest way of getting to town is the taxi. Inside the station there are several taxi stands - they all operate fixed fares that change depending on the part of the city you are going to.

For those familiarized with Rio, and travelling light, there is a shuttle bus linking the terminal Novo Rio with the Estácio underground station. Ask staff at the station to find out where to take the bus.

I’ve just finished three new maps on the GoogleMaps platform. They contain the location of the beaches of Arraial do Cabo, Búzios and Cabo Frio. Click on the symbols to see the names of the beaches.

BEACHES ARRAIAL DO CABO:

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BEACHES OF BÚZIOS:

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BEACHES OF CABO FRÍO:

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PBase hosts now my Arraial do Cabo photo album, where you will find a portrait of sunny Arraial do Cabo and its incredible beaches.

Prainha beach is a good example of what Arraial has to offer in terms of beaches - it’s the first beach you will come across on your arrival to Arraial.

Or praia Grande, with its whiter than white sands.

You can spend endless hours watching surfers ride the waves. Waves that sometimes come in twos!

You will also get the chance to see the city growing taking over areas of native forest.

There are some fun to be had at the praia dos Anjos.

And from praia do Forno I will only show here the ubiquitous seller. I will dedicate a special entry on the blog to the photographs of this outstanding beach (if you go to the album you will find the pictures there).

Arraial do Cabo is, along with Búzios and Cabo Frio, the beach trilogy of the região dos Lagos. Three different beach settings in a smallish region of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Arraial do Cabo provokes mixed feelings. On the one hand, it has some of the most beautiful beaches of the entire Brazil, with water so transparent it makes you think you have been transported to Fernando de Noronha; on the other hand, the unstoppable degradation of the city and its environment are stark reminders of the fact that Arraial is, by no means, another Fernando de Noronha.

WE LIKE THE MOST: the incredibly greenish blue colour of the sea.

WE LIKE THE LEAST: the out-of-control expansion of the city has ended up with all the charm the place had; the industrial aspect of the harbour; litter everywhere, even at the beaches; chaotic traffic.

HOW TO GET THERE: from Rio, by car or by bus (with the company 1001). There are several buses per day and the trip lasts a bit over three hours. Nearby Cabo Frio international airport will soon receive flights from Argentina and Chile.

CAREFUL WITH: the icy temperature of the sea, especially on the beaches that face the Atlantic. When I say icy, I’m not exaggerating. Sheltered beaches like Forno make for a more comfortable bathing experience.

FAVOURITE PLACES: the pontal do Atalaia, and the Grande and Forno beaches.

PIECE OF ADVICE:

• as the rest of the region, Arraial do Cabo is best avoided during the high season.
• prices, both for accommodation and food, are cheaper than in Búzios.
• if you intend to find lodging at the Pontal do Atalaia you will need a car; if you get to Arraial do Cabo by bus your best choice is to stay near the harbour.
• the boat trip leaving from the harbour takes you to wonderful and unspoiled beaches. But be careful, if the sea is rough you are strongly advised to leave the trip for another day. Trips leave in the morning, and during the high season in the afternoon too.
• the path to the beautiful Forno beach begins right by the entrance to the harbour; it’s a 20 minute walk before you reach the beach; if you prefer, you can go there by boat (you will pay R$5 per persona).
• from Arraial do Cabo you can visit nearby Cabo Frio; Búzios is a bit further away but it would be the perfect continuation for your trip.
• the Grande beach, on the side of Arraial facing the Atlantic Ocean, it’s not good for swimming, as the waves there are quite strong. But the whiter than white sands are mesmerizing, and you can have a really good time sitting at a bar, drinking a caipirinha and watching the surfers riding the waves.

LINKS: Arraial do Cabo-rj.com, Arraial do Cabo-rj.com.br.

WEATHER FORECAST: The weather in Arraial do Cabo for the next 10 days

GOOGLE MAPS: Arraial do Cabo

PHOTO ALBUM: Arraial do Cabo

[Don’t forget to check out the list of other destinations already covered in this blog, here]

In my Búzios photo album I have just uploaded at my pBase page you will find a series of images that portrait what one of the most coveted destinations in the whole of Brazil is like.

Beaches like Geribá, where the surfer rules.

Or beaches like tiny and cozy Azedinha.

The impressive liners anchored at the bay.

And how about statues, found everywhere, even at the beach? Would be nice if the authorities, who have made a substantial effort to plant art on the entire Búzios peninsula took a similar interest on mantaining the roads and cleaning the beaches.

In Buzios you will also find examples of why Brazilians have turned the beach into a real art.