About Niterói
Niterói is the third most visited city by tourists in the State of Rio de Janeiro, after the capital Rio de Janeiro and Búzios. Tourists are mainly attracted by its cultural and historical centers and its beautiful beaches, especially the beaches of Itacoatiara, Itaipu, Camboinhas and Piratininga. However, the hotel network in the city is quite restricted since most tourists come to Niterói as an extension of their stay in Rio de Janeiro and only spend a few days in the city
The most visited attractions are Icaraí Beach, in Icaraí (the main district of Niterói), where you can see the Itapuca and Índio stones; and the Niemeyer Path, an architectural complex that contains cultural centers, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Juscelino Kubitschek Square, the Teatro Popular of Niterói, the Charitas Ferry Station, the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation and the Niterói Fort Complex.
Icaraí is the main neighborhood of Niterói and has the title of being one of the most beautiful, cosmopolitan, and vibrant neighborhoods in the city. It contains two famous natural monuments, the stones of Itapuca and Índio, which are famous points for local fishermen and lovers of Icaraí Beach and Guanabara Bay
The Niemeyer Path is an architectural complex projected by Oscar Niemeyer, and it is main located in the city center, but also with some buildings in other neighborhoods, especially along the waterfront. It consists of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Niterói (the most famous building), the Roberto Silveira Memorial, the Oscar Niemeyer Foundation, the Teatro Popular of Niterói, the Juscelino Kubitschek Square, the Petrobras Cinema Museum, and the futuristic Charitas Ferry Station.
The Leoni Ramos square and its surroundings are popularly known as Cantareira and are located in the historic district of São Domingos. It houses the cultural space Estação Cantareira in a historic building that gave the place its nickname.It is also called “Lapa de Niterói”, a reference to the bohemian neighborhood of Lapa in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Cantareira contains several bars, pubs and restaurants that operate inside historic buildings and it is frequented by young people and university students. In addition, many houses in the neighborhood are visual arts ateliers, making this region rich in culture and artistic performance, reminiscent of the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Santa Teresa.
The Santa Cruz Fortress, with its imposing and grandiose architectural complex, causes fear to the observer at the same time it is appeasing because of its beauty. The prison cells, the memory of the torture chambers, the impenetrable bars overlooking the old gallows guarded by an internal guardhouse, the marks of execution on the wall, the chapel of Santa Bárbara in colonial style, are elements that make up the fortress.
The Costão de Itacoatiara is a rocky monolith that enters the ocean, forming the Ponta de Itacoatiara. With approximately 250 m high, this rock belongs to the Serra da Tiririca State Park and has predominantly rupicolous vegetation, with many bromeliads and orchids.
Jurujuba Cove is 300 meters long, bordered by a narrow sidewalk. Jurujuba is a fishermen’s colony and hosts the Festa de São Pedro dos Pescadores, held annually on 29th June. In addition, on the waterfront, it is located the Church of São Pedro dos Pescadores and several typical seafood restaurants.