Arraial do Cabo, state Rio de Janeiro

Араял ду Кабу, штат Рио де Жанейро См. Фото-галерею

Arraial is home to a working fishing port, Porto do Forno, which lends it a welcoming working-class demeanor. Funny little lighthouse statues at intersections around town also add a touch of charm. Some of the best beaches – pristine swaths of gorgeous sand and bright-green waters – are within an easy 15-minute stroll of the downtown bus station, while others are just a short boat ride away.

Arraial is a good place to observe humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and several other marine mammal species. Since 1999, scientists at the Projeto Baleias e Golfinhos de Arraial (Arraial Whale and Dolphin Project) have been studying the local whales and their migration routes, which pass ­directly offshore.

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.

Having being declared the capital city of scuba diving, the main attraction of Arraial do Cabo is the sea. The town itself, surrounded by hills and resembling a fishing village, has white dunes, sandbanks, lagoons, unspoiled beaches and beautiful headlands; from Pontal do Atalaia, one such headland, you can enjoy a wonderful coastal sunset.

Back in the primordes of Brazilian History, Arraial was covered with pau-brazil (brazilwood), a kind of three used to die fabrics. The wood attracted foreigner smugglers, notably Dutch and French; from those times, many shipwrecks remain: it is estimated that there are 88 wrecks in the area, an attractive to divers.