Rio Holiday House Locations

All three luxury rental homes are located in Rio's sister city, Niterói. Across beautiful Guanabara Bay from the City of Rio de Janeiro, this area is a part of Greater Rio that most tourists never see.  Niterói is an award winning city that is consistently ranked among the best places to live in Brazil.  This privileged location is safe, tranquil, and beautiful, but still close enough to pop in to Copacabana or Ipanema any time you want to sample the nightlife and other exciting things that Rio has to offer.  If you want to know more about the exact location, please see our Rio Holiday FAQ which includes a map.

The Beach at Itacoatiara

Two of our homes are located in the beautiful and tranquil beach community of Itacoatiara, (pronounced eetah-koa-chee-ah´-rah) known for its very active surfing beach, which even hosts international surfing competition.  It is not a location often frequented by tourists, but has been discovered by the youth of Rio and is considered one of the most beautiful beaches around.  Many come to watch the surfers or the girls watching the surfers.  In comparison to Copacabana or Ipanema, this area is cleaner, safer, more appealing to nature lovers, and has more beautiful sun lovers. This beautiful beach is only short walk from the houses and can be seen from the properties.  There is also a small cove that is popular with bathers where the granite forms a natural pool.  Beach services are limited at Itacoatiara, with a few kiosks that serve drinks, sandwiches, and other snacks.  There are lifeguards on duty, and the water and the beach are very clean.  Itacoatiara is generally safe, although you should use normal beach precautions.  Since the area is not generally a tourist attraction, it is not plagued by the petty crime, droves of beach vendors, and other annoyances that are found at Copacabana and Ipanema.

At times during the weekday mornings, depending on the weather and the season, the beach can be virtually deserted - like having your own private island!  On the weekends, it is generally very active, as well as any day when the weather is nice.  The pictures of the people above were taken on a Sunday afternoon in Winter (June).

Rio has literally dozens of beaches.  In the Oceanic Region, where Itacoatiara is located, you will find the cleanest and least commercialized beaches with some of the best sand and surf.  The beaches at Copacabana and Ipanema are highly developed and usually more crowded.  We strongly recommend that everyone spend a day at these two most famous beaches, but most people will eventually prefer the calmer and safer environs closer to the house for daily beach activity. 

São Francisco

São Francisco is one of the best neighborhoods in all of Niterói.  It has a beautiful beach that enjoys an excellent view of Rio across Guanabara Bay.  One of the few neighborhoods in all of Greater Rio with more houses than apartments, this area maintains its charm while still managing to improve along the waterfront.  On this beach, and its neighbor Charitas right next door, you will find joggers and strollers almost anytime of the day.  Fut Volley, a uniquely Brazilian combination of soccer and volleyball, is played on this beach.  Even though the water here is not considered clean enough for swimming by most, the beach still has sunbathers when the weather is nice.  The best swimming beaches on the eastside are Itacoatiara, Camboinhas, and Piratininga.  Everyone needs to visit Charitas and have a cool drink in the shade of the many trees growing along the beach, making it a great place to visit and relax.

Above São Francisco is Parque de Cidade, or City Park.  City Park has one of the three best views in all of Greater Rio, the other two being Corcovado and Sugar Loaf.  And, it's free.  You also get a view of the Oceanic Region, of which Itacoatiara is a part.  If the weather is right, you will see paragliders taking off from one of the launch platforms to float gently down to land on Charitas Beach below.

Restaurants and Nightlife

The east side of Guanabara Bay is teeming with restaurants, ranging from the very casual beach kiosk to some of the finest restaurants in Rio.  Like most Latin countries, Brazil has raised dining to a fine art.  You can find most types of international cuisine at restaurants, but you must try the Brazilian food.  A South American original, the churrascaria is a restaurant for meat lovers.  For a fixed price between US$ 15 and US $25 dollars, you can select from a variety of cold and hot dishes, while waiters will continuously visit your table offering various types of meat served right off the barbeque spit.  It is all you can eat, so don’t go when you just want a snack.  Drinks and desert are both extra, but the entire bill will be very low by US standards.  Also extremely popular in Brazil is Italian food, especially pizza.  You may want to visit a rodizio de massa, where pizza and pasta is continuously offered at your table by an army of waiters.

Rio has many fine restaurants and we want you to feel comfortable if you decide to venture out alone.  A complimentary service of Rio Holiday is a Restaurant Orientation.  Your Hospitality Manager will accompany you to the restaurant of your choice to help you get acquainted with Brazilian cuisine and customs.  It’s a good idea to do this on your first night.

There is only one restaurant in Itacoatiara - Virgilio's.  It is very casual and open air, and very popular with the beach crowd in the evenings during the summer.  A great place to get a feel for the beach culture, with excellent pizza served on a hot rock platter, and a full bar.  You can walk to this restaurant from the house which is about 1/3 mile away.  There are also several beach kiosks that serve snacks and a couple of other beach bars that are very popular.  Just outside the entrance to Itacoatiara there are several other restaurants.  Because the food services within walking distance are limited, we offer flexible food options at the house.  About 2 miles away, in the Itaipu area, there are literally dozens of restaurants, ranging from very casual to medium chic.  You can choose from Italian, Chinese, Brazilian, churrascaria, seafood, and pizza. There is even a McDonald's if you are feeling homesick.

São Francisco is the center for nightlife on the eastside, and is also home to some of the areas finest restaurants.  You can get a great view of the Bay of São Francisco and the sunset Rio from the many cafes and bars that line the main avenue in front of the beach.  It is about 20 minutes from São Francisco to Itacoatiara.  There are also several night clubs in this area offering live or disco music depending on the night.  If you are looking to meet some authentic Brazilians, this is the place.  Of course, Rio has many fine venues as well and most guests will want to go into central Rio several times.  Your Hospitality Manager can help you pick out the right restaurant or club for your likes and mood.

There are more pictures of the local area and the houses in our photo gallery.