beauty of the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro

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A stroll through the beauty of the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro

If you are on a trip to Rio de Janeiro, we recommend you use this opportunity to get to know also the West Zone, one of the most beautiful areas of the city. Known in Portuguese as “ZonaOeste”, the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro combines beautiful beaches with crystal waters, surrounded by a privileged geography, in the midst of mountains and tropical vegetation which are the major attraction of the region. There are also a great variety of options for those who prefer to do cultural tourism.

Below are some suggestions for natural beaches and places to visit in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro:

• Abricó beach. With crystal clear water, this beach is located in GrumariAbricó in Barra de Tijuca. Abricóbeach is part of the biological reserve Grumari Municipal Park, inPrainha. Currently, this is the only beach for naturism in the city.

• Barra de Tijuca. The largest beach in Rio de Janeiro, this beach welcomes you with its transparent greenish waters and 14.4 kilometers of longitude, stretching along the Avenue Sernambetibaall the way up to Recreiodos Bandeirantes. The Barra de Tijuca has many bars, restaurants and kiosks, night lighting and a bike path. Those who love practicing body-boarding, windsurfing and surfing will find this place as perfect for their favorite sports.

• Barra de Guarativa. Located in the region of the ecological reserve between Restinga de Marambaia, manguezais and the Mata Atlántica. This is a small beach with calm waters, which is on the right side of the beautiful Restinga de Marambaia(of restricted access because it is a military area). By the side of the threshing of Guarativa, starting from the ParonSiqueira between Grumari and Guarativa, it is possible to access totally deserted and wild beaches, of the kind of Perigoso, Medio, Funda and Inferno.

• Grumari: One of the most paradisiacal beaches, located in an environmentally protected area. You can access Grumari by the entrance of Guarativa. With about 2.5 kilometers long, this beach is located about 20 miles from the center of the Barra. Access is not allowed to buses and is limited to passenger cars.

• Macumba Beach. This beach is located between the Recreo and the Prainhabeaches. It is a long beach with its promenade full of kiosks to buy foods and drinks, and a bike path stretching all over its extension. It is the ideal beach for those who enjoy surfing, as it has good waves during the whole year.

• Prainha: A small sand strip extending 700 meters by a brave sea, protected by hills covered by the Atlantic Mata. It is the favorite beach of surfers and it is located at the end of the Recreio beach, an hour from downtown Rio. When the sun sets behind the mountains, at sunset time, this beach offers a spectacle of unusual beauty.

• Recreio dos Bandeirantes: An inlet of 2.8 kilometers long, located at the end of Sernambetiba Avenue. The neighborhood has the better preserved beaches of all over the city: Praia do Recreio, Praia da Macumba Praia do Pontal, Prainha and Praia do Abricó.

• Reserve: Located between the beaches of Recreio dos Bandeirantes and those in Barra da Tijuca, this area has eight kilometers long, with soft white sands, clear waters and restinga vegetation.

When it comes to cultural tourism, some of the main attractions of the area west of Rio de Janeiro are:

• Sitio Roberto Burle Marx – located in the West Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, on the western side of the Morro do CapimMelado belonging to the Piedra Blanca Massif. The native vegetation of this area consists of species belonging to the mangroves, to the Atlantic Mata and restinga. This was the private residence of Roberto Burle Marx, the most famous Brazilian landscape architect, who lived there from 1973 until his death in 1994. The collection of this site has about three thousand five hundred species of cultivated plants. According to what was said by various specialists from different parts of the world, theRobertoBurle Marx Site is one of the most important collections of living plants in the world. You may contact this site to arrange a guided tour in advance by calling 2410-1412 or writing to sitioburlemarx@sitioburlemarx.com.br

• Casa do Pontal Museum – Brazilian Popular Art. The museum is located in an area of 12,000 square meters of extension in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes, between thePiedra Blanca Massif and Prainha. Almost the entire collection available here was collected by the museum’s creator, Jacques Van de Beuque. About 8,000 pieces of Brazilian popular art can be seen in the Casa do Pontal, including sculptures, models, toys and carvings, as well as articulated mechanisms. About 200 folk artists from almost all regions of Brazil have some of their works included in this collection, which covers the entire second half of the twentieth century up to present times. For more information, please contact directly the museum, located at Estrada do Pontal number 3295 by phone on 2490-3278 or 2490-4013, e-mailingfaleconosco@museucasadopontal.com.br or by visiting their website www.museucasadopontal.com. br.

The West Zone of Rio de Janeiro has much to offer visitors, find out which are your favorite sights on your next visit to Rio de Janeiro. Until then!

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