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Metropolitan area in Brazil
Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Grande Rio (Greater Rio) is a large metropolitan agglomeration in the state of Rio de Janeiro composed of its eponymous capital and the 22 other surrounding municipalities integrated to it. It borders on the Costa Verde region to the west, the Médio Paraíba and Serrana regions to the north, and the Lakes Region to the east.
By ship
The main port of the state is the , located in the downtown area of the capital, along the neighborhoods of Caju, Santo Cristo, Gamboa, and Saúde - the sea cruises dock at the port section between…
By bus
The main long-distance bus station (served exclusively by buses coming from or going to cities outside the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro) is (or simply "Rodoviária do Rio"), in the neighborhood…
By car
These are the main highways through which you can enter the region:
Since the Central Zone is the metropolitan core and, as such, polarizes the entire metro area of Rio de Janeiro, it is served by a large number of urban lines of buses, vans, trains, subways and ferries to the…
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Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil, on the South Atlantic coast. Rio is famous for its breathtaking landscape, its laid-back beach culture and its annual carnival.
Duque de Caxias is a municipality of Baixada Fluminense, in the Grande Rio region, state of Rio de Janeiro, Southeast of Brazil.
Nova Iguaçu is a city in Baixada Fluminense, in the metro area of Rio de Janeiro, state of Rio de Janeiro.
São João de Meriti is a municipality of Baixada Fluminense, in the Grande Rio region, Rio de Janeiro state.
Nilópolis is a city of Baixada Fluminense, in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, state of Rio de Janeiro.
Belford Roxo is a city of Baixada Fluminense, in Grande Rio. It is a part of the metropolitan region of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Mesquita is a municipality of Baixada Fluminense, in the Grande Rio region, state of Rio de Janeiro.
Queimados is a city of 152,000 people (2021) in Baixada Fluminense, a region of Grande Rio.
Japeri is a municipality of Baixada Fluminense, in the region of Grande Rio, state of Rio de Janeiro.
Paracambi is a municipality of Baixada Fluminense, in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro.
Seropédica is a municipality of Baixada Fluminense, in the region of Grande Rio.
Itaguaí is a municipality of Baixada Fluminense, in Grande Rio, Rio de Janeiro state.
Mangaratiba is a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro. For tourists, it is both a place to catch a ship to Ilha Grande and the site of some of the most beautiful and traditional beaches in the state.
Magé is a municipality of 245,0000 people (2019) in Baixada Fluminense, in the region of Grande Rio, state of Rio de Janeiro. Among its sights, are the Poço Bento, with holy water by the Jesuit José de Anchieta.
Guapimirim is a municipality of Baixada Fluminense, in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, state of Rio de Janeiro.
Niterói (515,000 inhabitants as of 2020) is the former capital of Rio de Janeiro state, in southeastern Brazil. Nicknamed "The Smile City" (Cidade Sorriso), "NKT" and "Nikiti" (nee-KITSCH--ee), it is just a short ferry ride from downtown Rio across Guanabara Bay.
São Gonçalo is a municipality of the region of Grande Niterói, in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, state of Rio de Janeiro, Southeast of Brazil. São Gonçalo is the 2nd most populous city in the state and the 16th in Brazil.
Itaboraí is a municipality of the Grande Niterói region, in the metro area of Rio de Janeiro.
Tanguá is a municipality of the Grande Niterói region, a portion of the region of Grande Rio, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Maricá is a municipality in Grande Niterói, a part of the region of Grande Rio, in the state of Rio de Janeiro.
Rio Bonito is a municipality of the region of Grande Niterói, in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, in the Rio de Janeiro state.
Cachoeiras de Macacu, sometimes referred to simply as "Cachoeiras", is a municipality of Grande Rio, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast of Brazil.
Saquarema is a town of 91,000 people (2016) in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast of Brazil.
Paquetá is a district of Rio de Janeiro situated on an island in the middle of the Guanabara Bay. It was a very fashionable place at the beginning of the 20th century, where the Brazilian upper class would have parties and spend their weekends.
The South Zone of Rio de Janeiro is where most tourists usually stay. Lots of hotels, from the fancy 5-stars like Copacabana Palace to hostels, are to be found in the neighborhoods of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, which also have three famous beaches, the latter two just being separated by the canal that drains the Lagoa into the sea.
The North Zone of Rio has fewer tourist attractions than other parts of town, but it's worth at least one trip to Maracanã Stadium.
Zona Oeste (The West Zone) in Rio de Janeiro is the farthest zone from city center and is home to the richest and poorest neighborhoods in Rio.
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