During the one month we lived in Arraial do Cabo, the Caribbean of Brazil, we had grown tired of fending off boat tour touts who swarmed us every morning as soon as we approached the beach. Their presence, combined with the town’s impressive tour boat fleet occupying most of the wide bay, convinced us that this boat tour must really be something else; the demand was huge. With its breathtaking turquoise waters, secluded coves, and dramatic cliffs covered in lush greenery, the region’s coastal beauty was simply irresistible. We surely had to experience it.
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After exploring other options, we decided to accept our landlady’s boat tour offer. At 80 reais, it was the most affordable choice, and the boat turned out to be one of the most well-appointed. I highly recommend it! You can book here if you’re interested.
Alternatively, if you’re not staying in Arraial but still want to experience its paradisiacal beaches, check out this day trip from Rio or this one from Búzios.
And if you’re looking for accommodation in the area, check out some top deals on the handy map below.
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When we arrived at the tour port in the morning, it was bustling with frantic energy, resembling a busy passenger terminal. Long queues stretched before the various ticket booths, departures were announced through megaphones, and food vendors worked tirelessly amid the commotion.
For a moment, I worried about how we were supposed to find our boat—our landlady had given us no details beyond the departure time. But to our relief, a girl soon approached us, holding up her phone with Sophie’s Airbnb profile picture displayed. The landlady had us covered.
She collected our payment on the spot, handed each of us a wristband, and sent us to an office to pay a 10-real port fee. After a brief wait, she called us over to board the boat.
Pérola Negra (The Black Pearl) was a charming, pirate-themed vessel, adorned with a skull-and-crossbones flag and several paintings of Jack Sparrow. It featured seating areas both in the shaded hull and on an open elevated deck, loudspeakers playing uplifting Latin music, a slide for diving, and a bar serving drinks and food at reasonable prices. Drinking water was free, included in the tour. The boat had a maximum capacity of 28 passengers. I didn’t count them, but it looked full.
Our first stop was Praia do Farol on Ilha do Cabo Frio, often hailed as one of Brazil’s most pristine beaches. It is renowned for its powdery white sand and crystal-clear waters. As part of a protected area under the control of the Brazilian Navy, visitor access is strictly regulated to preserve its delicate ecosystem. Only a limited number of visitors are allowed each day, arriving exclusively by authorized boats from Arraial do Cabo.
Our guides warned us about prohibited items—including speakers and drones—and ferried us to the beach in two dinghyloads. Despite the supposed visitor restrictions, the beach was quite crowded. Half of it was off-limits, cordoned off with a hawser. Tourists casually stepped just over it to snap selfies with the empty stretch of beach in the background. Notwithstanding the crowd, I could easily rank it among the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever visited.
After 40 minutes at Praia do Farol, we continued to the ocean-facing side of Ilha do Cabo Frio. There, we saw Fenda de Nossa Senhora—a dramatic, narrow vertical fissure in the rock with a statue of the Virgin Mary placed inside—and Grota Azul, a breathtaking sea cave known for its deep blue waters that shimmer with reflected sunlight.
Back in the bay, we also sailed past a navy submarine stationed there. It was the first time I had ever seen one in the water. Pretty cool.
Our final stop was Praia do Forno, a scenic beach renowned for its calm, turquoise waters and lush green surroundings. This time, we didn’t go ashore, but that didn’t matter since we were already planning to visit it on a hike. We anchored for a while, enjoyed plenty of dives and swims in the refreshing, glass-like waters, and returned to port by early afternoon.
Photos
View (and if you want use) all my photographs from Arraial do Cabo and Praia do Farol in higher resolution.
