bridge
Rio-Niterói Bridge
13 km box-girder giant striding across Guanabara Bay: the longest bridge in the Southern Hemisphere at its opening in 1974, with sweeping views of Rio's skyline.
7 km · about 10 min drive
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · South America
Niterói works well as a base: 15 minutes from São Gonçalo, 7km from Rio-Niterói Bridge.
Niterói is a city located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With a population of 456,456, it is an important destination in South America.
On a road trip, Niterói sits in Brazil, where you drive on the right. It's in the America/Sao Paulo time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Niterói to your route.
Niterói (English: NEE-tə-ROY, NIT-ə-ROY, Brazilian Portuguese: [niteˈɾɔj]) is a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in the southeast region of Brazil. It lies across Guanabara Bay, facing the city of Rio de Janeiro and forming part of the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area. It was the capital of Rio deRead more
Janeiro, as marked by its golden mural crown, from 1834 to 1894 and again from 1903 to 1975. It has an estimated population of 515,317 inhabitants (2020) and an area of 129.375 km2 (49.952 sq mi), making it the fifth most populous city in the state. It has the highest Human Development Index in the state and the seventh highest among Brazil's municipalities in 2010. Individually, it is the municipality with the second highest average monthly household income per capita in Brazil and appears in 13th place among the municipalities of the country according to social indicators related to education. The city has the nicknames of Cidade Sorriso (Smile City).
Studies by the Getulio Vargas Foundation in June 2011 classified Niterói as the richest city in Brazil, with 55.7% of the population classified as class A. Considering classes A and B, Niterói also appears in the first place, with 85.9% of the population in these classes. According to 2010 data from IBGE, Niterói's nominal gross domestic product was 11.2 billion reais, being the fifth municipality with the highest gross domestic product of the state. The city is the second-largest formal employer in the state of Rio de Janeiro, although it ranks 5th in terms of population. The city is one of the main financial, commercial and industrial centers in the state of Rio de Janeiro, being the 12th among the 100 best Brazilian cities to do business.
Niterói was founded on 22 November 1573 by the Tupi chief Arariboia, who later was forcibly converted to Roman Catholicism and was given the Christian name of Martim Afonso, after the Portuguese explorer Martim Afonso de Sousa, making it the only Brazilian city to have been founded by a non-Christian, non-assimilated indigenous person.
The municipality contains part of the 2,400-hectare (5,900-acre) Serra da Tiririca State Park, created in 1991.
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Niterói offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Niterói is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America. The coordinates are -22.8833 latitude, -43.1036 longitude.
Niterói has a population of approximately 456,456 people, making it a city in Brazil.
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8 notable places within an hour's drive.
bridge
13 km box-girder giant striding across Guanabara Bay: the longest bridge in the Southern Hemisphere at its opening in 1974, with sweeping views of Rio's skyline.
7 km · about 10 min drive
museum
Science museum by Santiago Calatrava on Rio's revitalised Praça Mauá waterfront, adjacent to the port district drive.
8 km · about 15 min drive
cafe
An 1894 Rio patisserie of Belgian mirrors, Portuguese tiles and jacaranda cabinets, built when the city was flush with coffee money and still serving pastel de nata under a vast stained-glass skylight.
8 km · about 15 min drive
scenic viewpoint
A granite peak rising 396 meters from Guanabara Bay, reached by cable car with sweeping views of Rio's beaches, mountains, and cityscape.
9 km · about 15 min drive
photogenic
A staircase between Lapa and Santa Teresa covered by Chilean artist Jorge Selaron in over 2,000 tiles sent from 60 countries, worked on daily from 1990 until his death in 2013.
9 km · about 15 min drive
beach
Rio de Janeiro's legendary four-kilometre stretch of sand framed by dramatic mountains and buzzing with energy.
13 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Towering 30-metre Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ atop Corcovado mountain overlooking Rio de Janeiro.
13 km · about 25 min drive
tunnel
Twin-bore road tunnel under the Tijuca massif linking Rio's South Zone to the North Zone, about 2.8 kilometres long.
14 km · about 25 min drive
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
Other places to explore near Niterói.
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