Itacoatiara is one of the 48 official neighborhoods into which the city of Niterói,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

is divided.

Beach

Itacoatiara beach is located about 30 minutes east of downtown Niterói by car, or one hour by bus. Itacoatiara is a beach with fine golden sands and bright blue (sometimes green) water. The main beach is open to the Atlantic Ocean and is dangerous for the casual swimmer while offering ideal conditions for water sports. The left side of the beach ends with a rock face called ''Costão'', and there is a wave-sheltered small beach on the right side called ''Prainha'' (little beach), which is separated from the main beach by a big rock that serves as its shelter, and which is frequented by small children and their parents.

Surfing

The place is famous for offering the ideal conditions for the practices of surfing,

bodysurfing Bodysurfing is the art and sport of riding a wave without the assistance of any buoyant device such as a surfboard or bodyboard. Bodysurfers often equip themselves with a pair of swimfins that aid propulsion and help the bodysurfer catch, ride an ...

and

bodyboarding Bodyboarding is a water sport in which the surfer rides a bodyboard on the crest, face, and curl of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore. Bodyboarding is also referred to as ''Boogieboarding'' due to the invention of the "Boogie ...

during most of the year. At Itacoatiara, the Atlantic Ocean produces fast and hollow waves, usually ranging from 3 to 6 feet, but on frequent occasions they might swell up to 4 meters (12 feet). A few times per year a huge southeast swell can produce larger waves of up to 5 meters (15 feet) but a swell that strong rarely offers acceptable surfing conditions. There are three main beach breaks in the beach. They are named ''Costão'' (on the left side), ''Meio'' (middle) and ''Pampo'' (on the right side), each breaking differently depending on swell direction and size. Behind the limiting rock between the main beach and the small, wave-sheltered Prainha (little beach), there is a point break named ''Shock'' due to its extremely dangerous surfing conditions, with rocks protruding from the sea floor above the water level. Shock starts working on bigger swells.

Climbing

Itacoatiara is a place especially appreciated by the climbers and offers many routes of different climbing styles. Bouldering is practiced at the square commonly called "Pracinha". The

Serra da Tiririca State Park The Serra da Tiririca State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual da Serra da Tiririca) is a state park in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It protects an area of rugged terrain on the Atlantic coast with Atlantic Forest vegetation. Location The Serra ...

is also located there and was recognised by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve. It offers many climbing routes of abseiling and of the following different styles: traditional climbing, sport climbing and aid climbing.

References

External links

History of Itacoatiara on its Homeowners and Friends Association
Neighbourhoods of Niterói Beaches of Brazil Surfing locations in Brazil {{RiodeJaneiro-geo-stub