Rio das Ostras () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

located in the

Brazilian state The federative units of Brazil () are subnational entities with a certain degree of autonomy (self-government, self-regulation, and self-collection) and endowed with their own government and constitution, which together form the Federative Repu ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

. Its population is 156,491 (2022) and its area is 228 km².

Beaches

Endowed with beautiful beaches, has received large investments in infrastructure applicable from the royalties awarded by Petrobras in the area in question. The most popular beaches are: Praia da Tartaruga, Praia do Centro, Praia do Bosque e Costa Azul. One of the most visited spots in the city is the Praça da Baleia, the end of the beach of Costa Azul. In this square, there is a statue of Humpback whale carved bronze. Its 15 beaches enchant the preservation and infrastructure. The visitor finds calm waters, perfect for swimming. However, those who prefer more extreme ventures can count on beaches perfect for surfing. Praia do Abricó: First Beach of the Rio das Ostras from the city of Rio de Janeiro. Fascinating landscape and great tranquility. Praia da Tartaruga: Located in a small cove, located between the beaches Abricó and Bosque, so named by the incidence of turtles on site. Praia do Bosque: Situated between the beaches Centro and Tartaruga stand out for leafy trees that resemble a forest. Has depth. Ideal for swimming and great stretch of sand that promotes the practice of sports such as beach volleyball. Praia do Centro: Ideal for those who want to enjoy a quiet beach, but do not give up the infrastructure and the comfort of the bars, restaurants and kiosks. Praia do Cemitério: Beach cove perfect for swimming, very close to the City Centre. Where the small fishing boats and nets make up the landscape. It's there if you can have the best view of the setting sun from Rio das Ostras. Praia da Boca da Barra: Beach from the mouth of the river Rio das Ostras, where the waters are in a different show. Own children. Has infrastructure kiosks and restaurants and has undergone a process of revitalization. Praia da Joana: Small beach that makes up the natural monument of rocky headlands, environmentally protected area of rare beauty. Praia Virgem: A perfect place to enjoy nature in all its fullness, away from the hustle of the city center. Conducive to fishing practice, as fly and diving fishing. Praia das Areias Negras: Beach horseshoe shaped. The name is due to the darker color of the sand, with large amounts of monazite. Praia do Remanso: Next to the Praça da Baleia is a sandy cove formed by rocks. Has infrastructure and is frequented by families with children. Praia de Costazul: With 2.3 km, is an ocean beach, point of surfers, bodyboarders and fishing enthusiasts reed. Much of his waterfront was awarded the most modern urban project in the region. Praia Enseada das Gaivotas: One of the quietest beaches of the Rio das Ostras. His broad expanse of sand is itself the walks at the seaside. Praia de Itapebussus: A perfect place to enjoy nature, away from the hustle of the city center. Conducive to fishing practice, as fly and diving fishing. Praia do Mar do Norte: Beach nearest the city of

Macaé Macaé () is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, 180 km northeast of the state capital. It is the birthplace of the 13th president of Brazil, Washington Luís. Geography Location Macaé is generally consider ...

, known for its cliffs and preserved by salt marsh vegetation. Praia das Pedrinhas: One of the most beautiful beaches of the city, perfect for enjoying a quiet day away from the hustle of downtown.

Problems

The municipality has been suffering from environmental impacts on account of the pollution of beaches, rivers and lagoons due to a lack of basic sanitation and

environmental degradation Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, referring respectively to all living and non-living things occurring naturally and the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism ...

as a consequence of illegal occupations in areas of environmental protection (APAs) for the protection and conservation of biotic attributes (fauna and flora). The inland discharge of clandestine sewage from homes and businesses has been causing eutrophication in the ecosystem in an aggressive way. The systemic corruption of the municipality began from its political-administrative emancipation on April 10, 1992, and destroyed much of Rio das Ostras and to date there is no basic sanitation model. The lack of potable water, sewage, public road paving, and public transportation are old and systemic problems for a municipality that received trillions in oil royalties. Nowadays, much of the coastline of Rio das Ostras suffers from the advance of the sea, erosions, and uneven irregular constructions. In the urban area there is a significant increase in slums, violence, unemployment and social inequality. The lack of basic sanitation affects every municipality. Even though Rio das Ostras is struggling in different instances, the city holds various public and private schools for primary and secondary education. Also, it is home to different higher education Universities, such as Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Universidade Unigranrio, and Universidade Estácio de Sá.

Curiosities

It's a mainly touristic city that attracts many people from all over the world to enjoy its numerous beaches. Every year there are several public festivals, most of which feature Brazilian music of different genres. Some examples are the Covers Festival, SESC Verão, Jazz & Blues and Motorcycle Festival. Its economy is based mainly on tourism and the exploration and royalties of the oil that its basin offers, many national and international offshore companies are located in the region, generating several jobs. The city is considered calm and peaceful to live in, compared to other cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro, but with a relatively higher cost of living as well.

Economy

Tourism

According to the local Executive Branch, the main tourist attractions in the municipality are: * União Biological Reserve (REBIO União) — managed by the

Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation ( Portuguese: ''Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade'', ICMBio) is a government agency under the administration of the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment. It is nam ...

(

ICMBio The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation ( Portuguese: ''Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade'', ICMBio) is a government agency under the administration of the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment. It is nam ...

), approximately 53% of its territory is located in Rio das Ostras and extends to the municipalities of

Casimiro de Abreu Casimiro José Marques de Abreu (January 4, 1839 – October 18, 1860) was a Brazilian poet, novelist and playwright, adept of the " Ultra-Romanticism" movement. He is famous for the poem "Meus oito anos". He is patron of the 6th chair of the ...

(46%) and

(1%). REBIO União has a total area of 2,548

hectares The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. A ...

of Atlantic Forest, where stretches of primary forest can still be found and examples of

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

such as:

vinhático ''Plathymenia reticulata'' () is a species of legume native to much of eastern South America. It is placed in its own genus, ''Platyhymenia'', although other species have previously been recognised in that genus. It grows up to tall, and has di ...

, jequitibá, xaxim or samambaiaçú, palm hearts, etc. Research indicates that the Atlantic Forest of REBIO União has the greatest wealth and plant diversity of all remaining areas studied in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Originally, the lands of REBIO União belonged to "Fazenda União", which during the

19th century The 19th century began on 1 January 1801 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 (MCM). It was the 9th century of the 2nd millennium. It was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was Abolitionism, ...

belonged to Joaquim Luiz Pereira de Souza, father of former president

Washington Luís Washington Luís Pereira de Sousa (; 26 October 1869 – 4 August 1957) was a Brazilian politician who served as the 13th president of Brazil. Elected governor of São Paulo state in 1920 and president of Brazil in 1926, Washington Luís belonge ...

. * Guilherme Nogueira Railway Culture Center — museum located in the century-old Rocha Leão

Railway Station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

, which is part of the Leopoldina Railway line, connecting

to Vitória.

References