Forte beach

With an excellent structure and very easy access, Forte beach of Cabo Frio is the perfect place, both for tourists wanting to go for a walk and a dip with their families, and for surfers and sailors looking for an adventure.

Praia do Forte is known as one of the best beaches in the world by national and international sailors and is the stage for sailing competitions. During the high holiday season, the beach attracts thousands of visitors, mainly to practice sports and at year-end events.

History of the place

The beach takes its name from the Fort of São Mateus, built between 1616 and 1620 by the Portuguese and Tamoio Indians. It is one of the oldest structures of Latin American colonial architecture.

But before that there was another fort near the Itajuru channel. The Fort of Santo Inácio do Cabo Frio was considered too vulnerable and demolished. To replace it, the Portuguese built the new Fort of São Mateus to better defend the territory from Dutch and Spanish attacks.

Physical description

Praia do Forte is located in the city of Cabo Frio facing the open sea of the Atlantic Ocean. With the sand strip reaching up to 50m in width at some points, Praia do Forte is quite spacious. Even so, during the high season the beach is crowded with tourists wanting to cool off and enjoy the sun.

Skirting a good part of the city of Cabo Frio, it has a length of more than 7 km of white sand and blue waters. The water varies along the length of the beach. In some places the waves are calmer with medium height, attracting large crowds during summer and holidays. Elsewhere the waves are high and perfect for surfers looking for a bit of adventure.

Because it is an open sea beach, one thing remains: the water is very cold! But this is perfect in the Brazilian summer! And, for those who prefer to enjoy the heat of the sun with dry and warm feet, there are many bars and stalls to drink a cold drink and cool off from the inside out.

What to do

One of the reasons that many tourists prefer to go to Forte beach is the fact that it has something to suit all tastes and interests. If you want to practice sports, escape the hustle and bustle of the big city or go out with the family, you will always find something to do to have fun and relax.

For a little bit of history and to know a little more about the place, you can visit the Fort of São Mateus, which gives its name to the beach. You can still see the cannons used at the time to defend the people of Santa Helena do Cabo Frio and the Itajuru channel (as it is known today). The cannons have been preserved in excellent condition in the fort to this day. The house, which used to belong to the guards, was transformed into a cultural space open to visitors. The fort’s lookouts offer incredible views of the entire waterfront, Ilha do Japonês and the Channel. It’s a great place to take pictures!

The beach is internationally famous in the world of sailors because of the speed of the lanes. Here you can watch sailing competitions.

In addition to boaters, the beach attracts many surfers as well. In most of the beach the waters are calmer. But at some points the waves are very high and perfect for surfing. If you like surfing, you can also visit the Surf Museum on Rua Aníbal Amador do Vale, which is very close to the beach.

It’s not just water sports that attract visitors to Forte beach. In the right corner of the beach there is a 1,700 meter skate park! This huge track at Praça das Águas attracts people all year round! If you like skateboarding, it is a very interesting track for you to visit and practice the sport or watch it. There you can have fun day and night!

Being right in the center of the city, there’s no shortage of things to do outside the sand too. Across the street, there are many bars and restaurants where you can find a good choice of food and drinks until late at night.

The Itajuru canal is a very famous place and close to the beach where you can find even more restaurants and bars with a wide variety of cuisine. You can have fun both day and night.

At dusk, don’t forget to take a walk along the promenade following the length of the beach. With the combination of the illuminated city, the horizon of the open sea and a fresh breeze, walking along the promenade is very relaxing and pleasant (perfect for a romantic walk).

Events

The events in Praia do Forte are many! Between sports competitions and concerts, there is a lot of variety for all interests. Before visiting, you can research the exact dates of the events that interest you and already know what to expect.

The Moto Clube Tubarões de Cabo Frio organizes meetings called Tubarões Bikerfest. There’s lots of live music and it’s a fun and safe environment.

The Cabo Frio city hall organizes several competitions such as the OPEN competition which is made up of events such as swimming, stand up paddle and aquathlon.

But, the most famous event of all has to be New Year’s Eve. New Year’s Eve in Forte beach is the biggest event at the end of the year in the Lagos Region. At the turn of the year from 2017 to 2018, around 500,000 people came to watch the fireworks on the sands of Forte beach.

At that time, the ideal would be to spend a few days or a week in Cabo Frio. Arriving a few days before the end of the year and leaving (no rush) a few days after the event. You can expect heavy traffic and difficult access to parking. But the view is a must! No wonder 500,000 people gather in the same place!

Another interesting event at Forte beach in Cabo Frio are the sailing competitions. The wind on the beach favors the sport, giving speed to the boats. Sailors from all over the world come together in Cabo Frio and praise the beach as one of the best in the world to practice the sport. If you want to watch a sailing competition, this is the beach to visit.

How to get

By car

Cabo Frio beach is located in the famous Ragião dos Lagos, about 150km from the city of Rio de Janeiro and takes a little over 2 hours by car. Don’t forget that this time can vary a lot depending on the traffic. During the high season it is good to leave the house very early in order to make the most of your day at the beach. You can also prepare to get home very late. The best option would be to find a place to stay for the whole weekend. That way you can enjoy your trip well and can rest before driving again.

To get to Cabo Frio, leaving Rio, you need to take the Rio-Niterói bridge and head towards Itaboraí. Then, taking the Governador Mario Covas Highway, you will pass through Tanguá. Here you have to take Via Lagos which passes through the municipalities of Araruama and Iguabá Grande. Arriving in Bela Vista, head towards São Pedro d´Aldeia and take the RJ-140 to Cabo Frio.

The parking lot near the beach is rotating and is usually quite full – especially during the high tourist season. There are several other parking options near the beach where you can leave your car.

Where to eat and drink

Of course, there is no shortage of places to eat and drink on a beach in the city of Cabo Frio! On the beach itself, you have the choice between shacks on the sand, such as Manoel’s shack, and a wide variety of restaurants and snack bars along the promenade. These restaurants include fast food restaurants, restaurants specializing in seafood, pizzerias, Japanese food, salads and much more.

Snack bars and fast foods are good options to take the family for a quick snack without breaking the bank. With a wide variety of snack bars, you’ll find something delicious and instant to eat and come back soon to enjoy the sun and the beach.

Restaurants offering buffet are a good option for lunch with the whole family, offering a variety of foods that you choose and put on your plate. These restaurants have more affordable prices and everyone leaves satisfied.

For a more differentiated meal, you can choose from several restaurants with more romantic atmospheres. It has restaurants specializing in Japanese food, seafood, pizzerias and much more. Here you can enjoy lunch or dinner with loved ones. And who knows not to celebrate a special occasion?

If you don’t find what you’re looking for along the promenade, just turn a corner and enter the streets parallel to the beach, where you’ll find even more variety of places to eat, drink and relax.

It is worth remembering that most restaurants and bars are open late. To find out more about each one, you can search the internet and find out what foods they offer and what are the opening hours. So you can choose with more confidence.

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