Itaboraí
Brazil · Americas
About Itaboraí
Itaboraí is a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which belongs to the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. It was founded in 1672. In 2025, it had a population of 240,127.
Around the year 1000, Tupi-speaking peoples from the valleys of the Madeira and Xingu rivers, on the right bank of the Amazon River, invaded most of the current Brazilian coast, expelling its previous inhabitants, speakers of languages belonging to the Macro-Jê linguistic trunk, to the interior of the continent. In the 16th century, when the Portuguese arrived in the Guanabara Bay region, it was occupied by one of these Tupi peoples: the Tupinambás, also called Tamoios.
Culturally, its closest municipalities are São Gonçalo and Niterói, connected to them by the Niterói-Manilha highway. It is officially planned since the start of the last President Lula's and Governor Sérgio Cabral's terms to be further connected to them and to Rio de Janeiro's downtown by the Line 3 of the Rio de Janeiro Metro, that will have the first submarine tunnel ever built in Brazil.
It is geographically close to Rio de Janeiro's airport and a SuperVia train line,...
Itaboraí travel guide
Understand
Itaboraí is a municipality of Leste Metropolitano (Leste Fluminense or Grande Niterói) - region of the metropolis on the east side of the Guanabara Bay - located along the BR-101 highway, between the municipalities of São Gonçalo and Tanguá. The latter was a district of Itaboraí until 1995, when it was emancipated. Itaboraí is the only one of the 6 municipalities of Leste Fluminense that had one of its districts emancipated during the 20th century.
Getting there
In the Central Zone of Rio, urban bus and van lines to the municipality of Itaboraí are available. Bus lines to Itaboraí depart from the Candelária region, and van lines depart from the Central do Brasil surrounding area. The main road access to Itaboraí for those coming from the Rio Central Zone are the BR-101 highway (Niterói-Manilha highway) and the RJ-104 highway.
See
Historical landmarks
Chapel at Fazenda Itapacoará (Capela da Fazenda Itapacoará). Built in the latter half of the 19th century. Igreja de Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. Built sometime before 1742 and restored in the 1790s. São Boaventura Convent Ruins (Ruínas do Convento de São Boaventura), Fazenda Macacu. Located in the ruins of the old settlement of Santo Antônio de Casseribu. São Tomé Chapel (Capela São Tomé), ☏ +55 21 735-2613. Built in the 19th century, date unknown. Sanctuary of Jesus Crucified (Santuário de Jesus Crucificado) - Church in Porto das Caixas. Church of São Barnabé (Igreja de São Barnabé) - Church in Itambi. Church of São João Batista (Igreja de São João Batista) - Church in downtown Itaboraí. Marechal Floriano Peixoto Square (Praça Marechal Floriano Peixoto) - Square in downtown Itaboraí.
Environmental interest Lake São José (Lagoa São José), Estrada São José. Manguezal Ecological Reserve (Reserva Ecológica do Manguezal). Serra do Lagarto Forest Reserve (Reserva Florestal Serra do Lagarto) - Forest Reserve on the Lagarto mountain range, between the municipalities of Itaboraí and Maricá. Aldeia river (Rio Aldeia) Iguá river (Rio Iguá) Guanabara Ecological Station (Estação Ecológica da Guanabara) - An Ecological Station in the middle of the APA Guapimirim, on the shoreline of the Guanabara Bay. Paleontological Park of São José de Itaboraí (Parque Paleontológico de São José de Itaboraí) - Located in São José, in the district of Cabuçu. Serra do Barbosão Municipal Natural Park (Parque Natural Municipal Serra do Barbosão) - Natural park between Itaboraí and Tanguá.
Eat
Vacaria Churrascaria - Rodovia BR-101, 31 - 295 - Três Pontes.
Sleep
Hotel Samba Itaboraí, Avenida Vinte e Dois de Maio, 3126 - Santo Expedito.
Go next
Tanguá Rio Bonito Cachoeiras de Macacu Guapimirim Magé Maricá São Gonçalo Niterói Rio de Janeiro
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.