The VIVO Rio Pro happens in Saquarema. The surf doesn't stop there.
From Maricá, 50 kilometres east of Rio de Janeiro, through Saquarema's Praia de Itaúna, past Araruama and Cabo Frio and Búzios to Arraial do Cabo on the outer edge of the Região dos Lagos — the Rio de Janeiro state Atlantic coast runs 180 kilometres of south-facing swell exposure, shifting sandbar breaks, and the kind of consistent southern hemisphere winter groundswell that the Northern Hemisphere doesn't produce until it's running out of Atlantic fetch and has already delivered the good part of its energy to a beach in Brazil.
The Championship Tour visits once a year. The swell arrives every June, July, and August regardless.
The Coast in Order
Maricá — Praia de Guaratiba and Praia do Pernambuco
Maricá is João Chianca's actual home town, and the coastline here faces directly south into the Southern Ocean swell window. Praia de Guaratiba and Praia do Pernambuco are long, exposed beaches with beach break peaks that work at low to mid tide on medium-sized groundswell. The breaks are less consistent than Itaúna — the sandbar geometry shifts frequently and the best banks appear and disappear across the season — but on a clean swell day in July, Guaratiba can produce the full-face walls that the professional circuit bypasses only because it bypasses Maricá entirely.
The town is small, the tourist infrastructure minimal, and the crowd in the water during mid-week mornings in June is composed almost entirely of locals. If you want to surf with Cariocas who know their breaks without the competition context of Saquarema, Maricá is the answer.
Saquarema — Praia de Itaúna and surroundings
Itaúna is the jewel. We have covered it in detail: the right-hand beachbreak at the lagoon mouth, the winter swell season, how to position yourself, the crowd during event week. What the destination guide doesn't cover is what to do when Itaúna is closed out or blown.
During south swell with strong onshore winds — which happen — the secondary options are:
- Praia de Saquarema (the town beach, 2km west): more sheltered, smaller, consistent even in windy conditions. The longboard break here is legitimate.
- Praia Brava (north of the lagoon, 3km north): faces differently, picks up less swell, gets offshore when Itaúna doesn't. The crowd disappears.
On the best days, Itaúna's competition zone runs simultaneously with free-surfing peaks to the north and south — the full kilometre of beach has viable sections, and only the official competition area is restricted. Paddle north of the flagging and find your own lineup during the VIVO Rio Pro without entering the competition zone.
Araruama — the lagoon area
Araruama is a large, calm saltwater lagoon 30 kilometres east of Saquarema, separated from the Atlantic by a narrow sand peninsula. The lagoon surf doesn't exist — the water is flat. But the peninsula itself, accessible by car or ferry from Arraial do Cabo, runs its outer Atlantic face with exposed beach break of comparable quality to Saquarema. Less consistent, less known, occasionally excellent.
Araruama the town is worth a stop for peixe frito (fried fish) at the lagoon-side restaurants — a lunch break when driving the coast.
Cabo Frio — Praia do Forte and Praia do Peró
Cabo Frio's Atlantic beaches benefit from the cold Falkland current upwelling that refrigerates this part of the Brazilian coast in winter. Water temperatures can drop to 18°C here — cooler than Saquarema's 22°C — and the cold upwelling brings baitfish that bring predators. The surf at Praia do Forte, facing directly south, is a longer right-hand point and beachbreak combination that works best on mid-to-large southwest groundswell. Praia do Peró, on the Cabo Frio headland's west face, catches west and southwest wind swell and provides a secondary option when the main Atlantic face is too big.
Cabo Frio town has the most developed tourism infrastructure in the region outside Rio itself — a proper night life, restaurants, accommodation ranging from budget hostel to boutique, and a daily ferry service to Arraial do Cabo.
Búzios — Praia do Ferradura and Praia Brava
Armação dos Búzios is the Região dos Lagos' most internationally-known destination: a former fishing village turned upscale resort peninsula, with cobblestoned streets, beach restaurants, and a reputation among Brazilian tourists that Saquarema does not share. Brigitte Bardot made it famous in the 1960s; the town has spent the last sixty years building on that fact.
For surfers, Búzios is secondary to Saquarema — the geometry of the peninsula, pointing northeast, means the best breaks are on the outer-facing south and east beaches, and they require a larger swell to work properly.
- Praia do Ferradura (horse-shoe shaped bay, southwest face): picks up south and southwest swell with some protection from wind. The most consistent wave in Búzios. Beach break with occasional rights on the northeast corner of the bay.
- Praia Brava (outer face, exposed): the big-day option. Southeast-facing, exposed to both south and east groundswell, hollow and shallow at low tide. Expert-only above 6 feet.
Búzios rewards the non-surf activity: boat trips to the outer beaches, reef snorkelling, sunset cocktails on the Rua das Pedras, diving off the schooner boats. It is the place to bring a non-surfing partner and avoid the apologetic conversations that Saquarema and Maricá require.
Arraial do Cabo — Praia Grande and Praia dos Anjos
Arraial do Cabo sits at the easternmost point of the Rio state Atlantic coast, 170 kilometres from the city. It is the least-developed of the Região dos Lagos surf towns: a working fishing village, a dive tourism economy based on the Falkland upwelling visibility, and two major surf beaches.
Praia Grande is exactly what it sounds like — a long, straight beach facing directly south, picking up maximum swell from the Southern Ocean fetch. The break runs across a kilometre of shifting banks in June-August, and on a clean 3-4 foot day with light offshore winds, it produces some of the cleanest beach break peaks in the region. No event circuit comes here. The crowd, outside Brazilian school holidays, is small.
Praia dos Anjos (Angel's Beach) faces west and is mostly calm, used for the dive boats. The contrast between the dive-tourism calm of Anjos and the raw Atlantic exposure of Praia Grande, separated by a headland, summarises the Arraial do Cabo split personality — resort amenity on one side, open ocean exposure on the other.
Planning the Road Trip
Duration: 4–7 days allows surfing each major break, rest days when conditions don't align, and a non-surf day in Búzios or Arraial. A long weekend (3 days) is feasible if you drive directly to Saquarema and don't deviate.
Base options: - Saquarema for wave quality and easy access to both Maricá (west) and Cabo Frio (east). The most surf-focused base. - Cabo Frio for central positioning with the best non-surf infrastructure. 30 minutes from Araruama, 30 minutes from Arraial, 45 minutes from Saquarema. - Búzios for comfort and amenity. Slightly further from the best breaks but the nicest sleep.
Getting there: Fly into Galeão (GIG) and rent a car. The road east runs RJ-104 to Maricá and RJ-106 through Saquarema to Cabo Frio. No motorway for parts of this stretch — it's state highway driving, two lanes, with the coast visible on the right when the road touches the water. Drive time from GIG to Saquarema: 2 hours. GIG to Arraial: 3.5 hours.
When to go: June, July, August. Southern winter groundswell from frontal systems tracking across the South Atlantic. NE to E offshore winds in the mornings; onshore southwest sea breezes typically arrive by early afternoon. Surf early. Restaurants do not open before noon. This creates no conflict.
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Join ZealZagFollow us on InstagramFrequently Asked
Is this safe for mid-level surfers? Most breaks on this coast are beach break with rip channels rather than reef. Maricá, Saquarema, and Arraial can produce strong rip currents at mid-to-large swell; intermediate surfers should read the beach before paddling. Búzios is friendlier. None of the breaks require expert credentials in under-2m swell conditions.
What's the water temperature? Saquarema: 20–22°C in June–August. Arraial do Cabo and Cabo Frio: 17–20°C due to the Falkland current upwelling. A 3/2mm wetsuit is sufficient for most people.
Can I rent a board anywhere on this coast? Yes, in Saquarema, Cabo Frio, Búzios, and Arraial. Maricá has fewer rental options; bring your own board or travel with one you've rented in Saquarema.
Where do I find other surfers to read the breaks with? Connect with athletes training the Rio de Janeiro coast via Find Athletes in Saquarema or Búzios on ZealZag.
For the Finals Day coverage from Saquarema, see our VIVO Rio Pro Finals Day field report. For Itaúna's specific break conditions and the WSL competition venue, see our Saquarema and Praia de Itaúna destination guide.
