That the city is wonderful, the whole world knows. But have you ever been to any island in Rio de Janeiro? The most famous one everybody knows is Ilha do Governador.
But there are other places surrounded by water that maybe not even the most cariocas know about.
And even less that it is possible to live near these places.
This article lists some of the carioca islands worth getting to know a little more about or considering living nearby. Or even on them!
ISLANDS IN RIO DE JANEIRO
Rio de Janeiro has 70 islands between the Oceanic Region and the Guanabara and Sepetiba bays.
Some are very well developed, serving as home to many inhabitants and driving the economy.
Others are quieter and are home only to animal and plant species constantly monitored by environmental agencies and the Brazilian Navy.
See below the list and tips about these islands in the city of Rio de Janeiro.
ILHA DO GOVERNADOR (GOVERNOR’S ISLAND)
One of the best-known islands in Rio de Janeiro – and the largest one – is Ilha do Governador.
With an area that exceeds 40 km², its occupation is well mixed between residences, commerce, and industry. It has around 200,000d inhabitants.
Ilha do Governador is part of the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro as an Administrative Region and is subdivided into 15 neighborhoods:
- Bancários
- Cacuia
- Cidade Universitária
- Cocotá
- Freguesia
- Galeão
- Jardim Carioca
- Jardim Guanabara
- Moneró
- Pitangueiras
- Portuguesa
- Bandeira Beach
- Ribeira
- Tauá
- Zumbi
Tom Jobim international airport
Ilha do Governador is one of the gateways for those arriving in the city of Rio de Janeiro: especially by plane and international flights, as it is home to the Tom Jobim International Airport, popularly known as Galeão Airport, which is 20 km from the Central Region of the capital.
Access to Ilha do Governador
Ilha do Governador can be reached via the Engenheiro Edno Machado Viaduct.
And it is made easy by several bus lines circling through all the municipality and the Metropolitan Region regions.
Besides them, you can also count on the ferry system that makes crossings between the Cocotá district and Praça XV in downtown Rio.
You can travel from the airport by the two BRT Transcarioca stations in the two departure and arrival terminals.
By car, the Yellow and Red lines and the Galeão Road are access options that connect easily.
What to find in Ilha do Governador
- Airplane Square
- Aerospace Medicine Center (CEMAL)
- Galeão Air Force Hospital
- Sports Corridor
- Ilha Plaza Shopping Mall
- Universidade Veiga de Almeida (UVA – Ilha Unit)
- Union Quadra da Ilha do Governador
- Areninha Carioca Renato Russo
- Portuguese Athletic Association
- Jequiá Iate Clube
- Governador Yacht Club
- Mocellin Churrascaria
- Rei do Bacalhau (Codfish King)
- Smart Fit
ILHA DO FUNDÃO
Still in the Ilha do Governador administrative region, one of the busiest neighborhoods is the Cidade Universitária, popularly called Ilha do Fundão, where an average of 90,000 people circulate daily.
The main campus of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, is located on Ilha do Fundão, occupying an area of over 5 million m².
Besides housing 26 UFRJ faculties, libraries, a university hospital, laboratories, museums, and student housing, Fundão Island is a major development, innovation, and research center for several multinational high-tech companies.
Located on the shores of Guanabara Bay, the Ilha do Fundão is, in fact, the result of a landfill that took place between 1949 and 1952 that formed an archipelago composed of 8 islands:
- Baiacu
- Bom Jesus
- Cabras
- Catalão
- Fundão
- Ferreira’s Pindaí
- Pindaí do França
- Sapucaia
Access to Ilha do Fundão
Ilha do Fundão can be reached by several bus lines that circulate on some of Rio’s main thoroughfares, such as Avenida Governador Carlos Lacerda (Yellow Line) and Via Expressa Presidente João Goulart (Red Line), as well as the Complexo Viário Escritor Jorge Amado.
PAQUETÁ ISLAND
Guanabara Bay, near the Central Region, in the Paquetá neighborhood, has one of the islands that attract many cariocas and visitors to enjoy good moments of outdoor leisure.
It is Paquetá Island, also home to at least 3,600 inhabitants.
Besides Paquetá, which is the main island of the place of the same name, 15 other islands form the archipelago:
- Ilha Comprida
- Casa da Pedra Island
- Ilha das Folhas
- Tapuama Island (Sun Island)
- Braço Forte Island
- Brocoio Island
- Manguinho Island
- Ilha dos Ferros
- Ilha dos Itapacis
- Ilha dos Lobos
- Ilha Pancaraíba
- Ilha Pita
- Redonda Island
- Jurubaíba Islands (connected by a sandbank)
On Paquetá Island, you can rent different types of bicycles and pedals.
At the same time, you contemplate the natural landscapes formed by beaches, hills, and parks, and you can also have a break at the commercial and cultural establishments that feed the flow of the place.
It is also possible to rent kayaks and look at the island from another aspect.
But one of the details of the Paquetá tour is the possibility of finding some species of jatoba trees, such as the Maria Gorda, which was planted as early as 1627.
By the way, it is worth knowing that many of the natural points on Paquetá Island, among beaches and hills, are more for contemplation than for visiting, and even so, they provide the experience of being able to register a unique view.
Beaches
- Covanca Beach
- Imbuca, Iracema and Moema Beaches
- Mesbla Beach
- Moreninha Beach (Dr. Aristão Beach)
- São Roque Beach
- Catimbau Beach
- Lameirão Beach (Praia das Águas)
- Tamoios Beach
- Grossa Beach
- José Bonifácio Beach (Guarda Beach)
- Manuel Luís Beach (Frades Beach)
- Pintor Castagneto Beach (Coqueiros Beach)
Hills
- Covanca Hill (Covanca Hill)
- Cruz Hill (Morro da Cruz)
- Paineiras Hill (Paineiras Hill)
- Morro das Pedreiras
- Morro de São Roque (Moreninha Hill)
- Morro do Castelo
- Morro do Costallat
- Morro do Veloso
- Morro do Vigário
What to find on the Paquetá Island
- Darke de Mattos Municipal Natural Park
- Tamoios Park
- Pedro Bruno Square
- Saudade Bridge
- Paquetá Arts House
- Mesbla Lighthouse
- Jorge Fernando Museum
- Zeca’s Restaurant
Access to Paquetá Island
Since cars are not allowed on Paquetá Island, it must be accessed by the ferryboat system that operates from Praça XV in downtown Rio de Janeiro.
ILHA FISCAL
Ilha Fiscal is part of the Historical Center of the city of Rio de Janeiro, in the middle of Guanabara Bay, where a beautiful construction often catches the eye of those who drive or take the bus through the Port Zone or arrive by plane at Santos Dummont Airport.
The castle-like “château” is an exuberant architectural project envisaged by Dom Pedro II and designed by the architect Adolpho José Del Vecchio in a Provencal-Gothic style, whose grandeur stands out against the landscape of Guanabara Bay and the Serra do Mar in the background.
Located near the port, the point on Ilha Fiscal functioned in the 19th century as a customs post for the Fiscal Guard that controlled the flow of imported and exported goods in the city.
Castelinho da Ilha Fiscal
Currently, Ilha Fiscal houses a historical-cultural museum protected by the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) and is managed by the Navy Cultural Complex.
For about 1h30, the tour through the palace invites you to a trip back in time through the halls, exhibitions, and objects from when the place hosted the Last Ball of the Empire, days before the proclamation of the Republic.
Because of its proximity to the sea, the palace is exposed to the action of nature and, therefore, is undergoing structural maintenance work, which, according to the Navy, is scheduled to reopen for visits in April 2023.
Operation and information about Castelinho
Address: Avenida Alfredo Agache, s/n – Centro Cultural da Marinha – Centro
Schedule: From Thursday to Sunday at three times: 12:30 pm, 2 pm, and 3:30 pm
Telephone: (21) 2532-5992 and (21) 2233-9165
Tickets: R$36 for full and R$ 18 for half price. Tickets are sold from 11 am to 3:10 pm. Boarding happens 20 minutes before—more information at the Navy’s website.
Access to Ilha Fiscal
After purchasing the tickets at the Navy’s Cultural Space, near the Paço Imperial, at Praça XV, you can board the Navy minibus, which covers the bridge on the continental part, in about 10 minutes.
However, accessing Castelinho via schooner with the Navy is also possible.
ILHA DA GIGÓIA
In the city’s West Zone, separated by a small canal from Jardim Oceânico, in Barra da Tijuca, Ilha da Gigóia is the most popular of the ten islands in Lagoa da Tijuca and can be enjoyed in a single day, even on foot.
Gigóia Island has at least 3,000 inhabitants and several commercial establishments, all in a lagoon complex surrounded by mangroves, with lots of vegetation and hills that, in addition to forming an exuberant landscape, provide an alternative route to enjoy moments of tranquility amidst the hectic flow of the metropolis.
Although it may seem so, the island is not that quiet since the climate here is favorable to rent equipment and practicing water and sports activities, such as kayaking, stand-up paddling, water biking, jet-skiing, wakeboarding, and flyboard.
- Gigóia Film Society
- Galerie Serejo
- Itanhangá Golf Club
- 360 Sports
- Cícero’s Bar
- Gigóia Bistro
At 360 Sports, for example, you can still enjoy other activities on land, such as slackline, beach volleyball, and footvolley.
Afterward, spending the day at bars and restaurants is worth having drinks and trying delicious dishes.
Access to Gigóia Island
As it is impossible to access Ilha da Gigóia by car, access is made by a scheme of ferries that make the continental crossing with tickets between R$2 and R$5 reais.
To get to the ferries, if you are going by car, the Barra Point Shopping Mall parking lot can be an option since it is close to the island.
Between the shopping center and the Unimed building is the main access to the ferries, on Avenida Armando Lombardi, near number 350.
By public transportation, you can choose between the Jardim Oceânico Station of the MetrôRio subway, bus lines, or BRT.
CAGARRAS ISLANDS
Known as Cagarras Islands Natural Monument (MONA), the Cagarras Islands archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean, between the beaches of Ipanema and Leblon, approximately 5 km from the coast.
The Cagarras Islands are part of an archipelago that occupies a 10m radius with the following islands and islets:
- Ilha Palmas
- Ilha Comprida
- Redonda Island
- Filhote da Cagarras Islet
- Redonda Islet
The archipelago is very important as a biodiversity refuge and is also a Marine Conservation Unit of Full Protection in Rio de Janeiro administered by the Chico Mendes Institute (ICMBio).
Thus, the Cagarras archipelago is a shelter for endemic (that only exist there) and threatened species, an archeological site, a nesting area for seabirds, an interaction area for more than five species of cetaceans (aquatic mammals), and a migratory corridor for humpback whales.
Access to Cagarras Island
Because it is a Conservation Unit, access to the Cagarras Islands can only be made through hired nautical trips, with snorkeling supervision or authorization for scuba diving, always following the minimum impact guidelines.
It is worth knowing that, although sportsmen also use the site for canoeing, climbing, and artisanal fishing, prior authorization from the Chico Mendes Institute (ICMBio) is required.
TIJUCAS ISLANDS
The Tijucas Islands are between the Barra da Tijuca and São Conrado beaches, almost 2 km from the Joatinga Channel at Quebra-Mar, 5 km from Guanabara Bay, and about 7 to 9 km west of the Cagarras Islands Natural Monument (MONA).
Making up the group of surrounding islands (Ilha Rasa, Tijucas, Maricás, and Cotunduba Islands), the Tijucas Islands form a group of three small, low, rocky islands with little vegetation: Meio, Alfavaca, and Pontuda.
Although they are less known than the Cagarras archipelago, the Tijucas islands are home to a unique biodiversity of birds, fish, and other marine species that the crystal clear waters often allow for a clear view.
At the Tijucas Islands, it is common to find divers, companies that specialize in crossing the channel with stand-up paddles, boats for amateur and professional fishing, surfboards, bikes and water bikes, jet skis, and kayaks.
Access to Ilhas Tijucas
To access the Tijucas Islands, you will need to hire the services of one of the many companies that offer boats, boards, and other equipment for the crossing, i.e., you can choose how you prefer to make the trip.
Thus, the values of the tours, as well as the estimated times of duration and departure locations, may vary from one company to another, also because of how you decide to make the crossing.
ISLAND IN RIO DE JANEIRO: YOU CAN LIVE NEAR ONE
Whether it’s for sightseeing and enjoying the day or even for choosing a new place to live, by now, you know that Rio de Janeiro is full of islands that can be easily accessed.
If you are moving to Rio de Janeiro or already live there and want to try another neighborhood, QuintoAndar is present in the Marvelous City to welcome you with open arms!
On our platform, website, or app, you will find many options for houses and apartments to rent or buy in the city’s best neighborhoods. Even within an island in Rio de Janeiro, like Ilha do Governador.
And to facilitate your search, there’s nothing like taking advantage of our more than 70 filters and the location map on our platform. This way, you can find your ideal home in the city much faster!
With information from Quinto Andar