praia de fora is nestled between sugar loaf and morro cara de cão (dog-face hill), facing across the entrance of guanabara bay in rio de janeiro. the surrounding neighborhood of urca is adjacent to copacabana and botafogo.

the beach is idyllic and conveniently located, but it is also significant for a different reason - it was here that on march 1st, 1565, estácio de sá first established the city that has since grown to be the thriving metropolis of modern-day rio.