recently named by brazil's national congress a natural monument, the archipelago of the cagarras islands (monumento natural do arquipélago das ilhas cagarras) has become one of the most important areas of preservation within rio de janeiro.

enjoying the status of área de relevante interesse ecológico(area of special environmental instrest) the archipelago, formed by seven islands, is only 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the shores of ipanemaand it is perfectly visible from the beach. the archipelago is constantly photographed from the shores, yet it remains an area mostly unknown to both residents and visitors alike.