its remoteness from the urban sprawl of rio helps in several ways, not the least of which being that the ocean waters here are calm and particularly clean. further, the almost total absence of foreigners adds a sense of adventure and true discovery to those who spend time here.

aside from its position in reference to downtown, barra de guaratiba also happens to be within the boundaries of an ecological reserve, which keeps it from being developed and exploited outside of the realm of subsistence or ecotourism.