nicknamed the 'city of smiles', niterói is not part of the city of rio de janeiro - it is a separate city facing rio on the other side of guanabara bay. despite niterói not being a neighborhood of rio de janeiro, we included it in this part of the guide due to the city's importance from a touristic and cultural perspective.

furthermore, from zona sul, niterói is faster and easier to access than many actual neighborhoods of rio de janeiro - in fact, it is linked by the rio-niterói bridge and by a ferry service, and it is clearly visible from flamengo beach.

niterói is home to some truly spectacular beaches, such as the secluded praia do sossego, and the gorgeous itacoatiara beach, located at the base of the pedra do elefante, an iconic rock formation of spectacular beauty.