apart from the various landmarks, dotted around the bays, there are numerous islands scattered within them, providing a host of different functions and activities, away from the hub of the city.

the more famous of the two bays, is the emblematic guanabara bay, engraving a huge bubble into the side of the state.

located on the eastern side of the city, guanabara bay is opened by the Pão de Açúcar mountain, at its western tip, and goes on to stretch an impressive 31 kilometers long and 28 kilometers wide.

discovered by the portuguese, in 1502, the bay was originally mistook for the mouth of a river, which is what gave the city the name of rio de janeiro, as 'rio' mean river, and 'janeiro' means january, the month of the discovery.