In a city with blue beaches and wonderful weather during the whole year it comes as no surprise that swimming is among the preferred activities of cariocas - Be it for fun or for sport, cariocas love to swim - It is also a statement of Rio's ideal climate that most full size pools in Rio are in the open air and do not or seldom use artificial water heating.

Responsible for swimming, water polo, synchronized swimming and diving contests, FARJ is the organization responsible for scheduling, recording and endorsing official competitions in the state of Rio - Their comprehensive website contains calendars, news and schedules for the most important swimming competitions in all the styles it covers.

Another competition with a very carioca spirit is the Rei e Rainha do Mar (King and Queen of the sea) - Currently the biggest sea-water competition in Brazil, it gathers athletes from all over the world in six different modalities that range from running in the sand to the classic sea-marathon, where the athlete is required to swim impressive 3,5km (2.3mi) to complete the race.