surrounding the capital, and in varying degrees, each region of the the state of rio de janeiro is home to a variety of places of great touristic and cultural interest.

the state of rio de janeiro is divided in eight regions - região metropolitana, região serrana, região norte fluminense, região sul fluminense, região noroeste fluminense, região da baixadas litorâneas, região médio paraíba, and the gorgeous região costa verde.

the regions of greatest tourist interest in rio de janeiro state are costa verde (green coast) to the south, the costa do sol (coast of the sun) to the north, and the região serrana in the interior of the state.