so, for those who come to rio de janeiro and want to experience an additional side of the area, there are many nearby destinations offering a range of attractions and easily reached for a one-day tour or for a week-end.

less known locations such as rio das ostras and the waterfalls of cachoeiras de macacu are wonderful places to visit and are becoming more and more popular with both brazilian and international visitors alike.  

following, we listed some of the most rewarding destinations within rio de janeiro state, along with a general description of the state's sub regions.  

on this link, published by the fundação centro estadual de estatistica, pesquisa e formação de servidores publicos do rio de janeiro - ceperj,  is a map showing all the municipalities of rio de janeiro state, color coded e divided in the região noroeste fluminense, região norte fluminense, região serrana, região das baixadas litoraneas, região metropolitana,  região centro-sul fluminense, região do medio paraíba, and região da costa verde.