the eastern shore of the guanabara bay presents a diverse array of islands, each one surprisingly unique.

along the north of the são gonçalo metropolitan area there's an archipelago formed by the islands of engenho, mexingueira, ananases, das flores, and ilha do carvalho.

these islands have been featured in maps of the region since very early in the european occupation, but their designations have changed somewhat in the meanwhile.

the carvalho island, for example, was named semana in maps dating from the middle 18th century.