nicknamed nikita, niterói should be high on the list of places to visit while in rio de janeiro, sitting in guanabara bay just across from rio de janeiro, with a distance of about 7 miles between the two - the actual road distance is a bit further, even with the bridge connecting the cities, and travelling by car generally takes about 30-45 minutes with traffic.
though seen by some as perpetually in the shadow of its bigger and better-known neighbor, niterói is quite large in itself, with a unique heritage and attractions apart from those across the bay - niterói, or rather, the land which niterói now occupies, was originally called săo lourenço dos índios when it was first settled in 1573.
founded by araribóia, a tupi-guarani chief who helped the portuguese repel the french corsairs attempting to invade rio in the previous decade, it is the only brazilian city to have been established by an indigenous leader.
entertainment
