Arraial do Cabo

Municipality in Southeast, Brazil

Flag

Seal

Location in Rio de Janeiro

Coordinates: 22°57′57″S 42°01′40″W / 22.96583°S 42.02778°W / -22.96583; -42.02778Country

BrazilRegionSoutheastState

Rio de JaneiroGovernment

• MayorMarcelo Magno (Solidarity)Area

• Total152.305 km² (58.805 sq mi)Elevation

8 m (26 ft)Population

(2020)^[1]

• Total30,593 • Density200/km² (520/sq mi)Time zoneUTC-3 (UTC-3)HDI (2010)0.733 – high^[2]Websitearraialdocabo.rj.gov.br

Arraial do Cabo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐʁɐjˈaw du ˈkabu]) is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. Its population was 30,593 as of 2020 census and its total area is 160 square kilometres (62 sq mi).^[3]

It was founded in 1503 by the conqueror Amerigo Vespucci. In 1960 a documentary film was made directed by Mário Carneiro and Paulo Cesar Saraceni about the local fishing industry.^[4]

Its geography made Arraial do Cabo an important and dangerous point in the age of sail. From the arrival of the Portuguese Navy in 1503 through the nineteenth century, many shipwrecks occurred. Due to this fact (and other biological factors) Arraial do Cabo is well known as the "Dive Capital".

The municipality operates the Ilha do Cabo Frio Biological Reserve, a fully protected conservation unit on an Atlantic island in the south east of the municipality.^[5] It contains the 56,769 hectares (140,280 acres) Arraial do Cabo Marine Extractive Reserve, created in 1997.^[6]

Climate

Climate data for Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	28.5 (83.3)	28.6 (83.5)	27.9 (82.2)	26.5 (79.7)	25.2 (77.4)	24.4 (75.9)	23.7 (74.7)	23.9 (75.0)	24.3 (75.7)	25.3 (77.5)	26.4 (79.5)	26.9 (80.4)	26.0 (78.7)
Daily mean °C (°F)	25.1 (77.2)	25.4 (77.7)	25.1 (77.2)	23.7 (74.7)	22.4 (72.3)	21.2 (70.2)	20.6 (69.1)	20.8 (69.4)	21.2 (70.2)	22.1 (71.8)	23.0 (73.4)	24.1 (75.4)	22.9 (73.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	21.7 (71.1)	22.2 (72.0)	22.4 (72.3)	21.0 (69.8)	19.6 (67.3)	18.1 (64.6)	17.6 (63.7)	17.7 (63.9)	18.1 (64.6)	18.9 (66.0)	19.6 (67.3)	21.4 (70.5)	19.9 (67.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	82 (3.2)	58 (2.3)	67 (2.6)	85 (3.3)	71 (2.8)	44 (1.7)	43 (1.7)	37 (1.5)	58 (2.3)	77 (3.0)	88 (3.5)	105 (4.1)	815 (32)
Source: climate-data.org^[7]

Notable people

Alexandre Pantoja, Brazilian mixed martial artist and the current UFC Flyweight Champion (Ultimate Fighting Championship).^[8]
Flávia Alessandra, Brazilian actress
Henrique da Silva, Brazilian former footballer (Defender)

References

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Arraial do Cabo.

^ IBGE 2020
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics Website". Retrieved November 20, 2013.
^ Arraial do Cabo, film by Mário Carneiro and Paulo Cesar Saraceni on YouTube
^ Unidades de Conservação da Região dos Lagos (PDF) (in Portuguese), Petrobras, retrieved 2016-04-26^{[permanent dead link]}
^ RESEX Marinha do Arraial do Cabo (in Portuguese), ISA: Instituto Socioambiental, retrieved 2016-09-13
^ "Climate: Arraial do Cabo". Retrieved March 30, 2018.
^ "Quem é Alexandre Pantoja, o novo brasileiro campeão do UFC". ESPN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2023-07-09. Retrieved 2023-09-08.

Municipalities of Rio de Janeiro

Capital: Rio de Janeiro

Mesoregion
Baixadas

Bacia de São João	Casimiro de Abreu Rio das Ostras Silva Jardim
Lagos	Araruama Armação dos Búzios Arraial do Cabo Cabo Frio Iguaba Grande São Pedro da Aldeia Saquarema

Mesoregion
Centro Fluminense

Cantagalo-Cordeiro	Cantagalo Carmo Cordeiro Macuco
Nova Friburgo	Bom Jardim Duas Barras Nova Friburgo Sumidouro
Santa Maria Madalena	Santa Maria Madalena São Sebastião do Alto Trajano de Morais
Três Rios	Areal Comendador Levy Gasparian Paraíba do Sul Sapucaia Três Rios

Mesoregion
Metropolitana do
Rio de Janeiro

Itaguaí	Itaguaí Mangaratiba Seropédica
Macacu-Caceribu	Cachoeiras de Macacu Rio Bonito
Microregion Rio de Janeiro	Belford Roxo Duque de Caxias Guapimirim Itaboraí Japeri Magé Maricá Nilópolis Niterói Mesquita Nova Iguaçu Queimados Rio de Janeiro São Gonçalo São João de Meriti Tanguá
Serrana	Petrópolis São José do Vale do Rio Preto Teresópolis
Vassouras	Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin Mendes Miguel Pereira Paracambi Paty do Alferes Vassouras

Mesoregion
Noroeste Fluminense

Itaperuna	Bom Jesus do Itabapoana Italva Itaperuna Laje do Muriaé Natividade Porciúncula Varre-Sai
Santo Antônio de Pádua	Aperibé Cambuci Itaocara Miracema Santo Antônio de Pádua São José de Ubá

Mesoregion
Norte Fluminense

Campos dos Goytacazes	Campos dos Goytacazes Cardoso Moreira São Fidélis São Francisco de Itabapoana São João da Barra
Macaé	Carapebus Conceição de Macabu Macaé Quissamã

Mesoregion
Sul Fluminense

Baía da Ilha Grande	Angra dos Reis Parati
Barra do Piraí	Barra do Piraí Rio das Flores Valença
Vale do Paraíba Fluminense	Barra Mansa Itatiaia Pinheiral Piraí Porto Real Quatis Resende Rio Claro Volta Redonda