Niterói in Brazil

Ferries and launches to Niterói leave from the 'Barcas' terminal at Praça 15 de Novembro in central Rio. Boats arrive at the Praça Araribóia terminal in Niterói.

To get to the ocean beaches from Niterói, take buses from the street directly ahead of the ferry entrance, at right angles to the coast road. For Jurujuba take a bus from the boat dock; sit on the right-hand side, it's a beautiful ride.

Surrounded by long curved walkways, the space-age building of the

 www.macniteroi. com.br,

 is rapidly becoming the most famous work by Brazil's celebrated disciple of Le Corbusier, Oscar Niemeyer. It is in a fabulous location, sitting above a long bach with a sweeping view across Guanabara Bay to Rio as a backdrop. The building itself looks like a Gerry Anderson vision of the future; one can almost imagine

taking off through its centre. The main gallery is a white circle of polished concrete perched on a low monopod and sitting in a reflection pool. It is reached by a coiling, serpentine ramp which meets the building on its second storey. The exhibitions comprise seasonal shows and a permanent collection of Brazilian contemporary art of all disciplines. The top level is devoted to temporary displays and the intermediate to the permanent collection. Niemeyer overcomes the problem of the unsuitability of a curved space for the exhibition of art by using an inner hexagonal core enclosed by flat screen walls. More difficult to overcome is that the glimpses of the stunning panorama of Rio through the gaps in the hexagon are far more captivating than most of the art. The building is worth seeing at dusk when it is lit; the sky above the streetlights of Rio is light peacock blue infused with lilac and the distant figure of the Corcovado Christ shines brilliant xenon-white over the dark mass of mountains.

Many buildings associated with the city's period as state capital are grouped around the

. None are open to the public. The city's main thoroughfare, Avenida Ernâni do Amaral Peixoto, runs from the

and is lined with buildings similar to Avenida Presidente Vargas in Rio.

Perched on a rocky promontory at the mouth of Guanabara Bay, the 16th-century

The beaches closest to the city centre are unsuitable for bathing (Gragoatá, Vermelha, Boa Viagem, das Flechas). The next beaches along, also in the city and with polluted water, have more in the way of restaurants, bars and nightlife and some of the best views in the whole country, especially at sunset and sunrise.

is the smartest district, with the best hotels and good nightlife. Together with

and

, there are good views out across the bay to Rio. The road continues round the bay, past Preventório and Samanguaiá to

, a fishing village at the end of the No 33 bus route. About 2 km from Jurujuba along a narrow road are the attractive twin beaches of

and

beneath the Fortaleza Santa Cruz with more lovely views of Rio across the bay. These beaches are often used for

(Brazilian-African spirit religion) ceremonies.

,

,

and

, four fabulous stretches of sand, are the best in the area, about 40 minutes from Niterói through picturesque countryside. Buses leave from the street directly ahead of the ferry entrance, at right angles to the coast road. The undertow at Itacoatiara is dangerous, but the waves are popular with surfers and the beach itself is safe. Itaipu is also used by surfers.