When we left Rio de Janeiro, the idea was to meander up the coast and eventually make it to the state of Bahia to reconsider our route and plans.

Since our camper is for sale, we had to be flexible. The issue with Brazil is that it is huge! And because, as Americans in an American vehicle, Venezuela is off limits for safety reasons, we couldn’t drive the northern loop back to Colombia. This meant that wherever we drove in Brazil, we would have to backtrack that distance south in order to leave. There are no (decent) roads in the Amazon.

Since Niteroi didn’t work out for us, we needed a plan B, namely driving north to Cabo Frio and camping there. We had a horrible day on the road with tons of (unmarked and camouflaged) speed bumps, narrow and busy lanes, hot weather, and three potential camp spots that didn’t work out, because of new rules against campers or the wind being too strong, whipping up seawater.

(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)

São Pedro da Aldeia

Eventually, we settled in a quiet waterfront suburb of São Pedro da Aldeia, on the south side of the giant saltwater lagoon. The wind was less strong, the people were friendly, and our backyard was grassy with palm trees and nice views.

Despite being parked close to the dirt road with through traffic, we enjoyed our stay and walks with Maya and even returned from Cabo Frio once the wind picked up again.

Cabo Frio

We had hoped for a pleasant week of beach camping in Cabo Frio, but it was not meant to be. This area is notorious for its strong winds. The three of us did manage to snatch a few nights and our new Australian friend Larry joined us. We’d seen him in Rio as well, but due to my work assignment we hadn’t had time to hang out with him.

In Cabo Frio, we went for beach walks and a stroll into the dunes. Across from our parking spot was a small freshwater lagoon, which was perfect for doggie rinse-offs after sandy and salty outings. The weather was heating up a lot.

Arraial do Cabo

The four of us (including Maya) organized an Uber from Cabo Frio to the most popular and stunning beach of Arraial do Cabo. Except, the driver could only drop us off 4km away from the praia – only authorized cabs and vehicles were allowed past this point – so we faced a steep, hot, and sweaty walk to cross the hills towards the beach.

Once there, a refreshing dip in the icy waters followed for me and Maya, who seemed to be tolerated on leash, despite the information we had read beforehand about dogs not being allowed on the sand and in the water.

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