Outdoor trips near Rio de Janeiro

At a glance

What you can do near Rio

Buggy and quad rides on the coast

Buggies and quads run along the coast east of Rio, in the area people call the Região dos Lagos. Part of that coast is protected. The Costa do Sol State Park was created in 2011 by state decree and covers parts of six towns: Araruama, Armação dos Búzios, Arraial do Cabo, Cabo Frio, Saquarema and São Pedro da Aldeia. INEA, the state environment agency, asks visitors to walk only on the marked trails. So we agree the route with the provider in advance and book only one that runs where driving is allowed.

Who drives is settled before booking. Brazil’s traffic code counts beaches open to public traffic as roads, so the usual driving rules apply there. Without a licence, or when the provider keeps the wheel, you ride as a passenger.

A buggy ride fits well with a night by the sea and a boat trip: see Arraial do Cabo from Rio and Búzios from Rio.

Rafting near Três Rios

Rafting in Rio de Janeiro state happens near Três Rios, where three rivers meet: the Paraibuna, the Paraíba do Sul and the Piabanha. Trips run on the first two. Water levels change with the rains, so we check the river conditions for your date with the provider.

Before booking we ask the provider:

• which stretch of river you will run and how hard the rapids are on your date;
• the age limits and whether you need to swim;
• what equipment they hand out;
• whether there is insurance for the activity and what it covers.

Outdoor trips in the mountains near Rio

Serra dos Órgãos National Park lies between Petrópolis and Teresópolis. It was created in 1939 and protects 19,855 hectares in Teresópolis, Petrópolis, Magé and Guapimirim. ICMBio, the federal agency that runs it, lists more than 200 km of trails, the largest trail network in Brazil, plus climbing, rappelling and waterfalls. The best known route, the Travessia Petrópolis-Teresópolis, covers about 30 km of climbs and descents through the high mountains. For a shorter outing, a day in the park’s lower areas pairs well with a visit to Petrópolis.

If you would rather hike without leaving the city, see hiking in Rio.

Horse riding

Horse riding is not on the park’s list of activities, so we look for a ride outside it, in the mountain areas near Petrópolis and Teresópolis. Where it takes place, how long it lasts and how much experience you need goes into the proposal. To match the horses we need each rider’s age, approximate weight and riding experience.

What we check with the provider

Brazilian Decree 7.381 of 2010 counts rafting, horse riding, off-road driving and climbing as adventure tourism. Travel agencies that sell it must work with guides trained to the official technical standards, have a safety management system, offer optional insurance for the activity and give clients documents on equipment use and risks to sign. Do not be surprised if you are asked to sign something before the start.

On top of that we check the provider’s permits for this kind of work, the guide’s or instructor’s qualifications, the state of the equipment and the insurance. Nobody can promise that nothing will go wrong, and we do not promise it either. How we work with providers in general is on how we work.

Weather

Each activity depends on the weather in its own way. Rafting needs water in the river, a sea storm can stop buggy rides, and heavy rain can close mountain trails. If the weather rules out your activity, we move it to a new date or refund the deposit in full.

What to tell us in your request

• which activities you want (one or several);
• your dates and how many nights you can spend outside Rio;
• how many people are going and their ages;
• for rafting: whether everyone can swim;
• for horse riding: riding experience and approximate weight;
• whether anyone wants to drive the buggy and holds a valid licence;
• where you are staying in Rio.

Cancellation and changes

• Day trip: cancel at no charge up to 48 hours before.
• Trip with nights: cancel at no charge up to 14 days before.
• You can move the date once with 48 hours’ notice if the provider has another date.
• If the provider cannot run the activity, we find a replacement or refund the deposit in full.

What we handle. We pick the provider for the activity and dates, check permits, qualifications and equipment before booking, add a private driver from Rio and a place to stay if you go for a night, and stay your single contact during the trip.