In 1823 Charles Darwin wrote: “Guanabara Bay exceeds in its magnificence everything the European has ever seen in his native land”. The second largest bay on the Brazilian coast, the shores of Guanabara are covered with dense Atlantic rainforest and its exuberance certainly makes it well worth a visit.

Sailing aboard a schooner, you are treated to fabulous views of the Rio coastline, passing the ‘Museu do Amanhã’ (project by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava), the fortress of Santa Cruz and the ruins of the forts of São Teodósio and São João that overlook the entrance to the bay. You’ll also see the extraordinary Contemporary Art Museum designed by Oscar Niemeyer to house the paintings and sculptures of one of Brazil’s foremost modern art collectors. Further sights include the Rio-Niterói bridge that spans the bay, and the Fiscal Island with its green neo-Gothic palace, designed by Adolfo Del Vecchio and completed in 1889. Once an observatory for shipping operations, it now belongs to the Brazilian Navy.