Discover Cantagalo

Cantagalo offers travellers a range of things to explore: protected cultural heritage, sites with religious history, stories about a historical figure, a walking tour, a bike circuit and a Saturday arts and crafts market. When planning your trip, you can consider whether you mainly want to discover cultural history, enjoy some exercise, or explore local crafts and specialities. These different options can also help you decide whether Cantagalo is a good fit for your search for a holiday rental destination.

Cultural history in places and stories

On Praça João XXIII, both the bandstand and the lake are protected as cultural heritage by the Instituto Estadual do Patrimônio Cultural (Inepac). The Santuário Diocesano do Santíssimo Sacramento was inaugurated in 1878 in the presence of Emperor Dom Pedro II and is a place of worship of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Casa de Euclides da Cunha is a cultural centre dedicated to the writer Euclides da Cunha. For literature enthusiasts, it is a clearly defined cultural point of interest on a visit to Cantagalo. At the Instituto Mão de Luva, visitors hear the story and legends of Manuel Henriques, known as “Mão de Luva.” The institute’s walking tour offers another way to discover historical sites: it passes through several historic buildings in Cantagalo and can be arranged directly with the institute. So, if you are interested in this tour, the institute is also the point of contact for booking it.

Individual locations also have their own distinct character. Gruta Nossa Senhora de Lourdes is in central Cantagalo and was built in 1954. The Nossa Senhora Aparecida statue, by contrast, is in the Planalto neighbourhood and is 3.5 metres high. You can keep these locations distinct when finding your way around: the grotto is in the centre, while the statue is in the Planalto neighbourhood. Both add specific places with their own history or a clearly stated measurement to Cantagalo’s cultural and religious points of interest.

Cycling and local discoveries

Those who want to include cycling in their holiday plans can use the Circuito Desafio do Galo – Bike as a specific point of reference. The circuit is in central Cantagalo, Rio de Janeiro. This adds a clearly identified cycling activity to the cultural themes when choosing what interests you on your trip. You can decide whether you want your stay in Cantagalo to focus more on cultural history or also include a cycling option, without one focus replacing the other.

The Saturday arts and crafts market offers another glimpse of local life. Local craftspeople sell embroidered towels as well as sweet and savoury specialities. The market features both crafts and food. If these products and specialities particularly interest you, Saturday is an important consideration when planning your trip. The market differs from the historical sites and cycling activity: its focus is on the work of local craftspeople and the food on offer.

More places: Itaboraí, Sumidouro, São Fidélis, Sacra Família Do Tinguá, Frade, Penedo, Sapucaia, Paquequer Pequeno.

For the broader travel overview: Rio De Janeiro.