Brazil · Rio de Janeiro · Niterói
Camboinhas, Niterói — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Camboinhas is a neighbourhood of Niterói, the Brazilian city that faces Rio de Janeiro across Guanabara Bay.
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Where to stay in Camboinhas
Where you base yourself shapes the visit — here's the character of each area.
The Museu de Arqueologia de Itaipu and the Igreja de São Sebastião de Itaipu are the two addresses the record gives Camboinhas, which makes this a neighbourhood chosen for quiet rather than for convenience. Camboinhas keeps only a handful of rooms. Niterói keeps the larger supply, and the city of Rio de Janeiro, on the other side of Guanabara Bay, keeps more again. It suits a stay built around the Museu de Arqueologia de Itaipu.
Few places to stay in Camboinhas — most visitors book in Niterói nearby.
About Camboinhas
What are the main landmarks in Camboinhas?
Two Itaipu names carry Camboinhas. The Museu de Arqueologia de Itaipu gathers the archaeology of the area, and the Igreja de São Sebastião de Itaipu stands as the church the listings put beside it. Beyond those two, Niterói supplies the rest, from its Guanabara Bay frontage to the golden mural crown it wears as a former capital of Rio de Janeiro.
What is the history of Camboinhas?
Camboinhas takes its history from Niterói. The municipality was capital of Rio de Janeiro from 1834 to 1894 and again from 1903 to 1975, a standing marked by the golden mural crown it still carries. No founding year is recorded for the neighbourhood itself.
What the sources do give it are the Museu de Arqueologia de Itaipu and the Igreja de São Sebastião de Itaipu, both carrying the same Itaipu name. Niterói answers to the nickname Cidade Sorriso.
Where is Camboinhas?
Camboinhas occupies part of Niterói, a municipality inside the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area whose frontage is on Guanabara Bay.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Camboinhas?
Niterói: visitors wanting the Guanabara Bay side of the municipality instead of its far neighbourhoods.
More areas in Niterói
Updated August 2026