Praia da Vila

Praia da Vila lies to the right of Itaúna, in Saquarema, separated by the Nossa Senhora de Nazaré Church and the channel that links Saquarema Lagoon to the sea, forming with its neighbor one of the most complete points in Brazil, since when one beach isn't good, the other usually is. The bottom is sand and several sandbanks along the point form hollow, powerful waves in both directions, affectionately nicknamed Pipe Vila by locals, protected from the east wind that sometimes messes up the sea at Itaúna.

It picks up swell from practically every direction and handles the bombs well, with big days passing 2 meters on the various banks spread along the beach. The spot fires in summer and on weekends, when the local crowd shows up in force regardless of the size of the sea. Saquarema has been nicknamed the Maracanã of Surfing and has hosted WSL world tour stops, so it's worth checking the calendar before going, since event days take over much of the spot.