Back in 1502 when Brazil was discovered by the Portuguese Dom Manuel I, then the King of Portugal, send a naval expedition to explore the newfound land. The expedition team arrived at the mouth of the Guanabara Bay on January 1, 1502, and the Portuguese sailors thought the large bay was the mouth of a river, or Rio, resulting in the today’s name for the Marvelous City of Rio de Janeiro.
The Guanabara Bay is an oceanic bay situated on the Southeast coast of Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The city of Rio de Janeiro meets the Guanabara bay on its western shore, and the Brazilian cities of Niteroi and Sao Goncalo meet the city on the eastern shore. Guanabara Bay is the second largest bay in Brazil at 412 sq km or 159 sqare miles – second only to the All Saint’s Bay.
The Port of Rio de Janeiro, as well as both of the city’s two airports, Rio de Janeiro/Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport located on Governador Island and the Santos Dumont Airport are situated on the shores of the Guanabara Bay. The name Guanabara derives from the Tupi language (goanã-pará), commonly translated as “Bosom of the Sea”.
