The first inhabitants were nomads, they arrived in the region about 5,000 years ago, they lived in small groups at the top of the hills and only came down to look for food, basically fish and shellfish.
At the time of the arrival of the Portuguese, the Tamoios were the inhabitants of the region, although there were also other tribes such as Tupinambá. These tribes basically ate fish and crustaceans, and supplemented with "yucca" and game animals.
Américo Vespúcio, in his second expedition, decides to separate from the rest of the to sail south, reaching the current "Praia dos Anjos" and the place received the name of Cabo Frio, due to certain factors that surprised the navigators.
The marine currents in the area had a temperature substantially colder than the normal temperatures of the waters off the Brazilian coast.
The region has constant colder winds than the rest of the coast and weather conditions change rapidly in a short time.
Américo Vespúcio decided to build a fort where he left 24 men with weapons and supplies, and later built a trading post in the area, which would be the first factory in Brazil.
For centuries, it was a fishing village, and it was in the first half of the 20th century, in 1943, with the start-up of the National Alkali Company, which boosted the local economy. The factory produced sodium carbonate, a raw material for the manufacture of glass.
Arraial do Cabo belonged to Cabo Frio, until May 13, 1985, when the city became emancipated.
Today, the municipality of Arraial do Cabo comprises the districts: Monte Alto, Figueira, Parque das Garças, Sabiá, Pernambuco, Novo Arraial and Caiçara.
See more about the history of Arraial Do Cabo
See also information on Cabo Frio.
