Preguiças River tour from Barreirinhas: Speedboat, three villages

A speedboat carries you past mangroves to three riverside villages in a single morning.

This is a guided speedboat tour on the Preguiças River departing from Barreirinhas, visiting three villages and a beach over the course of a morning. You board at 8:20 AM and travel 40 minutes by boat to Vassouras, where Macaco Prego monkeys swim in deep lagoons during the rainy season. Next stop is Mandacaru, where you climb the Preguiças Lighthouse for views across the river delta, then browse craft shops and sample local ice cream. The tour ends at Caburé Beach, a narrow peninsula where the river meets the sea, with lunch at a beachside restaurant before returning around 3:30 PM.

Step-by-step itinerary

Preguiças River tour and village visits

• Depart for boarding point
• Board speedboat
• Navigate river to Vassouras village
• Observe Macaco Prego monkeys
• Return to boat
• Visit Mandacaru village
• Climb Preguiças Lighthouse
• Explore craft shops and try local treats
• Visit Caburé Beach
• Have lunch at beach restaurant
• Return to departure point

The experience

The speedboat leaves the boarding point at 8:20 AM and runs for about 40 minutes to Vassouras, a small village built along the river. The main draw here is the Macaco Prego monkeys (playful and accustomed to visitors), which gather in the deep lagoons that form during the rainy season. You'll have time to swim if the water is high enough, or simply watch from the bank. The boat then heads to Mandacaru, where the Preguiças Lighthouse stands as the village's centerpiece. Climbing it takes you above the rooflines and out over the river delta, and the view stretches across mangroves and sand dunes toward the coast. Back at ground level, the village has craft shops selling local work and small bars serving caipirinhas and typical ice cream flavored with regional fruits.

Caburé Beach is the final stop: a long sandy spit with the river on one side and the Atlantic on the other. Lunch happens at one of the beach restaurants, and you're free to walk the sand or wade in the shallows before the return journey begins around 2:30 PM. The boat ride back takes roughly an hour, arriving around 3:30 PM. The guide travels with you throughout and will use a digital translator if a bilingual guide is not available that day. Bring swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and insect repellent. The tour does not include food or drinks beyond lunch, so carry cash or a card for any extras at the villages.

What’s included

• Guide accompaniment throughout the day.
• transportation in a Toyota 4x4 to and from the boarding point.
• speedboat passage on the Preguiças River.
• lunch at a Caburé Beach restaurant.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:20

Book up to4h before

GroupUp to 20

Live guidePortuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by RJ TOP TOUR EXPERIENCE

Is this one for you?The tour runs a fixed schedule departing at 8:20 AM and returning around 3:30 PM, so it fits neatly into a single morning and early afternoon. You'll spend roughly 40 minutes each way on the speedboat and have time to swim, climb the lighthouse, and explore the villages without rushing.

Top questions

What are the Macaco Prego monkeys like at Vassouras?

Macaco Prego monkeys are playful and used to visitors at Vassouras. They gather in the deep lagoons that form during the rainy season, and you can swim alongside them or watch from the shore depending on water levels.

Can I climb the Preguiças Lighthouse?

Yes, the Preguiças Lighthouse in Mandacaru is open to climb. It gives you a panoramic view across the river delta, mangroves and sand dunes toward the coast.

What is Caburé Beach like?

Caburé Beach is a sandy peninsula bordered by the Preguiças River on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. You have time to walk the sand, wade in the shallows, and eat lunch at one of the beachside restaurants before the return trip.

How long is the boat ride to Vassouras?

The speedboat ride from the boarding point to Vassouras takes about 40 minutes, traveling through the river's calm waters and mangrove surroundings.

What time does the tour return?

The return journey usually starts around 2:30 PM from Caburé Beach and arrives back at the boarding point around 3:30 PM, making the full tour roughly 6.5 hours from departure.