For a taste of Niterói [1]’s history (and more spectacular views), hop the 33 bus (or take a 15-minute cab ride) to Jurujuba to admire the Fortaleza de Santa Cruz (Estrada General Eurico Gaspar Dutra, tel. 21/2711-0462, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily, R$4). Erected in 1555 out of granite and whale oil, this was the first fortress to be built overlooking the Baía de Guanabara.
The fortified complex shelters the early-17th-century Capela de Santa Bárbara as well as a sun clock, a prison, and a firing wall still riddled with bullet holes.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/brazil/rio-de-janeiro/near-rio-de-janeiro-city/niteroi