Paddling near São João de Meriti, Rio de Janeiro

São João de Meriti sits in the Baixada Fluminense, a densely urbanized stretch of metropolitan Rio de Janeiro. The Rio São João do Meriti runs through the municipality, though paddlers in the region typically look to the lagoons along the coast and the waters around Guanabara Bay — including spots accessible from Urca — for kayaking, canoeing, and SUP.