FRIO, CAPE

Portuguese Cabo Frio, promontory on Brazil's southeast Atlantic coast, Rio de Janeiro state, 70 mi (113 km) east of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Discovered in 1503 by Amerigo Vespucci, the cape became a 16th-century pirate stronghold and now is the site of the towns of Cabo Frio and Arraial do Cabo. The cape attracts tourists for its good weather and the nearby So Mateus Fort, built by the French.