Praia do Forno

One of the most visited beaches in Arraial do Cabo, Praia do Forno is home to a wide variety of fish, and you can spot plenty of turtles there. The cove is sheltered and its water is warmer on average, around 22 °C, than the ocean-exposed areas of Arraial, where upwelling occurs.

In 2019, the fire hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis, the coral Siderastrea stellata and the zoanthids Palythoa caribaeorum and Zoanthus sp. were identified at the beach, with Palythoa the most abundant. The coral Mussismilia hispida has also been recorded in the same area. During the 2019 heatwave, Millepora alcicornis and Palythoa caribaeorum bleached, especially in May, while Siderastrea stellata and Zoanthus did not. Arraial do Cabo is the southern limit of occurrence for several coral species of the Brazilian coast. At Ponta d'Água, next to the beach, there is a large amount of the sponge Aplysina.