Soft ground generates concerns in engineering projects due to its high compressibility and low strength. These types of soils have been the subject of research in soil mechanics, especially on the Brazilian coast, requiring continuous investigations for better understand its behavior. In this context, this work presents the characterization of a soft clay deposit in Guaratiba, west of Rio de Janeiro city. Samples were collected from an area where it would celebrate the Mass of World Youth Day – WYD, called Campus Fidei. The characterization involved field and laboratory tests: SPT, CPTu, Vane test, conventional density and drained and undrained triaxial tests, in addition to the physical-chemical characterization. The results enabled the determination of some properties considered fundamentals to understanding the behavior of these soils, such as undrained shear strength, over consolidation ratio of deposits and consolidation coefficients. The found geotechnical parameters are consistent with the literature values with respect to the soft soils of the region.