Rio de Janeiro is a city whose reputation precedes it, and the city does not disappoint! Its setting is spectacular, with 37 white sand beaches backed by lush green peaks, and the energy is immense, with a lively arts and music scene including the world-famous carnaval and its lavish celebration of samba. It is not difficult to see how the cariocas (as the local residents are called) say that “God made the world in six days; the seventh he devoted to Rio”!
For many visitors to Rio a visit to the beach is one of the highlights, and Ipanema and Leblon are two of the most attractive. Many of the ocean front hotels have their own reserved spaces on the beaches with attendants on hand to provide towels and refreshments. Perhaps Rio’s most well-known landmark is the statue Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) which rises 38 metres above Corcovado Mountain and offers spectacular views of the city and surroundings. During a full day guided tour there will be the opportunity to visit Corcovado, explore the last few remnants of Atlantic cloud forest close to Rio in Tijuca National Park, eat lunch at one of Rio’s most famous churrascarias or carveries (alternative options for vegetarians available!) and explore the city’s Jardim Botanico (Botanical Garden). The Garden is one of the ten most important of its kind in the world and contains palm trees dating from the Garden’s foundation in 1808, greenhouses, orchid rooms, rose gardens and a water lily-filled pond.
A visit to Paão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) is a must on any itinerary. Two cable cars ascend first to Morro da Urca at 220m. The second cable car then climbs to the top of Pão de Açúcar at 396m with spectacular views on a clear day of Corcovado Mountain and Copacabana Beach.
A guided visit of Rio’s historical centre can be included in a Sugar Loaf tour. This visit gives an overview of colonial, imperial and Republican Rio with stops at Sao Bento Monastery, the neoclassic Church of the Candelaria, the Imperial Palace and Palacio Tiradentes –the state deputies assembly. The historical centre tour also includes stops at the Opera House, National Library (the largest in Latin America) and the Fine Arts Museum.
There is also another side to Rio, away from the glitzy beachfront hotels and vibrant nightlife –the favelas. Rio’s slums spread up the sides of the cities hills and are controlled by drug gangs. For years they have been seen as no-go areas for visitors but tours are now possible to Rocinha, Rio’s largest favela, where community projects (including the Instituto Rumo Certo that works with street children) can be visited and a glimpse gained of the other side of life in Rio.
The imperial city of Petropolis, once home to Brazil’s royal family, makes an interesting optional side trip and an opportunity to escape from the heat of the city if it becomes too great.