WHAT TO SEE |
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CRIST STATUE. Recently elected one of the new seven wonders of the world, the Statue of Christ is Rio’s most visited monument. The Christ is situated at 710 meters above sea level on the top of Corcovado mountain and enjoyes a 360-degree view of the city. To reach the top of the mountain you can take a cog train that leaves every 30 minutes from the station on Rua Cosme Velho. The 15 minutes ride takes yout through the tropical forest. When you reach the final stop at Corcovado Mountain station you can choose in between taking an elevator and escalator system or climb the 220 steps to reach the base of Christ Redeemer Statue. SUGAR LOAF. To enjoy the spectacular views over the city and bays get up early in the morning or take a tour that takes you first to the Christ and then after to the Sugar Loaf Mountain. This huge cone shaped rock stands 395 meters above the sea. You reach the summit by taking a 2 stage cable car that leaves from Praia Vermelha approximately every 20 minutes and makes its first stop at Morro da Urca, a smaller mountain standing above the world famous Sugar Loaf. In addition to the views at Urca you can enjoy a nice paved nature trail thta is worth walking while observing the tropical vegetation. The second stage is to reach the top of the Sugar Loaf Mountain itself. From there, you will have the most fantastic views of Rio, second only to those from the top of Corcovado Mountain. You can walk to several different levels for a variety of scenic vantage points before taking the cable car back to Praia Vermelha.
THE WORLD FAMOUS BEACHES. The most well known beaches of Rio de Janeiro are with no doubt Copacabana and Ipanema. These two beaches are located in the most popular tourist areas, and are adjacent to neighborhoods of the same name, where a large number of hotels, hostels, guesthouses and rental apartments can be found. The beaches of Rio de Janeiro are segmented by Postos (life guard stations). These Postos are the most common landmarks on the beach, and serve as a meeting points for both locals and tourists. Each Posto has its own reputation depending on the kind of people who hang out there. Posto 9 is one of the most popular parts of the beach and there you will find groups of young and beautiful people enjoying the beach life. Posto 8 on the other hand enjoys the popularity of the gays. The Copacabana beach itself is quite wide in places and much more flat than in neighboring Ipanema Beach. The sandy beach of Ipanema is bordered at one end by Arpoador beach and on the other end by Leblon beach. The beach is more narrow here and the water is pretty rough, which makes it to be a good option for surfers. Ipanema beach has fast become the most popular beach in Rio de Janeiro and gets very crowded during the weekends and summer season. THE HISTORIC CENTER. The historic spots of Rio de Janeiro can be found from the Center, which is easily reached by bus, taxi or by metro from Copacabana. It´s recommendable to visit the center from Monday to Friday during the day time, when the streets are crowded. Late evening the center gets deserted and wondering in the streets can turn out to be dangerous. Here you will find baroque churches, museums and colonial era buildings. We recommend you to visit the church of Nossa Senhora da Candelaria, the Monastery of Sao Bento, the Imperial Palace and museums of National History and Fine Arts. LAPA is an another district full of history, located directly behind the city center and is associated with its famous aqueduct (Arcos da Lapa). At Lapa you will find a large number of bars and nightclubs located at refurbished buildings respecting the colonial style. Lapa should be visited at the night time and lovers of the traditional brazilian music such as traditional samba, forró and choro, will find a wide range of options, many of them with live music. Most of the bars and night clubs also offer an option to have a dinner while you are enjoying the music. We recommend you to take a taxi to Lapa (its not recommendable to take a metro and walk from the station all the way to Lapa even though the distance is not long) and enjoy bar hopping in this charmed area. Walking in the grouded streets of Lapa is not unsafe. SANTA TERESA is a charming neighborhood with one of the most beautiful views over the city. Its the bohemian part of Rio, located up hill and can be reached either by taxi or by "bonde" (an old fashioned tram). The tram station can be found from the center of Rio, close to the Arcos da Lapa. The ride itself is an experience and we strongly recommend it even if you may have to queue fro a while. The neighborhood is home for several artists and full of old mansions converted to hotels and restaurants. We recommend you to visit Santa Teresa early morning, enjoy a delicious lunch in one of the lovely restaurants, which often have live music during the peak hours. MARACANA. In addition to the most famous attractions Rio has another interesting sites to offer such. The world´s biggest football stadium Maracaña is located in Rio de Janeiro and represents the glory days of Brazil as only country that has been world champion for five this. A visit to Maracaña is must for lovers of this national sports and an interesting experience even if you would not be a fanatic football fan. At the stadium you will experience how the brazilians share their passion for football. The stadium will also host the final of 2014 World Champion. BOTANICAL GARDEN. Rio de Janeiro has also an over 200 years old Botanical Garden, one of the ten most important botanical gardens in the world, also defined by UNESCO as one of the reserves of biosphere. There you will find thousands of varieties of tropical plants and trees, majestic royal palms, Japanese gardens, Amazon section and the Orchid house.
TIJUCA RAINFOREST. Rio de Janeiro has also a lot to offer for travellers seeking for active holiday. It offers and opportunity to mixture urban city life with the world´s largest urban rainforest area Tijuca. This area is situated at the North Zone, just a short drive from the financial center. This forest is a privileged place where nature and culture harmonize and complement each other. It covers 3,200 hectares and is home for Home to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife, found only in the Atlantic Rainforest. Tijuca rainforest is an excellent destination for hiking and includes attractions such as the Cascatinha Waterfallll, the Mayrink Chapel, the Excelsior Lookout Point and the Paul and Virginia Grotto. FAVELA. Almost one third of Rios inhabitants live in the nearly 500 slum favellas that are spread around the city. Immortalized for the drug-fuelled violence in films such as City of God, the favellas can be a dangerous and risky place to visit on your own. However nowadays you can find a tours created for travellers who want to visit favelas and see how see how these people live. These tours are a safe and an excellent way to see these areas, learn many facts about the life in Rio and understand the social system in Brazil. OTHER INTERESTING THINGS TO DISCOVER On the east end of Copacabana you will find the Leme Beach, which ends with the Leme Moutain (115m). Hike up hill the mountain and enjoy an another wondeful view over Rio de Janeiro. On the west end of Copacabana Beach, you will find the 1914 Fort of Copacabana dating from 1914. Its a great place to walk out to over look the sea, take photos and enjoy a cup of coffee with local delicacies at the Confeitaria Colombo. |
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