Take a Holiday in Brazil’s Top Tourist Destination- Rio de Janeiro

SugarRio
Photo courtesy: riodejaneiro.com

Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil, located along the South Atlantic Coast and was once the capital of Brazil. This sea side city is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere, widely popular for its remarkable beaches, breathtaking landscape, Christ the Redeemer statue and the nearby Sugarloaf Mountain. Rio was founded in mid fifteenth century by the Portuguese and around that time Rio’s port was famous for the shipment of gold from the nearby inland mining areas.

Brazil was ruled by Portuguese kings as an absolute monarchy until 1822, once Brazil became independent in the same year, the monarchy was terminated and never restored, today Brazil is a Republic.

The first thing that is likely to pop up in anyone’s mind when they hear of Rio de Janeiro is the statue of Christ the Redeemer that lies atop mount Corcovado, the statue is often widely used by many to promote tourism in Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro boasts of having some of the best crescent beaches which offer laidback beach culture of Brazil to global tourists. Besides natural settings and beaches Rio is also popular for its annual carnival, a party that lasts for almost two weeks with samba schools that parade in Centro (city center) on a gigantic structure called Sambadromo.

On the downside Rio is known for its violence, crime, drug-lords and slums or favelas. The main problem seems to be crime which includes robbing, kidnapping and gang violence. From the point of view of tourism Rio is safe for foreign tourists, however our advice is in the nights always travel in groups as nights are considered little risky to venture alone in a city like Rio.

Rio has some of the best modes of public transportation such as Buses, metros (subways), mini buses and ferries and since Rio is a cosmopolitan city getting around in the city by public transport is very cheap. The quickest and cheapest way of getting around the city is using the Metro / subway, use Metro Line 1 to head north of Rio from downtown covering Maracana and Quinta da Boa Vista and use Metro Line 2 to head south covering Gloria, Catete, Flamingo and Botafogo. Another option for you to discover Rio is by renting a bike from Rio’s most popular mobile app- Bike Rio, this is an app only booking which allows you to rent one for as low as R$5, this is the most adventurous way to sightsee the city which boasts of having dedicated bike lanes for bikers.

Bucket list of things to do in Rio de Janeiro

#1 Take a cog train to get a close-up of Rio’s top attraction- Christ the Redeemer, during the train ride lookout for scenic views of the surrounding landscape until you reach the top of the Corcovado Mountain where the statue is located.

#2 A beach adventure is our top pick for your relaxation and water sport activities, Rio’s beaches are remarkable and vibrant with white sands, pristine waters and warm sun. The main beaches are found bewteen Leme and Barra regions, expect to do kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling and surfing on these world-class beaches which are located in serene locations. Our top recommendations are 1) Copacabana Beach 2) Ipanema Beach and 3) Barra da Tijuca Beach 4) Prainha Beach and 5) Praia Vermelha.

#3 Get panoramic views of Rio’s landscape and attractions by taking a helicopter ride over the city to get a bird’s eye view from the helicopter and don’t forget to take snapshots of the scenic views that you behold from atop.

#4 Try Hang gliding or paragliding, Rio is ideal for these sports because of its up hills and favorable winds.

#5 Take a hike to Sugarloaf, it will take a cool 40 – 45 minutes time to complete this hike. Start the hike at Pista Claudio Coutinho in Urca, the first 20 minutes of the trek will be a bit steep as you ascend the hill and once you reach Morro da Urca you can get breath taking views of Urca and Guanabara Bay, from here you can take a cable car to reach the summit of Sugarloaf.

#6 If you are in Rio during New Years Eve just make your way to the Copacabana Beach to witness the marvelous display of fireworks in the sky in the midnight, this is a special New Years attraction that takes places every year around this time.

#7 Samba is the national rhythm of Brazil. You can learn samba from a selection of samba schools: Manguiera, Salguiero and Academicos da Rocinha that are easily accessible within the city.

#8 When it comes to music Rio is the birthplace for three of Brazil’s genre of music: samba, choro and bossa nova. Just hop into one of the nightclubs in Rio to experience these hard to find genres of music.

If you have more time then consider sightseeing 1) Tijuca National Park for flora and fauna, 2) Maracana (Rio’s largest Soccer stadium), 3) Sao Bento and 4) Quenta da Boa Vista which houses the famous National Museum, gardens, lakes and caves.

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