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Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide: Reviews, photos, & videos
Clinging to the sandy shoreline of the Atlantic, Rio de Janeiro has become synonymous with its beaches—the chock-a-sunblock Copacabana, with its walkways of black and white swirly mosaics, and Ipanema, where the girls—and boys—are tall and tan and young and lovely. And then, of course, there is Carnival. The four-day celebration kicks off on the Saturday before the first day of Lent (or 50 days before Easter) as a headdress-wearing, samba-filled goodbye to bodily pleasures, before the more somber month of Lent sets in. With a metropolitan population of close to 12 million, Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil, after the capital of São Paulo. Watching over this giant city is the equally giant statue Christ the Redeemer, his arms stretched out in a full-on embrace of the city from the top of Corcovado Mountain.
Take the cable car to the top of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain), the distinctive, dome-shaped mountain northeast of Copacabana, for the most spectacular view of the city. Catch a match at Maracanã stadium, one of the largest soccer stadiums in the world with a seating capacity of 100,000, where stars like Pelé and Ronaldinho have dribbled their way into Brazilian hearts. Explore the enormous Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca (White Stone State Park) and Floresta da Tijuca (Tijuca Forest), the world’s two largest forests within an urban area. Dance the night away at one of Leblon's chic clubs, or spend the evening at a traditional botequin—a Brazilian beer hall. Learn to mix a proper caipirinha—lime, sugar, ice and cachaça—by a friendly bartender in the club-dense neighborhoods of São Cristóvão and Lapa.
