Rio de Janeiro
With 14 million inhabitants, Rio de Janeiro – which means January River – is the second largest city in Brazil (São Paulo is the largest). And when you say Rio, you say beach and carnival. Everyone knows the famous beaches of Rio de Janeiro and the images of the colorful procession. However, Rio has more to offer than these beaches, which are often quite busy. So here are some tips to do!
The beaches of Rio de Janeiro
Of course, the bar is set quite high when you go to Copacabana, because the name of this world-famous beach alone creates high expectations. And the beach is great, the beach is very beautiful and the view is fantastic. But Rio de Janeiro has a few beautiful beaches that are neatly arranged: next to Copacabana are Ipanema and Leblon. Copacabana is the cheapest (and also the busiest), Leblon the most expensive. And by expensive I mean the hotels and restaurants that you will find there. The only thing that the beaches of Rio lack is a pleasant boulevard with shops. There is a busy street along the beaches, but that cosiness as you have at the beach in the south of Spain, for example, you don’t have that here.
Rio has everything: tips about things to do
What is so special about Rio de Janeiro is that you have everything in one city: you have wonderful beaches, the mountains are nearby, you will find an impressive botanical garden in the middle of the city and the largest ‘urban’ forest area in the world and then there is also a vibrant nightlife. It’s hard to list something you can’t find in Rio.
Of course the city is not equally beautiful in all places: there are very beautiful, clean places, but of course parts of the city are also quite dilapidated. But with that Brazilian charm, it doesn’t really matter that much. If you also go to Rio de Janeiro, you should not miss these hotspots!
- Escadaria Selarón: it is the most famous staircase in the city, known for its cheerful colors. Of course you want to take a selfie here! And if you go looking for the Escadaria Selarón, you will end up in the Lapa district and you don’t want to miss it. Especially in the evening it is one big party here. The Brazilians come here to party and especially to dance. Just on the street, drinks and music and you have a great evening.
- Sugarloaf Mountain: of course this is a tourist spot and on top of Sugarloaf Mountain it will be very busy, but you really don’t want to miss the cable car ride there. The view over the city is phenomenal!
- Corcovado and Cristo Redentor: The Corcovado is that other famous mountain in Rio de Janeiro and Cristo Redentor is the world famous statue of Christ standing on top. And yes, this is also quite a touristic place, once you have arrived at the Christ statue you can literally walk over the people, but you can’t leave Rio without having seen this. The train journey there is especially special: the ride with the train takes about fifteen minutes and that is already so special (especially the view) that you do not want to miss it.
- Jardim Botânico: This is the botanic garden in Rio and here you will see trees and plants that you have never seen before and you will find about 600 different orgiids. From the Copacabana you can walk there, which takes half an hour or you can take the bus. Allow a morning for it and go early as it is a popular spot.
- Floresta da Tijuca: it is the largest forest in urban area. Floresta da Tijuca (Brazil’s most popular national park) is located a bit on the outskirts of the city and is a lovely place to enjoy waterfalls and the tranquility of nature around you. Must do: bring picnic gear and have lunch here in the grass. Jardim Botânico is also nearby.
