Rio de Janeiro

Understand

It is a common mistake to think of Rio as Brazil's capital, a distinction it lost on April 21, 1960 when the national government officially moved to Brasilia. Beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema, the Christ The Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) statue, the stadium of Maracanã and Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar) are all well-known sights of what the inhabitants call the "marvelous city" (cidade maravilhosa), and are also among the first images to pop up in travelers´ minds, along with the Carnaval celebration. The South Zone holds most of Rio's landmarks and world-famous beaches, in an area of only 43.87 square kilometres (16.94 sq mi). Many of them are within walking distance of each other (for instance, the Sugarloaf lies about 8 km (5.0 mi) from Copacabana beach). Most hotels and hostels are located in this part of the city, which is compressed between the Tijuca Range (Maciço da Tijuca) and the sea. There are important places in other regions as well, such as Maracanã stadium in the North Zone and the many fascinating buildings in the centre. Sadly, most people also know Rio for its violence and crime, especially related to drugs. And social problems, as slums or favelas, areas of poor-quality housing and living; these slums are usually located on the city's many mountain slopes, juxtaposed with middle-class neighbourhoods.

History

Rio was founded in 1565 by the Portuguese as a fortification against French privateers who trafficked wood and goods from Brazil. Piracy played a major role in the city's history, and there are still colonial fortresses to be visited (check below). The Portuguese fought the French for nearly 10 years, both sides having rival native tribes as allies. For the next two centuries it was an unimportant outpost of the Portuguese Empire, until gold, diamonds, and ore were found in Minas Gerais in 1720. Then, as the nearest port, Rio became the port for these minerals and replaced Salvador as the main city in the colony in 1763. When Napoleon invaded Portugal, the Royal Family moved to Brazil and made Rio capital of the Kingdom (so it was the only city outside Europe to be capital of a European country). When Brazil became independent in 1822, it adopted Monarchy as its form of government (with Emperors Pedro I and Pedro II). Many historians and Brazilians from other places say cariocas are nostalgic of the Royal and Imperial times, which is reflected in many place names and shop names. In 2009, the city won their bid to host the games of the XXXI Olympics in the summer of 2016. This was the fifth bid by the city, whose 1936, 19

Getting there

Rio is one of the country's major transportation hubs, second only to São Paulo.

By plane Metropolitan area airport code for the two airports of the city is unsurprisingly RIO IATA.

International and most domestic flights land at 1 Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG IATA Galeão International Airport), Av. Vinte de Janeiro, s/n° - Galeão, Ilha do Governador (20 km (12 mi) north from the city centre and main hotels), ☏ +55 21 3398-5050, fax: +55 21 3393-2288. While you can sometimes zoom through Immigration and Customs, be prepared for a long wait. Brazilians travel with lots of baggage and long queues can form at Customs, which are usually hopelessly understaffed. 2 Santos Dumont Airport (SDU IATA), Praça Senador Salgado Filho, s/n - Centro (east of the city centre, by the Guanabara bay.), ☏ +55 21 3814-7070, fax: +55 21 2533-2218. Gets flights only from São Paulo and some of Brazil's largest cities such as Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre and Salvador, as well as the capital Brasilia. Airlines that service Santos Dumont include: GOL, LATAM, Azul and Avianca. Don't rush off without taking a look inside the original terminal building - a fine example of Brazilian modernist architecture. If the flight connections to Rio don't suit you, you can check flights to the airports of São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Campinas or Vitoria. From there you can take an intercity bus to Rio.

Public transport from the airports of Rio From Galeão (GIG) two bus lines operated by Real depart from right outside the arrival section. Buses are air-conditioned and comfy, with ample luggage space. They run roughly every 30 minutes from 5:30AM to 10PM.

Bus line 2018 Aeroporto Internacional do RJ/Alvorada (Via Orla da Zona Sul) runs between both airports, the main bus terminal and further along the beachfront of Botafogo, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, and has its terminus at the Alvorada terminal near Barra Shopping in Barra da Tijuca. The full run takes at least 60 minutes, often double that. Tickets are R$16 (Dec 2016). Bus line 2918 Aeroporto Internacional do RJ/Alvorada (Via Linha Amarela) runs to the Alvorada bus terminal, via Jacarapaguá (the best spot for taxis) from Galeão airport along the Linha Amarela in as little as 35 minutes, traffic allowing. For a slightly cheaper option, go ahead as follows. From the airport, take BRT (Bus Rapid Transport System) (R$4.70, RioCard needed, but can be used on Metro as well) to Vicente de Carvalho and transfer to the metro. The BRT does not go into the center, but north around Rio towards Alvorada Bus Terminal

Getting around

Rio de Janeiro possesses an extensive and complex, highly multi-modal public transportation system, adapted to the city's unique topography – large areas covered by mountains surrounded by pockets of densely populated flat lands. Among the public transportation modes, there is subway, heavy rail, light rail, bus rapid transit, local buses, microbuses, cable cars and ferry boats. The city uses a prepaid transport SmartCard, the RioCard Bilhete Único Carioca, which costs as much as a single ride (R$4,70) and gives access to nearly all available public transportation (mostly excluding tourist rides), also offering discounts if the user takes more than one transportation within a 2-hr time period and stays within the Rio de Janeiro municipality. Cards can be returned with getting the money on it back. This can be a good way to get cash off credit cards that have a minimum cash withdrawal of like US$40, but in case you only need another R$40 before leaving the country. Unfortunately, the RioCard cannot be returned at the airport or at most stations. It can only be returned at a RioCard store which only exist in certain major stations. It is very convenient to get a Bilhete Único if you plan to use public transport on a regular basis during your stay in Rio, as it saves you the hassle of constantly figuring out which type of integration ticket to buy. If you stick to subway, heavy rail, bus rapid transit and local buses (not including executive buses), a public transport trip using the Bilhete Único shall cost between US$1–2.

By boat Ferry boats depart from 6 Praça XV. Station (Estação das Barcas), Praça Quinze de Novembro. The city ferry network include: Eight stations (Praça XV, Praça Arariboia, Charitas, Paquetá, Cocotá, Ilha Grande, Mangaratiba, Angra dos Reis). - Six lines are: Praça XV - Praça Arariboia (20 min., R$ 4,80); Praça XV - Charitas (20 min, R$13); Praça XV - Paquetá (50-70 min, R$4,80); Praça XV - Cocotá (55 min, R$4,80); Ilha Grande - Mangaratiba (80 min, R$14); Ilha Grande - Angra dos Reis (80 min, R$14)

By light rail/tram Santa Teresa Tram, Centro Corcovado Rack Railway, Zona Sul VLT ("Veículo Leve sobre Trilhos", Portuguese for "light rail vehicle"). connects Rodoviária Novo Rio, Santos Dumont Airport, Praça XV ferry station, Central do Brasil train station, and a couple of subway stations. Can only be paid with a Bilhete Único card (each person must have a separate card), which can be bought in any stop but not within the vehicle. The ticket must be validated immediately after entering the vehicle, otherwise a R$170 fine will be l

See

Sights

Corcovado, the 710 m (2,330 ft) granite peak located in the Tijuca Forest in central Rio is known worldwide for the Cristo Redentor statue. The funicular train up to Cristo Redentor is definitely worth the view. The queue for the train, in Cosme Velho, can get rather long though. There's also a hiking trail that begins at Parque Lage and gets there (see Hiking and Trekking on the 'Do' section below). Pão de Açúcar, the Sugarloaf Mountain (one taller, the other shorter), Brazil's top landmark, with a two-stage aerial tramway to the top; a definite must-see. There is also an unsigned trail leading to the second station. Do not make the mistake of thinking you have seen enough once you have seen the view from Cristo Redentor. Try Sugarloaf at sunset for a truly mind-blowing experience. Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas is a large lagoon in the middle of South Zone, with great views to Corcovado and Ipanema and Leblon beaches; you can jog or cycle all the way round; there are skating areas and you can hire little pedal-operated boats. Maracanã the largest football stadium in South America and once the largest on Earth. It is in a state of disrepair following the Summer 2016 Olympics, and daily tours have been suspended. There is also a Soccer Museum inside it. Streetcar of Santa Teresa, Brazil's only remaining metropolitan heritage streetcar.

Jardim Botânico, the Botanical Garden, planted in the 1800s. It is both a park and a scientific laboratory contains a huge collection of plants from all over the world, not only tropical ones. Parque Lage a small park containing some interesting plants and wildlife as well as strange concrete structures that will entertain the kids. The park is the beginning of a hiking trail Corcovado, through sub-tropical rain forest. Parque do Flamengo, also known as Aterro do Flamengo is along the bay between Flamengo and Glória. 1.2 million square metres with broad walkways, Flamengo Beach, various monuments, and over 10,000 trees.

Buildings Paço Imperial is the former imperial palace (though impressively modest), colonial architecture, in downtown, next to aça XV. Casa França Brasil (1820) is the French cultural centre, with gallery and video hall (in downtown, next to CCBB). Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB) (1906) is a cultural centre with gallery, movie theater, video room, library and stages; usually hosts the main exhibitions in town (in downtown). An interesting building with old-fashioned elevators/lifts. Candelária Church is a neoclassic cathedral next to CCBB in downtown. Mosteiro de São Bento (Saint Benedict's

Do

Carnaval

Still the greatest reason for visiting Rio seems to be the Carnaval. This highly advertised party lasts for almost two weeks and it is well known for the escolas de samba (samba schools) that parade in Centro, on a gigantic structure called Sambódromo (Sambadrome). During Carnaval, Rio has much more to offer though, with the blocos de rua, that parade on the streets. There are now hundreds of these street "samba blocks", that parade almost in every neighborhood, especially in Centro and the South Zone, gathering thousands of people. Some are very famous, and there are few cariocas that have not heard of "Carmelitas", "Suvaco de Cristo", "Escravos da Mauá" or "Simpatia É Quase Amor". The rest of the year, samba shows are popular with tourists, and are held at several venues like Plataforma and Scala. These are expensive and not really representative of Brazilian culture, they present a lot of almost naked women and bad musicians, a tourist trap (much like the real thing.) Much more interesting and genuine, though, are the night practice sessions held by the various samba schools in the months leading up to Carnaval. You will find only a small number of tourists here, and you will be served the best caipirinhas of your trip! These go on into the wee hours of the morning, with the fun really only starting at 01:00-02:00. A good cab driver should be able to hook you up, and cabs will be available to take you back when you are samba-ed out. Salgueiro and Mangueira are good choices, as they are two of the larger samba schools, and are located relatively close to the tourist areas in a fairly safe area. A change is afoot that may make this genuine experience a thing of the past (or more convenient, depending on your viewpoint) for all but the most savvy tourists. The local government built a complex of buildings, the Cidade do Samba, where many of the samba schools moved their practice halls and float-construction facilities from the gritty warehouses typically located in or near their home favelas. One can expect many more tourists, and shows made-up for the tourists as the tourist bureau milks this facility for all it's worth year-round. Here is a list of some of the samba schools:

Mangueira, Rua Visconde de Niterói, 1072, Mangueira, ☏ +55 21 3872-6786, fax: +55 21 2567-4637, [email protected]. Rehearsals every Saturday, 22:00. Salgueiro, Rua Silva Teles, 104, Andaraí, ☏ +55 21 2238-9258, [email protected]. Rehearsals every Wednesday, 20:00. Acadêmicos da Rocinha.

Music Rio was the cradle of three of Brazil's most importa

Buy

When shopping in street commerce, always bargain; this can lower prices considerably. Bargaining in stores and malls, though, is not welcome. But naturally merchants won't bargain unless you ask, especially if you are clearly a tourist. To tourists, items can easily be overpriced by a factor of 20% especially in highly informal markets such as Saara or on the beach. For trinkets, your best bet is the "hippie fair" in Praça General Osório in Ipanema every Sunday. Great bargains can be had on Brazilian-made clothing, as well as some European imports. Most imported items, however, such as electronics, tend to be insanely expensive due to protective import duties. For example, you will find digital cameras sell for about twice what they sell for in Europe or the U.S. Store managers in Rio often speak some English, as this gains employees an almost-automatic promotion. But "some" can be very little, so it is useful to learn at least some very basic Portuguese. Just knowing basic greetings, numbers, and how to ask directions and prices will get you at least a "B" for effort, and despite finding that store clerks may know more English than you Portuguese, it can still come in handy to know a bit of the language. Don't be afraid to resort to writing numbers, pictures, or resorting to pantomime. Shop assistants will often tap out prices for you on a calculator. Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted in Brazil, with American Express to a slightly lower degree but this have been improving. A great choice of gift, since they do not take much space in the suitcase back home, are bikinis, a trademark from Rio for its quality and fashion style. Shopping malls can be found all over town, with the cheaper ones in the Zona Norte like Shopping Tijuca and Shopping Iguatemi and popular upscale shopping malls concentrated in the Zona Sul like Shopping Rio Sul and Shopping Leblon and São Conrado Fashion Mall and BarraShopping in Zona Oeste. Organic food: Organic food arrived in the Brazilian supermarkets but if you want to support local small scale farmers you might consider the following fairs of Circuito Feiras Organicas Carioca:

Tuesday: Ipanema, Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz, from 07:00 to 13:00 Thursday: Tijuca, Praça Afonso Pena, from 07:00 to 13:00 Leblon, Praça Antero de Quental, from 07:00 to 13:00 Saturday: Bairro Peixoto, Praça Edmundo Bittencourt, from 08:00 to 13:00 Glória, Rua do Russel, from 07:00 to 13:00 Jardim Botânico, Praça da Igreja São José da Lagoa, from 07:00 to 13:00

Eat

In Rio de Janeiro you can probably find something to fit any craving. A good approach to local food is "comida a kilo" – buffet style restaurants where you pay by the weight of the food on your plate. Don't miss the most famous Brazilian dish, feijoada (fay-zho-AH-da), a black bean stew filled with big chunks of meat, like sausage, pork and beef. Along with the "feijoada", you also get some colorful side dishes that come with it, such as rice, cassava (roasted manioc), collard greens, fried pork rinds, and some orange slices, to sweeten things up a bit. This is bonafide, authentic carioca culinary excellence, almost worth the trip alone! Best while sipping down a "caipirinha". For the hungry, nothing beats a good rodízio (all-you-can-eat service). These are available in numerous types, although the most well-known are the churrascaria, all-you-can-eat grilled meats. At various restaurants around town, you can also find rodízio style dining featuring seafood, pizza, or various appetizer-style snacks. The defining element of rodízio is that unlike an all-you-can-eat buffet, the servers continuously bring skewers of various meats. If you like meat but want an alternative to the rodizios, a good place to eat at is Filé de Ouro (Rua Jardim Botânico, 731, Jardim Botânico; ☏ +55 21 2259-2396; see Google Maps for directions). The place is simple and cozy. During the weekends there are usually big lines, but the steak is delicious. Try "Filé à Oswaldo Aranha", with toasted garlic. Brazil has the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan, and sushi has become widely popular in Rio too. If you are a sashimi and sushi lover, you will find a great deal of options in Rio de Janeiro. As a former ex Portugal colony, Brasil has maintained many influences of this country on its culinary. Therefore, you will find great authentic Portuguese restaurants in Rio. Because its huge coast, many Brazilian specialties are in the seafood area. They are very rich in shrimps, lobster, calamaris, shellfish, clams, mollusks and many other tasty fishes. So, once in this land, don't miss the opportunity to order those lovely dishes. Travellers with fatter pockets may also splash out a bit at the Dias Ferreira street in Leblon, Rio's up-and-coming restaurant row. There are many places to get pizza and lots of restaurants also offer pasta. Rio is also famous for its pastries and street food, heritage from Portuguese and old European culture. In most cafeterias (lanchonete; lun-sho-NETCH) you can have a pastel (pahs-TELL) or salgado (saw-GAH-do; local pastry). Typical pastries are cox

Drink & nightlife

What Botequim (pronounced 'boo-chi-KEEN') also well known as boteco. These unpretentious bars with simple appetizers and lots of ice-cold chope (draft beer) are everywhere and are almost inseparable from the carioca lifestyle. Try Bracarense (85, José Linhares street, Leblon), one of the most traditional. Juice bars - Of particular note for an often hot and muggy city are the refreshing juice bars, found on nearly every corner in the city. Choose from dozens of freshly squeezed fruit juices - mix two or three fruits together or simply try the freshly squeezed orange juice. For a delicious Brazilian special try the açaí, a smoothie made from a deep purple fruit from the Amazon. Caipirinha, a drink made of cachaça (a Brazilian liquor made of sugarcane juice), lime, sugar and ice cubes.

Where Kiosks along the boardwalk at Copacabana and Ipanema beach stay open all night. Devassa, which has nine locations in Rio, serves well-crafted microbrews, a tropical take of English ale styles. Neighborhoods:

Lapa - A good bet for Thursdays, several bars and clubs, but the party is in the street. There you will find people dancing and playing Samba, Choro (soft rhythm with flutes and mandolin), Reggae and Hip Hop, as well as ballroom dancing (gafieira), but no Rock (except for some underground, which doesn't happen often or in the same place, but usually in some less known places of Lapa) or Pop music. While drinks are sold in the bars and clubs, vendors also roam the streets wearing coolers full of beer for even cheaper prices. It can also be a very exciting and packed place on Friday and Saturday nights. Be sure not to bring valuables, as there are a lot of pick-pockets operating in the area. Don't take it for the neighborhood with the same name in São Paulo, which is totally different.

Samba clubs Being in Rio and not going to one of the countless samba live music bars, certainly you've missed a lot on your trip. In Lapa, the nightlife district of Rio, there are many nice bars with great atmosphere where locals go for dancing and meeting people. There are a couple of them in the Zona Sul as well. Most of these bars work with a kind of consumption card, which is handed to you when you enter. Everything you consume is marked on this card, and losing it means you'll have to pay a really high fee! So take good care of it.

Clubbing For those who like to go clubbing, Rio has some good options. You'll be seeing lots of flyers and talk about "raves" Usually Rio's raves are devoted to trance, which is pretty popular, especially with the upper-class youngsters, tho

Sleep

In the Zona Sul, you will find Rio's fanciest and most popular hotels along the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, but there are lots of small, cheap, clean hotels around Flamengo and Catete. The street in front of the strip of tourist hotels in Copacabana can be seedy, due to both garishly-dressed tourists, and a few opportunistic locals ready to take advantage of them. The apart-hotels in Ipanema are a much more pleasant alternative, being both better appointed and in a nicer neighborhood with fewer tourists. Accommodation in the lower Centro can be convenient for business travellers. The surrounding areas, however, are far from pleasant at night, being nearly deserted and lacking decent restaurants and leisure options. The central Santa Teresa neighbourhood, however, is quite departed from the city centre life and has plenty of pleasant bed and breakfasts and a significant nightlife. Given Rio's rise as a fashionable destination with creative and fashion people, some hotels that cater to the design-conscious crowd have also been popping up at the most upscale neighborhoods. The city also has a large selection of apart-hotels, which provide apartment-style accommodations with kitchen facilities. Private condominium apartments can also be rented short-term at reasonable rates, and can be found on the internet. This is probably a preferable means of finding one of these than the notes that will be passed to you by anonymous persons on the street. These apartments generally have a one-week minimum, or two weeks during Carnaval or New Years holidays. Accommodation in Rio is probably Brazil's most expensive. There is a relative shortage of hotel rooms on the cheaper range and booking in advance is recommended. Moreover, prices for most accommodation can more than triple during New Year's and Carnaval. Those are very busy periods and booking well in advance is recommended. Most hotels in tourist areas will only sell 4-day packages and charge in advance - even if you want to stay only for a couple of days during those events. Other than those, the busiest month is January - summer holidays in Brazil. Motels, that you will see mainly on the outskirts of the city, are not motels in the North American sense. Rather, they are places you go with your lover for a few hours. One famous motel, overlooking the Sheraton in Leblon, was taken over by the US Secret Service when George Bush Sr stayed at the Sheraton. It is not recorded whether heart-shaped beds, mirrors on the ceiling and on-tap porno movies affected their work! If hostel life is more your style, they are

Go next

Grande Rio Niterói – 15km from downtown. It has a wonderful unique view of Rio and an intriguing contemporary art museum, which looks like a UFO (designed by famous architect Oscar Niemeyer). Also, it has one of the state's most beautiful beaches, Itacoatiara, which can be reached by the bus #38. From Rio to Niterói it's a short ferry ride or you go by bus. São Gonçalo – 25km from downtown. The biggest city of the Leste Metropolitano region, with the second largest population in the state. Duque de Caxias – 20km from downtown. The largest city of Baixada Fluminense, neighboring to the Rio de Janeiro's North Zone. Maricá – 55km from downtown. The last municipality on the sea coast of Grande Rio to the east. It has several lagoons and a single strip of sand that extends along almost the entire shoreline of the municipality. Rio Bonito – 75km from downtown. A peripheral municipality, with a small population and wide rural areas with lots of nature. It is the easternmost municipality in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro. Cachoeiras de Macacu – 90km from downtown. The most northeastern municipality of Rio metropolitan area, it is another peripheral municipality which has become an attraction for trekking, mountaineering, rappelling and other types of extreme sports and ecotourism. Part of the Três Picos State Park is in the municipality. There are dozens of waterfalls of extraordinary beauty. The bus company 1001 goes for around R$45 (Oct 2025), departing from the Rio's long-distance bus station (Rodoviária Novo Rio). Guapimirim – 75km from downtown. The most northeastern municipality in Baixada Fluminense, at the foot of the mountain range known as Serra dos Órgãos, a section of a longer mountain range called Serra do Mar. Paracambi – 70km from downtown by railway (80km by road). The most northwestern municipality of Baixada Fluminense and of the metropolitan area, at the foot of Serra das Araras, a more western section of Serra do Mar. The bus company UTIL has a route to the municipality for around R$40 (Sep 2023) departing from Rodoviária Novo Rio. Itaguaí – 70km from downtown. Another peripheral municipality, bathed by the Sepetiba Bay, it is one of the last coastal municipalities of the metropolitan agglomeration of Rio to the west.

On the southeastern coast of Rio State Saquarema – 95 km from downtown Rio. A predominantly tourist city with beautiful beaches, in the lakes region. It is known as "The national surfing capital". Further attractions are waterfalls, cascades, mountains and an archaeological site. Búzios – 170 km. It's a small penin