Rio de Janeiro (Brazil): my vacation in Rio, how to get there, flights to Rio, attractions. Rio de Janeiro is a city in Brazil Rio de Janeiro is the capital of which European country
From my recent trip to Brazil, there are still a few reports that, due to the post-election hustle and bustle, there was no time to publish. Today I want to show you Rio de Janeiro, the second largest (after Sao Paulo) city in Brazil. The city's semi-official nickname is "The Marvelous City". I arrived in Rio in the morning and departed in the evening of the same day. Unfortunately, it rained almost all day, so it was not possible to really see the city. And Rio should be viewed in good weather, because the best views open from the mountains surrounding the city.
Let's start with impressions lovigin : "In Rio, one rogue decided to commit suicide, sold his hacienda, bought helium and accidentally flew into the sky in balloons. In another part of Rio, in the bosom of the statue of Christ, a cow also accidentally fell out of a flying plane - fell onto a boat and killed the sitting one to death she has a girl in her.True, death sometimes comes from the most unusual places.
These stories were told to us by fat Carolina, who for some reason was assigned to us as a guide. Having hired a couple of armored personnel carriers and six machine gunners, we rushed to the favelas. My mom thinks it's a restaurant, but no one ever came out of the favelas with a camera, a wallet, and Caroline, especially if they went in without all that. Only now, either the favelas were somehow wrong, or I was too kind - but my photographs turned out to be somehow completely fearless and mimimi. There is none of the usual tension that hangs in the air at every more or less green intersection in Brazil. Maybe because the local Shkydians left to operate in other areas. We walked the entire favela of Santa Marta from the top, from the top of the hill to the bottom, and only in one block the “guards” advised us not to photograph the people we met ... "
01. From Sao Paulo, fly to Rio in just 1 hour. Planes go there every 30 minutes. 
02. The famous bridge named after President Costa y Silva, or Rio Niteroi. It connects the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi via Guanabara Bay. The construction of the bridge began in January 1969, although it was officially launched on August 23, 1968, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain attended the ceremony. On March 4, 1974, the bridge was opened, it was named in honor of Artur da Costa y Silva, the former President of Brazil, who initiated the construction, but did not live to see its completion. The bridge is the longest and highest in the country. Its length is 13290 m, including over water - 8836 m. The height in the center is 72 m, which allows large ships to enter the bay. Today, about 140,000 vehicles pass through the bridge every day. 
03.
04. Slums;) 
05. Poor dwellings huddle on the slopes of the surrounding mountains. These are the poorest areas of the city - the favelas. There are several hundred favelas in the city. In fact, these are mini-states within a state. The federal authorities practically do not interfere in the affairs of the favelas. In most favelas, the standard of living is very low, often there are no basic amenities, schools, hospitals, etc. and, as a result of all this, an extremely unfavorable crime situation and a terrible sanitary condition. Walking in such areas is not recommended, as you can lose everything valuable and very quickly. But in many favelas, locals conduct tours for money. We walked the entire favela of Santa Marta from the top, from the top of the hill to the bottom, and only in one block did the “guards” advise us not to photograph the people we met ... 
06. The favelas are very cool. Residents are hospitable and will always warn about poop lying on the path. 
07. This is where Brazilian football stars are born. 
08.
09. One of the houses. Almost all houses are the same - a very small living room-kitchen and bedrooms. The average area of the house is 15-20 meters. 
10. Therefore, all life passes in narrow streets. 
11.
It was here that Michael Jackson filmed the video for the song They don't care about us.
12. The arrival of Michael Jackson is the most important event in the life of this favela. In honor of this event, a monument was erected to Michael. 
13.
14. There is a church nearby, apparently "named after Michael Jackson" 
15.
16. In it, to very loud and rhythmic music, spirits and demons are cast out and some rituals are performed. 
17. Sewerage and landfill on the street. 
18. Over the years, nothing has changed here. 
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24. Girls dance) 
25.
26.
27. Below, at least somehow painted the houses. 
28.
29. There are several must-see spots in Rio. One of the bottoms is Mount Corcovado, where the 38-meter statue of Christ the Redeemer is located. A 3.8 km long railway with a gauge of 1000 mm leads to the top of the mountain, which was built by Swiss specialists from Winterthur in 1884. The railway has gearing, since the ascent is very steep. The railroad runs two trains with a capacity of 360 passengers per hour. The one way trip takes approximately 20 minutes. From the top of the mountain, a beautiful panorama of various areas of Rio de Janeiro opens up: Sugarloaf Mountain, Lake Rodrigo de Freitas, the beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, the Maracana stadium.
Unfortunately, the weather that day was disgusting, there was no beautiful view from the mountain. 
30. The statue on top of Corcovado, classified as one of the seven modern wonders of the world, is visited annually by more than 600,000 tourists. She is also the symbol of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in general. 
32. Panorama of the city. 
33. And this is the view from the Sugarloaf. The peak overlooking Guanabara Bay in the eastern part of Rio is one of the main attractions of the city. Because of its unusual shape, which the Brazilians compare to a lump of sugar, it was called "Sugar Loaf". According to another version, the name comes from the phrase "paunh-acuqua", which in the language of the natives of the Tupi tribe translates as "High Hill" or "Guardian of the Bay". 
34. And this is a panorama of the city from the Sugarloaf. 
35. Such cute monkeys live on the mountain, which cannot be fed, but everyone is fed. 
36.
37. It is a pity that we were not lucky with the weather. The views are wonderful. 
38. Santos Dumont Airport. 
39.
40.
41. Speaking of the weather) 
42.
43. In the evening, people gather at numerous bars, just like in London. 
45.
46. Some streets look abandoned. 
47. And this is the Selarón staircase, a "tribute to the Brazilian people" by a Chilean artist who, along with his stairs, has become a local landmark. 
48. Selaron began renovating the staircase near his house in 1990. First, he laid out the area near his house in the colors of the Brazilian flag, and then he could no longer stop and began to bring tiles from all over the world, with which the entire staircase is now lined. All the money from the sale of paintings went to the tiles. 
49. In total, more than 2,000 tiles from 60 different countries were used to decorate 250 steps. There are also tiles from Russia. Initially, the artist looked for tiles in landfills and in construction waste, and then tourists from all over the world began to bring them to him. If you go to Rio, grab some tiles from your city. The 300+ tiles are hand painted by Saleron. They depict a pregnant African woman. The artist says it's "a personal problem from the past". 
50. After the stairs, the walls of the houses underwent alterations). The artist does not plan to stop and says that this project is eternal. 
51.
53. The staircase gained international fame. Snoop Dogg and U2 filmed their videos here, and in the Olympic presentation of Rio, the staircase was presented as one of the main attractions of the city. 
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Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful cities in South America, located in the southeastern part of Brazil on the shores of the Guanabara Bay, which is unique in its natural beauty. It is the second largest (after Sao Paulo) city in Brazil, the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro, and until 1960 the capital of all of Brazil.
The name Rio de Janeiro in Portuguese means the river of January, because the Portuguese, who discovered it in January 1502, mistook Guanabara Bay for the mouth of the river, which is not at all surprising - the bay is separated from the ocean by a narrow strait just 1.5 km wide. The official date of foundation of the city is March 1, 1565. “God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day he created Rio de Janeiro” - this is how the Brazilians lovingly say about their fabulously beautiful city. It is no coincidence that Rio de Janeiro has the unofficial nickname "Amazing City" (Cidade maravillosa), because it has so many natural, historical and cultural beauties that would be more than enough for several cities!
Rio de Janeiro owes its beauty, first of all, to its excellent location, the city stretches in an endless strip along the coast with wonderful beaches and rocky hills in an area of 1265 km². Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon - the names of these iconic Rio beaches have been known to us since childhood and are strongly associated with Rio de Janeiro! And two magnificent mountains - Corcovado with the statue of Christ the Redeemer dominating the city and Pan de Azucar have long been the hallmarks of Rio! Nature is surprisingly generous to this city - the emerald green of tropical forests, the blue of lagoons and rivers, hills rising from the bay and snow-white beaches, all this creates an idyllic picture of a paradise on Earth!
The population of Rio today is 6,476,631 people, it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, the inhabitants of which call themselves "cariocas". The etymology of the origin of this name has nothing to do with Rio, it comes from the phrase "house of the white" (casa de branco) and appeared during the arrival of the Portuguese colonialists in Brazil, whom the Indians called white people. Cariocas differ from their other compatriots in disposition and temperament - they are more sociable and liberated. They can be described in one phrase - charming ease. However, there is also the other side of the coin - cariocas are extremely optional, which should be remembered if you agree on something with them. The favorite phrase - amanha, that is, tomorrow, does not mean at all that this will happen tomorrow. The ethnic composition of the population is very diverse. It was formed under the influence of three factors: local Indian tribes, European settlers from Spain and Portugal, and Africans brought here by the colonizers as slaves. A large proportion of the population in the country are mestizos.
Rio de Janeiro is a city not only of eternal celebration, but also of amazing contrasts. On the slopes of the surrounding mountains huddle the wretched dwellings of the poorest districts of the city, the favelas. There are several hundred such favelas in the city, in which about 20% of the total population of Rio is concentrated. For example, the largest favela in Rio - Rocinha (Rocinha) has more than 50 thousand inhabitants. And although recently the standard of living in the favelas has increased markedly, and the local authorities are trying to restore order there, it is still better not to travel to these areas on your own, because the crime situation and the sanitary condition in the favelas leave much to be desired. If you still want to see the life in the favelas from the inside, you can book an organized tour at one of the local agencies. Typically, the program of such a tour includes visiting the houses of the inhabitants of the favelas and communicating with them. And the views of the city from the hills of the favelas are simply amazing! The favelas are also famous for the fact that it was here that numerous samba schools originated.
Founded: 1565
Square: 1265 km 2
Population: 6 476 631 people (2016)
Currency: brazilian real
Language: Portuguese
Off.site: http://www.rio.rj.gov.br
Current time in Rio de Janeiro:
(UTC -2)
Rio de Janeiro is synonymous with beaches, football, samba and carnival. An amazing symbiosis of nationalities and cultures gives the city a unique brightness and originality! The famous carnival, which is held here every year in late February - early March, is a colorful spectacle, famous throughout the world for its incendiary dances of various samba schools. Nowhere in the world is there a more spectacular carnival than in Rio de Janeiro! For five days, the city turns into one big venue for a holiday and unrestrained fun. Most tourists try to get to Rio at this time, but it should be remembered that prices for hotels and services skyrocket during this period.
How to get there
There are no direct flights to Rio de Janeiro from Moscow, although in 2011 Transaero tried to roll out this route, but after several flights the flight was canceled. Fortunately, various (mainly European, but not only) airlines fly to Rio de Janeiro from both the Russian capital and the regions with a connection at their home airports. Below we list these airlines (cities of connections are indicated in brackets).
- Emirates (Dubai): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- Lufthansa (Frankfurt-on-Main): Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Rostov-on-Don, Samara
- AlItalia (Rome): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- Air France (Paris): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- KLM (Amsterdam): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- Iberia (Madrid): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- British Airways (London): Moscow, St. Petersburg
- TAP Portugal (Lisbon): Moscow
The average ticket price is about 1100 euros. For regular flights, Iberia has the lowest ticket prices. However, you can save a lot on your flight by taking part in a sale or booking seats at a special price as part of promotions that are regularly organized by major international airlines. Air France has the fastest flight and convenient connections. But even with convenient connections, the total travel time will be at least 16 hours.
Interestingly, practically in the center of the city is the second airport of Rio - Santos Dumont, which manages domestic flights.
Since June 7, 2010, visas for Russian citizens to enter Brazil have been cancelled. Citizens of the Russian Federation can stay in Brazil without a visa for ninety days.
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A huge city on the south Atlantic coast. Cidade Maravilhosa - Gorgeous City - renowned for its breathtaking scenery, laid-back beach culture and stunning annual carnival.
The harbor of Rio is surrounded by hills of incredible beauty, whose names are known all over the world: Sugar Loaf, Corcovado Peak and Tijuca make this place one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
Rio was founded in 1565 by the Portuguese as a stronghold against French corsairs. The Portuguese fought the French for almost 10 years, both sides having local tribes as allies.
Over the next two centuries, Rio lost its importance as an outpost of the Portuguese Empire, until in 1720 gold, diamonds and ores were found in the state of Minas Gerais. Rio as the nearest port replaced Salvador as the main city of the colony, which happened in 1763.
When Napoleon invaded Portugal, the royal family moved to Brazil and made Rio the capital of the kingdom (thus the only city outside of Europe to serve as the capital of a European country).
Brazil gained independence in 1822. It became a monarchy, and Rio de Janeiro became the capital of the Brazilian Empire. In 1960, the country's capital was moved to the new city of Brasilia, and Rio remained the unofficial capital and symbol of Brazil.
In 2009, the city won the right to host the XXXI Olympic Games in the summer of 2016.
How to get there
Rio de Jaeiro is the most important transport center of the country. It is easy to get here by plane. Galeão International Airport (Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport) is located 20 km north of the city center. Every day it receives many flights from all over the world, including from Europe. TAP, Iberia, Air France, Alitalia, Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways and many others fly here. There are no direct flights from Russia, you will have to get one of the European companies with a transfer in Europe.
There are several ways to get from the airport to the city.
Premium buses - represented by 4 lines. Buses depart to the right of the arrivals terminal, are air-conditioned and have enough space for luggage. They depart every 30 minutes from 05:30 to 22:00. Bus number 2018 goes through the main bus station, all beaches and Santos Dumont airport to the Alvorada terminal near Barra Shopping in Barra da Tijuca. The entire trip takes at least an hour and costs R$16.00. Bus 2918 runs via Linha Amarela to Alvorada Terminal in 35 minutes (traffic permitting) and costs approximately R$13.50. Line 2145 from Galeão Airport via the main bus station Rodoviario Novo Rio to Santos Dumont Airport, ticket price R$ 12. Line 2101 also goes to Santos Dumont Airport on a slightly different route. On all these routes, the “stop on demand” system works - that is, you can ask the driver to stop where you need.
The BRT Transcarioca system is a fast bus service from both airport terminals to Alvorado bus station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Tickets worth 3 reais are bought at the box office inside the airport and are a prepaid rechargeable Bilhete Único Carioca card, which can also be used on the metro and other buses.
You can take a taxi from the airport to the city, but it is not cheap (for example, the cost of a trip to Copacabana beach is about 45-50 reais). In addition, some taxi drivers can take advantage of foreigners' ignorance of prices. Especially often cases of such fraud occur during peak seasons, such as New Year or carnival.
Some companies (Rio Airport Transfer or LingoTaxi South America) offer prepaid airport-hotel transfers. It is also not cheap.
Rio has a second airport, Santos Dumont, which operates for domestic traffic. It is known for being located almost in the center of the city in Guanabara Bay and has runways that are considered among the shortest in the world. When landing, the plane makes several circles over the city, allowing you to see the peak of Corcovado with the statue of Christ and Mount Sugarloaf, and then drops sharply right above the water, reaching the ground almost at the moment of landing. After landing and taking a breath, it is worth looking into the airport building - a fine example of Brazilian Art Nouveau architecture. You can get from the airport to the city by taxi or premium buses 2018, 2145 and 2101, described above.
Rio can be reached by bus from other cities of the country, for example, from Sao Paulo, Florianopolis, Foz do Iguacu and others. Buses are comfortable, with air conditioning and comfortable seats, equipped with WiFi access. On long or night flights, keep in mind that it is very cold inside the bus at night (the air conditioner is on full power, so warm clothes or a blanket should be brought into the cabin).
Rio is connected by highways to many cities in the country and neighboring countries. The city can be reached not only by plane or by car / bus, but also by ferry or cruise ship, including from Europe.
Transport
The cheapest and most convenient public transport in Rio are buses. They cover the whole city, the cost of the trip is R $ 3.80 (July 2016), paid in cash to the driver in the cabin, passing through the turnstile. There is a single Bilhete Único Carioca card that allows you to save on travel. It is purchased at Galeão Airport when purchasing a ticket for the BRT bus. The number of bus routes in the city is more than 1000, it is easy to get confused in them. It is worth checking with local residents or hotel staff which buses will be needed to get to a particular place. It is always better to have an address written in Portuguese with you to show the driver (few of them speak English or other foreign languages).
Among the most popular routes are 583 and 584 (following from Copacabana and Ipanema to the railway station of the botanical garden and Corcovado Peak), numbers 432, 433, 434, 435, 456, 457 and 464 (from Copacabana to the Maracana stadium) and number 107 (from city center to the cable car station to the Sugar Loaf).
A convenient option for getting around the city is the metro, especially after the 2016 Olympic Games opened a new line that connected the center of Rio with the Barra area. Now there are 4 subway lines in the city. The Rio Metro is clean, safe and fast, operating from 05:00 to 24:00 Monday to Saturday, 07:00 to 23:00 on Sundays, and 00:00 to 24:00 during Carnival. The last car of each train is marked with a pink sticker on the windows, during peak hours this car can only be used by women.
Taxi is one of the best ways to get around Rio, but be aware of huge traffic jams, especially if you need to get somewhere on time. The cost of a trip around the city is not very high. There are 2 main types of cars in Rio - yellow taxis and radio taxis. The cost of the yellow taxi ride is made up of the bandeirada or compulsory payment for the minimum trip (approximately 5 reais) + mileage charge (approximately 2.-2.5 reais on weekends, holidays, from 21.00 to 6.00 and all of December, approximately 2 reais - in the rest of the time). Prices go up every 2 years. Radio taxis are usually blue, green or white. They are more reliable, safer and more expensive than others. There are also illegal taxi drivers. In recent years, motorcycle taxis have also appeared in the city.
Rio de Janeiro is the perfect city for bike tours. Over the past five years, the city has quadrupled the length of cycle paths (now there are almost 400 km). There is a public bike rental system called Bike Rio. The price is R$10 per month or R$5 per day. There is a special mobile application for registering in the system, searching for stations and renting a bike.
Rio is a fantastic city to explore on foot. There are several tour companies (RealRio Tours or Rio Cultural Toursthat) that can show you both the most famous places in Rio de Janeiro and some of the "secret" local areas often unexplored by tourists. Almost all guides in Rio are fluent in English.
Communication and Internet
There are 4 leading mobile operators in Brazil: Vivo, Claro, OI and TIM, all of which provide GSM and HSDPA standards.
SIM cards for GSM phones are easy to buy at newsstands, pharmacies, supermarkets, retail stores, etc. Vivo uses 850 and 1900 MHz frequencies, other carriers use 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequencies. 3G/HSDPA coverage available in Rio.
Large Russian operators provide customers with roaming in Brazil.
Rest places
Beaches are one of the main city attractions. The names of the most popular of them - Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Botafogo - are known all over the world. Even the most experienced tourist will find them amazing. They are wide and clean, with soft white sand. The main beaches from Leme to Barra offer vacationers a variety of services, including: free showers, clean paid toilets, lifeguards and police on duty, rental of tents and chairs, soft drinks and alcohol bars, beach cafes.
There are 2 types of beaches in Rio: those located in the east in the bay (Ramos, Flamengo, Botafogo, Urca), as a rule, oceanic Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Barra da Tijuca, etc. are not suitable for swimming. To the west, Abrico Beach is the only official nude beach in the Rio de Janeiro area.
The waves off the coast of Rio can be both small and calm on the beaches of Guanabara Bay (Ramos, Botafogo), and high, ideal for surfing on ocean beaches.
The people of Rio de Janeiro (called carioca in Brazil) have created a unique beach culture with a whole set of customs that outsiders can misunderstand. Vendors sell anything on the beaches, from sunglasses and bikinis to fried shrimp and chilled drinks.
Treatment in the city
Rio, with its ocean, sun, abundance of fresh fruit, and general atmosphere of calm and relaxation, is already a resort in its own right.
What to buy
The best Brazilian souvenirs are various Indian crafts (for example, wicker bracelets and backpacks, talismans), woven or wicker hammocks, the famous Brazilian coffee and the equally famous brigadeiros sweets, beautiful jewelry or crafts made from semi-precious stones mined in the country (in some stores, amethysts and opals are sold by weight, like groats). It is impossible to imagine Brazil without football, so all kinds of products with a football theme or in the yellow and green colors of the national team will also be a good acquisition. Rio is all about the beaches, which is why pareos, bikinis and Havianas flip-flops will always come in handy and will remind you of an amazing city and country. Well, to fix the memory, you can take with you a bottle of cachaça - cane vodka, from which the famous caipirinha cocktail is made.
What and where to eat
In Rio, you can find food for every taste. For food-loving Brazilians and visitors to the city, comida a kilo, where the guest pays for the total weight of the food on the plate, or rodízio, all-you-can-eat restaurants, are ideal options. Restaurants of this type most often serve meat dishes (the most famous variant is churrascaria, where visitors are fed all kinds of grilled meats).
Brazil has the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan, which is why sushi has become widely popular in Rio. Due to the long coastline, Brazilians have the opportunity to eat a lot of seafood. Shrimps, lobsters, squids, crustaceans, mollusks and all kinds of fish are the most loved.
In Rio, open-air juice bars are common, located on the street and offering freshly squeezed juices from all kinds of fruits. A small local chain of such bars called "Big Bi" is popular, where various sandwiches and snacks are sold along with juices.
Numerous "health food" stores offer all kinds of meat and vegetable sandwiches, as well as an amazing variety of fruit juices from graviola, acai, guarana, mango, coconut, orange, lemon, papaya, melon, etc. Juices and food are 100% organic and fresh.
It is recommended to try coxinha (chicken leg nuggets - fried spicy chicken breaded with potatoes and cheese), salgado or joelho (ham and cheese roll) and wonderful pão de queijo cheese rolls. All kinds of pastries can be bought in Rio for 3 reales. The most popular guarana made from the seeds of Amazonian fruits, mate, coconut water água de coco are used as drinks.
Bob’s and Habib’s, a popular local fast food outlet, operates alongside international chains such as KFC, McDonald’s, Subway, Pizza Hut and Burger King.
Lunch for one in an inexpensive cafe costs about $7-8, dinner for two with wine / beer - from $30. Among the most popular restaurants are Carretao and Churrascaria Majorica (where they cook grilled meat), fish Restaurante Siri and Laguna Restaurante (famous for wonderful seafood and excellent fish), Garota de Ipanema bar and Canfeitaria Colombo confectionery cafe.
Entertainment and attractions
There are practically no architectural monuments or famous museums in Rio. It attracts tourists with incredibly beautiful landscapes and views, with its openness. The main beauties here are not created by people.
Among the most famous:
Corcovado (translated as "hunchback") is a 710-meter-high hill, on top of which stands one of the most recognizable statues in the world - Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor). From there you have a superb view of the Zona Sul (Copacabana, Ipanema, the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon and the Botanical Garden) and the Maracanã Stadium. You can climb to the top of Corcovado by funicular, by rail or on foot. It is worth checking the weather forecast before visiting, because sometimes clouds envelop the peak, hiding the statue. It is better to buy a ticket for a funicular or a mini-train in advance via the Internet and approach the indicated time. The least number of visitors occurs during lunch or in the afternoon;
Pão de Açúcar -Sugar Loaf or Sugarloaf, which offers even more incredible views of the bay, the city center and its western part to the famous beaches, on Corcovado with Christ - The wonderful city is visible at a glance. If you go up here at sunset, the view is simply breathtaking. Access to Pão de Açúcar is via the Bondinho aerial cable car, built over 100 years ago. It consists of 2 parts: first, the cabin rises to Morro da Urca, and then to the top of Sugar Loaf, 396 meters high. At the top, there is a well-developed infrastructure: cafes, restaurants, shops, a cinema and even a helipad.
Laguna Rodrigo de Freitas is a large lagoon in the middle of the South zone, with a magnificent view of Corcovado and the beaches of Ipanema and Leblon. Here you can swim, run, ride a bike or rent a small boat.
Arpoador beach is famous for the most beautiful sunset in Rio.
The Rio Botanical Garden is considered one of the best in the world. There are 8,000 species of plants growing here, including orchids, bromeliads, ferns, magnificent forests of giant bamboo, a collection of medicinal plants, stunning trees, beautiful flowers and giant cacti. Colorful parrots, hummingbirds, butterflies and monkeys live among the plants.
Ipanema and Copacabana are probably the most famous beaches in the world. This is a separate world with its regulars, bike paths, volleyball nets on the sand, mosaic embankments, beautiful tanned people.
Tijuca National Park - A magnificent national park covers the city with its dense forests. This mountain offers wonderful views of the city. The park is one of the largest urban parks in the world.
Among the creations of human hands in Rio, the famous Maracana stands apart - a legend stadium that was once the largest in the world.
The Instituto Moreira Salles is a modern, whitewashed building that houses a collection of Brazilian art and the finest private photography collection in Brazil.
The Museum of Modern Art, opened in 1996, is located across the Guanabara Bay in the suburbs of Niteroi (accessible by ferry or via a 13-kilometer bridge). The museum is housed in a UFO-like building designed by the great Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.
Bairro de Santa Teresa is Rio's artistic district with museums, galleries, restaurants and great views.
The Municipal Theatre, built in 1909, inspired by the Parisian Opera Garnier.
Among the most interesting city museums are the National Historical Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Image and Sound (which will be of particular interest to fans of Brazilian cinema and television), the Carnival Museum, the Museum of the Indians, the National Museum.
Rio can be called a green city - there are many parks here. In addition to the Tijuca Park and the Botanical Garden, Parque Lage, Parque do Flamengo and Quinta da Boa Vista are worth mentioning, where the city zoo and the National Museum are located.
Every year for 2 weeks in February or March, Rio de Janeiro becomes especially attractive for tourists from all over the world. At this time, the Carnival takes place here. This incredibly bright and noisy holiday is best known for the parade of samba schools.
Rio will be of interest to lovers of delta and paragliding - thanks to the high hills and strong tailwinds, the city is an ideal place for these sports. Hiking and hiking are popular here. Among the most famous routes: Parque Lage - Corcovado (takes 1.5-2 hours), Pão de açúcar (climbing the sugar loaf is easy and takes less than an hour), Pedra da Gávea (it is worth taking a local guide with you - this is the most difficult climb , but from the top you have the best view of Rio without the crowds).
Some tour companies offer tourists a tour of the favelas (the infamous urban slums). Attitudes towards such tours can be different: on the one hand, it can be a new interesting experience, you can see a different Rio, and on the other hand, such a trip can end sadly. The pros and cons of such an experiment should be weighed. And you should NEVER go to the favelas alone or accompanied by an unfamiliar guide.
Weather averages in Rio de Janeiro
The type of climate in Rio is subequatorial. Temperature and rainfall vary little throughout the year. The average temperature throughout the year is + 23-24°C, the water temperature does not fall below +20°C. The coolest and driest month is July, while January, on the contrary, is the hottest and most humid.
|
month |
air temperature during the day °C |
air temperature at night °C |
water temperature °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| +30 | +23 | +25 | |
| February | +32 | +24 | +25 |
| March | +29 | +23 | +25 |
| April | +28 | +21 | +25 |
| May | +26 | +19 | +23 |
| June | +25 | +18 | +22 |
| July | +25 | +18 | +22 |
| August | +26 | +18 | +22 |
| September | +26 | +19 | +22 |
| October | +27 |
Rio de Janeiro is the first city that comes to mind when you think of Brazil. In a city of contrasts, wealthy residents of elite areas coexist with the poor from the slums. Noisy, multifaceted and crowded, Rio is second only to Sao Paulo, but in terms of the number of entertainments it is an unsurpassed leader. They say that you can get to know it and see all the interesting places only by staying in it forever. Grandiose and less noisy holidays are held here all year round, the absolute leader of which is the Carnival. In 2016, the glory of Rio de Janeiro around the world will increase many times thanks to the Olympics.
Geographic features
Rio stretches along the Atlantic coast of Brazil. It has the following geographic coordinates:
- 22054' YSH;
- 43011’ ZD.
Founded at the entrance to Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro gradually expanded its borders. It is oriented to the south. The terrain is not uniform. The north is dominated by plains and gentle hills. In the central part there are more mountains and rocks that frame the sandy beaches of the south.
Proximity to the equator smooths out seasonal temperature fluctuations. The air in the city warms up to +22…+28°C. The driest and coolest months are June-October, but rain occurs regularly throughout the year. The average annual rainfall is 1170 mm. For tourists, Rio is more interesting in December-March, when the air and water temperature becomes most comfortable.
Population
Rio de Janeiro has a high population density. More than 6.5 million inhabitants live on a territory of 1.26 thousand km², which is not surprising, because even before 1960 the city was the capital of Brazil. And today many flock here in search of a better life. The negative side of this phenomenon has been an increase in crime, especially in poor slums, where tourists are asked to visit with caution.
The city is a mixture of different peoples and races, so you will not find discrimination on these grounds here. Most of the residents are very smiling and hospitable, always ready to help. The main religion is Catholicism, which is often mixed with local traditions, as well as African beliefs.
Kitchen
The cuisine in Rio de Janeiro is a combination of the culinary traditions of Arabs, European settlers and local Indians. To feel the local flavor, you should order a feijoada. This hearty dish is prepared from smoked meats, dried meat, beans and generously seasoned with spices. Each chef adds something of his own to the recipe, so feijoada will be different in different places.
The highlight of Rio is Rodizio. These are meat restaurants where you pay an entrance fee, after which you can enjoy salads and main courses for free. Some establishments allow you to take breaks between meals and even walks in the fresh air. Drinks and desserts are billed separately.
A popular local drink is the caipirinha. It can be ordered in an expensive restaurant, and in a street eatery. For cooking, use cane vodka (cachaca), lemon, lime, ice and cane sugar. The cocktail turns out to be very pleasant and refreshing, but quickly intoxicates.
And, of course, you cannot visit the birthplace of coffee and not enjoy the numerous varieties of this invigorating drink.
Attractions
As many sights as there are in Rio de Janeiro, it's hard to imagine. Therefore, the excursion program should be thought out in advance. We list only a small, but the most interesting part of the attractions. For convenience, they are grouped by topic.
natural parks
Even the streets of the city are distinguished by lush vegetation, to say nothing of the parks and reserves that are scattered throughout Rio. To get acquainted with the unusual flora of Brazil in a small area, you should go to the Botanical Garden. It is divided into thematic sectors through which convenient paths pass. Visitors alternately find themselves among fields of orchids, cacti or water lilies. In the dense vegetation ubiquitous monkeys scurry about and flocks of bright birds flutter.
Many tourists are attracted by the beauty and historical significance of the Quinta da Boa Vista palace and park complex. At the beginning of the 19th century, the possessions belonged to the imperial family, which left them after Brazil gained independence. On the territory there is a park, a zoo and a palace, within the walls of which the National Museum is located.
In the Rio de Janeiro Zoo on the territory of the complex, there are more than 350 species of representatives of the local fauna, as well as those who arrived from other countries. The territory of the zoo is small, but very green and well-groomed.
You can enjoy a walk and explore the features of landscape design in the parks:
- Tizhuk;
- Lager;
- Flamengo.
These green islands are equipped with jogging and cycling paths, as well as other necessary infrastructure for recreation. And to admire and capture the most beautiful panoramas of the city, you should climb to the observation deck near the statue of Christ on Mount Corcovado or to the famous Sugar Loaf.
Religious monuments
The most famous attraction not only in Rio, but also in Brazil can be called the statue of Christ the Redeemer, which guards the city from the top of Mount Corcovado. The height of the structure is 38 m, and the arm span reaches 30 m.
You can get acquainted with the temple architecture and better understand the meaning of religion for local residents by visiting the following attractions:
- Church of Candelaria in honor of Our Lady;
- Monastery of Sao Bento;
- Cathedral of San Sebastian.
architectural landmarks
The architecture of the colonial era in Rio de Janeiro is no less interesting. The pearl of Piazza Floriano is the Municipal Theatre, replicating the architecture of the Paris Opera. In addition to the beautiful facade, the theater impresses with its rich interior decoration. It still hosts performances to this day.
The largest collection of literature in all of South America is in the National Library. Much of it is included in the UNESCO heritage list. The majestic building was built at the beginning of the 19th century.
The city has several picturesque palaces that attract tourists:
- Tiradentis. The seat of state government. The palace is distinguished by its monumentality, high columns and a huge glass dome.
- The Imperial Palace is an old snow-white building with a rich history. It was here that the law abolishing slavery was signed.
- The castle on the island of Ilha-Fiskal resembles a fabulous pearl. Its walls are painted in emerald tones and are richly decorated. In the 19th century the customs office was located here, and today there is a museum of the navy.
The beaches of Rio de Janeiro
A visit to Rio is impossible without relaxing on the beach. Such relaxation includes more than just lying on the sand or swimming in the noisy ocean waters. By the way, they can be very insidious, so lifeguards are constantly on duty on the shore. The beach is a meeting place and a center for youth entertainment. Nearby are hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and open-air discos. There are carnival processions and a mass meeting of the New Year. The most popular beaches are:
- Copacabana;
- Ipanema;
- Leblon;
- Flamengo;
- Barra di Tijuca.
How to get there?
Rio has an international airport that receives flights from various countries. Given the flight distance, a direct flight from Russia cannot be found. Most companies offer transfers in Paris or Amsterdam. Citizens of the Russian Federation can stay in Brazil without a visa for 90 days.
