Where is rio da janeiro located. Rio de Janeiro (Brazil): my vacation in Rio, how to get there, flights to Rio, attractions
Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil, is located on the shores of the beautiful Guanabara Bay. It is he who is considered the most beautiful in all of South America. It owes its beauty first of all to its favorable location. Rio de Janeiro stretches along a colorful coastline with amazingly beautiful beaches, on a total area of \u200b\u200b1,256 km². Almost all modern people know the names Copacabana, Leblon, Ipanema - these are the most popular beaches in the city. Two large mountains - Corcovado and Pan de Asucar, which rise above the statue of Christ the Savior, have been the visiting card of this Brazilian city for many years.
Nature has endowed these places very generously: blue lagoons, green tropical forests, and white beaches make Rio de Janeiro a real paradise on earth. Millions of people from all over the world dream of settling in this colorful city. The population of Rio de Janeiro is 6 323 037 people. As for the ethnic composition, the population of Rio de Janeiro is quite diverse, most of all in the region of mestizo.
Local flavor and city districts
When visiting the city for the first time and seeing the sights of Rio de Janeiro, you will be very surprised by the harmonious combination of exotic nature and modern buildings or business centers. The hills are home to poor areas, called favelas here. It is in the poor neighborhoods where almost 20% of the local population is concentrated. The largest of the favelas is called Rocinha and has approximately 50,000 inhabitants. This area offers stunning views of the city and beaches, but it should be noted that it is better not to visit these areas on your own.
Local authorities are constantly trying to maintain order in those areas, but still the sanitation of the streets and the criminal situation on them are in a deplorable state. In some agencies, you can buy a special tour that involves visiting the poor areas of the city and communicating with their inhabitants. The favelas also became famous for the fact that it was in the slums that the very first samba schools appeared - the favorite dance of the entire local population.
It is not for nothing that such words as "samba", "football" and "carnival" were chosen as synonyms for Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. This is a city of perpetual motion, it perfectly combines several cultures with their own traditions, which are reflected in the annual carnivals, known all over the planet for extravagance, bright outfits and amazing shows. For five whole days, the population of Rio de Janeiro turns into dancers, actors and talented jugglers. The spectacle that these people give to guests and tourists is simply amazing and has no analogues. It is during the carnivals that almost all tourists try to visit Brazil and Rio de Janeiro, but it should be borne in mind that the cost of housing and other services during the festivals increases significantly.
The history of Rio de Janeiro, the brightest city in Brazil
The name of the city was invented by the Portuguese, who discovered it in 1502, in translation it means "January river". Quite a strange name, but it is explained by the fact that the Portuguese mistook the Gunabara Bay for an ordinary river.
Since 1763, the city called Bahia was considered the center of Brazil, but after a few years it lost the primacy to Rio de Janeiro. In 1800, when half of Portugal was captured by Napoleon, Brazil became the royal court, and soon the capital of the empire.
In the 1900s, the population of Rio de Janeiro began to grow rapidly due to immigrants from Europe, as well as slaves who came from the north-east of the country. The number of people increased, and residential buildings stretched farther and farther along the coast. By the end of 1900, the population of Rio de Janeiro was already 700 thousand inhabitants. Today, Rio de Janeiro is no longer the capital of Brazil, but still there are hundreds of offices and state-owned enterprises, as well as the first airport in all of Latin America.
Attractions of the famous city of Brazil Rio de Janeiro
Among the main attractions of Rio de Janeiro, one can first of all note the natural features, of which the city has a huge variety. Streets of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro seem to have left a picture in a fashion magazine, they are simply buried in tropical vegetation, which brings a lot of pleasure from walking. The city also has a huge Botanical Garden, which contains equatorial trees, giant plants, slender palms and many exotic flowers. In total, the garden contains over 7000 plants from all over the world. Here, in the garden, there is the most beautiful alley of palm trees, as well as a large collection of exotic birds.
In addition to the unique exotic beauty, the city boasts a large number of places created by human hands, which probably every modern tourist has seen in the photo of Rio de Janeiro. So, among the main attractions are the following places:
2. Sugar Loaf;
3. Cathedral;
4. Sambadrome Marques de Sapucai;
5. Copacabana beach;
6. Ipanema beach;
7. Maracanã stadium;
8. Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon;
9. Aqueduct Carioca;
10. Enrique Lage Park;
11. Quinta da Boa Vista.
Christ Statue and Sugar Loaf
In numerous photos of Rio de Janeiro, many tourists and travelers have seen the image of a huge thirty-meter statue. It is the first of the above-mentioned attractions in Rio de Janeiro - the statue of Christ the Savior. There is a monument at the very top of the mountain called Corcovado. In general, the statue has a size of 37 meters, Christ the Savior himself is 30 meters and a pedestal 7 meters.
At the celebration dedicated to the centenary of Brazilian independence, a competition was announced for the best monument that will become a symbol of the nation and the country as a whole. The winner of the competition was the statue of Hector da Silva Costa, who presented Christ to the public with outstretched hands. The author's idea was to create a vision of how Christ the Savior embraces the whole city with his own hands and takes it into his care. It is in this place that acquaintance with the sights of Rio de Janeiro begins. A special train travels to the foot of the statue, then the steps lead to the observation deck. From such a great height, all areas of the city and its picturesque corners are perfectly visible. Closer to the statue, you can also drive along the highway along the forest called Tijuk. This is the largest nature reserve in the country and at the same time a forest, which will give the first understanding of what a real jungle and rainforest are.
Sugar Loaf is not a man-made landmark of Rio de Janeiro, but a natural symbol of the city. The rock reaches a height of 395 meters, and is located right next to the Gunabara Bay. You can get to the top of the stone cliff by two cable cars. You will get an unforgettable experience with panoramic views from the mountain, as well as admire the bay with many boats, bright sunsets and the mighty statue of Christ the Savior, the view of which from this place is simply stunning.
Cathedral, beaches and lagoon
Another quite interesting place for tourists will be the Cathedral. This landmark of Rio de Janeiro has a very interesting modern appearance, reminiscent of a concrete block that is shrouded in scaffolding. The building is striking in its beauty and dimensions, it seems that this eighty-meter building is the main one in the whole city. There is also the Museum of Religious Art located in the basement under the cathedral.
The southern region is familiar to tourists from the photos of Rio de Janeiro, which depict bright paradises with sandy beaches. If you calculate the total length of the city's beaches, you can be very surprised, because it is 90 km. Copacabana Beach is a symbol of the city, it is the widest among the beaches of the planet. Most tourists stay in the nearby first line hotels.
The second beach, Ipanema, is located near Copacabana Beach, and the third is Leblon, near the Ipanema coast. The last two beaches are also amazingly beautiful, but there are always fewer people here and if you want to take a break from the noise, you should immediately go here. These places are preferred by surfers. If you want to try surfing, then here you can rent all the equipment you need and even find an instructor.
Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon is another attraction in Rio de Janeiro, located between Copacabana and Ipanema Beach. It is bordered by parks and bike paths. In the morning, it is here that you can meet many people doing morning jogging, exercising or rollerblading. The bay is very beautiful at night, when the lights from the city districts are reflected in the water of the lagoon. It is very difficult to convey in words all the beauty of what is happening, it must be seen with your own eyes.
A paradise for football fans and book lovers
As mentioned above, football is the hallmark of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro in particular, but what is a game without a stadium? In the north of the city, there is a city stadium called "Maracana". This is one of the largest stadiums in the entire modern world. It can fit 120,000 people without hesitation. Tourists may know the northern part of the city because of the royal palace, which was once located here. It should also be noted that in addition to vivid landscapes and chic carnivals, Rio de Janeiro is a cultural center that stores the oldest manuscripts and historical documents in its libraries. The National Library alone has 2 million books, 800 paintings by famous painters and other equally important historical monuments.
The famous photo of Rio de Janeiro, which depicts the Carioca Aqueduct, is exactly true. This is an incredibly beautiful scenic bridge, which is located in the center of the city and simply amazes with its colonial architecture. For most tourists and guests of the city, it is the aqueduct that serves as a kind of landmark. Trams cross the bridge that connect the city center with other neighborhoods and districts.
South Park
If you want to take a break from noisy excursions, you should visit the southern part of Rio de Janeiro, namely Park Enrique Lage. A special feature of the park is a luxurious mansion located in the center with an elegant cafe where you can have a delicious lunch or relax with a cup of aromatic coffee.
Another park that will distract from the noisy traffic of the city is Quinta da Boa Vista Park. The landscapes of this attraction in Rio de Janeiro include calm waters, subtropical vegetation and many alleys with fountains. Here, you can often see married couples with children who have come for a picnic. Spending time in the park is very interesting and informative.There are also many museums and a zoo located here.
The modern city of Rio de Janeiro
At the moment, in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is considered the industrial center of the entire country. There are developed such industries as mechanical engineering, chemical industry, shipbuilding, oil, woodworking and pharmaceutical industries. There are also diamond cutting factories in the city.
The population of Rio de Janeiro always has something to do, so they are not threatened with unemployment. There is, of course, an unpleasant situation in poor areas, but the city authorities are doing their best to fix it. Rio has a seaport that receives a large number of passenger ships and cargo ships every day. In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro is the largest transport hub, besides the port and highways, there are two airports and three train stations.
In one day, it is quite possible to see all the sights of Rio de Janeiro from a photo, but if you really want to visit them and see them with your own eyes, you will have to spend a lot more time. As the locals say, "In order to see all the sights of the city, you will have to stay here forever." The city is simply overflowing with picturesque corners, architectural buildings of past centuries, as well as many museums, parks and beaches, each of which will certainly leave an imprint in your memory and give the best impressions!
Rio de Janeiro or simply Rio (port. Rio de janeiro) is the second largest (after Sao Paulo) city in Brazil, the third most populous metropolitan area in South America (with a population of 6.3 million people), the sixth largest city of the three Americas (South Africa, CA, CA) and the 26th in the world.
Guanabara Bay was discovered by the Portuguese navigator Gaspard de Lemouche on January 1, 1502. The Portuguese mistook the bay for the mouth of the river, hence the name of the city, which means the January River in Portuguese. Rio de Janeiro itself, was founded half a century later, on March 1, 1565, Estacio de Sa together with Jose de Anchieta and was originally called San Sebastian de Rio de Janeiro (port. São Sebastião de Rio de Janeiro), in honor of the Portuguese king Sebastian I.
In the past (until 1960) Rio was the capital of Brazil (two centuries), and once the capital of the United Kingdom of Brazil, Portugal and the Algarve (during the emigration of the Portuguese court). Now Rio de Janeiro is a city of contrasts, where wealth is side by side with poverty, and elite areas with favelas. Like all metropolitan areas, Rio has similar problems - congested traffic, high prices and high levels of crime.
From a tourist point of view, Rio de Janeiro is divided into Old Town, New and Suburbs. The Old Town houses customs, docks, an arsenal, a stock exchange, the National Academy of Arts, the city hall and cultural institutions, including all theaters and almost all museums. The new city is known for the mint, prison, main station and the House of Invalids, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches, Flamengo Park, a giant statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Mountain, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Maracanã Stadium.
Famous and most visited architectural monuments of the city are the colonial churches, monasteries of San Bento, San Antonio and the Capuchin order, as well as the former imperial residence of Quinta da Boa Vista. In the National Library, according to preliminary estimates, there are two million rare books and manuscripts. The National Museum of Fine Arts has an excellent collection of more than 800 paintings by various artists, and the National History Museum houses more than 278,000 exhibits.
Despite the fact that the streets and embankments of Rio de Janeiro are literally buried in tropical vegetation, the botanical garden, which was founded in 1808 and which is one of the best in the world, has collected more than 7000 species of plants from around the world. The famous palm tree alley and a collection of exotic animals and birds are also located here.
The most famous mountain in Rio is Corcovado, located in the Tijuca National Park (which itself is an interesting place to visit) and translated from Portuguese means "hunchback". The top of the mountain is located west of the city center and is clearly visible from many parts of the city and is famous, first of all, for the 38-meter statue of Christ the Redeemer, located on the top of the mountain. From the top of the mountain, a beautiful panorama of various areas of Rio de Janeiro opens up - Sugarloaf Mountain, Rodrigo di Freitas Lake, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches, Maracanã Stadium.
There is a 3.8 km railway to the top of the mountain, which was built by Swiss specialists in 1884. The train, consisting of two carriages, departs from the terminal station every 20 minutes and lasts the same time. There are 223 steps from the upper station of the railway to the foot of the statue of Christ, but it is possible to go up by elevators or escalators.
The statue of Jesus Christ at the top of Corcovado, one of the seven modern wonders of the world, is visited annually by more than 600 thousand tourists.
The second signs mountain - Sugar Loaf (port. Pão de Açucar), overlooks Guanabara Bay in eastern Rio. Because of its unusual shape, which resembles a lump of sugar, it is called "Sugarloaf". The origin of the shape of the mountain is associated with the weathering of igneous rocks that appeared on the earth's surface. There is practically no vegetation on the slopes.
You can get to the top of the "Sugarloaf" thanks to the cable car, which was designed by Augusto Ferreira Ramos in 1908, and 4 years later it was officially opened. At that time, it was the first cable car in Brazil and the third in the world. And now this cable car is classified as one of the most extreme and scary in the world and it is quite an interesting attraction to ride on it. The ascent includes three stops along the way: Praia Vermeglia, Mount Urca and the final destination - the top of the Sugarloaf.
In third place is the Pedra da Gavea mountain. It is not very famous and rarely visited by foreign tourists, but it is a very interesting place. This mountain, 842 meters above sea level, is located near the Barra da Tijuca area and is one of the most popular places to visit for those who like outdoor activities and mountain climbing. True, due to the great difficulty, climbing it is very dangerous and for those who do not have experience in mountain climbing, it is advisable to refrain from hiking it. At the top is a mysterious inscription in one of the supposedly Semitic languages.
For football fans, I would recommend visiting one of the Brazilian championship matches taking place at the famous Maracanã stadium. This is one of the largest stadiums in the world, which was specially built for the fourth World Cup. Home arena of Flamengo and Fluminense, as well as the Brazilian national team of all ages. Football is the meaning of life for many Brazilians, so even during the regional finals, the stadium attracts at least 90,000 spectators.
Another of the "attractions" of Rio de Janeiro is the rich history of jiu-jitsu and valetudo. The city is home to many of Brazil's biggest MMA teams and there is always a good chance of meeting BJJ and MMA celebrities like Anderson Silva drinking juice at a local bar. You can also practice at one of the world's best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies.
Rio de Janeiro's famous beaches are more than just a strip of sand for sunbathing and swimming. People come here to chat with friends, get to know each other, play sports (beach sports, outdoor fitness equipment and surfing), and also just sit and admire the ocean and the beach party. Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon are the three most popular beaches in Rio.
On all the oceanic beaches of Rio, the surf is quite strong, and on Ipanema there are also dangerous currents from the coast (it can easily be carried into the ocean), therefore no one swims far from the coast here. There are professional rescue teams on the beaches, and there is also a rescue helicopter that pulls people out of the water into a net. Here is a map of the beaches of Rio de Janeiro:
Along the beaches, there are the beautiful and wealthy neighborhoods of Rio, with sports fields, restaurants, and expensive hotels. One of these areas, favored by surfers from around the world - Barra da Tijuca (port. Barra da tijuca). The longest beach in Rio (18 km) is located here, and it is also the best for surfing. This beach is one of those rare places where surfers are provided with conditions for skiing almost all year round (decent waves and wind are always present here), which, however, does not interfere with sunbathing and swimming comfortably, the main thing is not to swim far from the shore. There is only one downside to the beach - not far from it, on the slopes of the surrounding mountains, there is a large favela, so you need to keep an eye on things and not stay here until dark. True, one of the latest trends in tourist fashion is tours to the favelas organized by local tourism campaigns.
And of course Rio is a carnival held annually. And despite the fact that there are many carnivals in South America, including in Brazil itself, the carnival in Rio de Janeiro remains the most popular, most numerous, and, accordingly, the most expensive. Tourists planning to visit it should be much preoccupied with renting housing, buying air tickets and booking seats at the sambodrome, since during the carnival, due to the influx of tourists, there is an acute shortage of rooms in hotels and an increase in housing prices.
A huge city in the south of the Atlantic coast. Cidade Maravilhosa - Magnificent city - renowned for its breathtaking scenery, laid-back beach culture and stunning annual carnival.
Rio Harbor is surrounded by incredibly beautiful hills, 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 fortress to defend against the French corsairs. The Portuguese fought the French for almost 10 years, with both sides having local tribes as allies.
Over the next two centuries, Rio lost its importance as an outpost of the Portuguese empire, until gold, diamonds and ores were found in the state of Minas Gerais in 1720. Rio as the nearest port, replaced El Salvador as the main city of the colony in 1763.
When Napoleon invaded Portugal, the royal family moved to Brazil and made Rio the capital of the kingdom (thus it was the only city outside 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, while 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 (Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport) is located 20 km north of the city center. It receives many flights every day from all over the world, including from Europe. Airlines TAP, Iberia, Air France, Alitalia, Lufthansa, KLM, British Airways and many others fly here. There are no direct flights from Russia, one of the European companies with a stopover in Europe will have to get there.
There are several ways to get from the airport to the city.
Premium buses - presented in 4 lines. Buses leave to the right of the arrivals terminal and are air conditioned and have ample luggage space. They leave every 30 minutes from 05:30 to 22:00. Bus number 2018 travels 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 travels via Linha Amarela to Alvorad Terminal in 35 minutes (if traffic allows), the cost of the trip is 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 runs to Santos Dumont Airport using a slightly different route. All of these routes have a stop-on-demand system - that is, you can ask the driver to stop where needed.
The BRT Transcarioca system is a fast bus service that runs from both terminals of the airport to Alvorado bus station 24/7. Tickets worth 3 reais are purchased at the ticket office inside the airport and are a prepaid rechargeable Bilhete Único Carioca card that 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 approximately 45-50 reais). In addition, some taxi drivers can take advantage of the ignorance of prices by foreigners. Cases of such fraud are especially common during peak seasons, such as New Year's or carnival.
Some companies (Rio Airport Transfer or LingoTaxi South America) offer a prepaid airport-hotel transfer. It is also not cheap.
Rio has a second domestic airport, Santos Dumont. It is known for being located almost downtown in Guanabara Bay and has runways considered to be some of the shortest in the world. When landing, the plane makes several circles over the city, allowing you to make out the Corcovado Peak with the statue of Christ and the Sugarloaf Mountain, and then drops sharply directly 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 in the country, for example, from São Paulo, Florianopolis, Foz do Iguacu and others. The buses are comfortable, with air conditioning and comfortable seats, and 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 operating at full capacity, so you should take warm clothes or a blanket 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 is buses. They cover the entire 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 card Bilhete Único Carioca, which allows you to save on travel. It is purchased at Galeão Airport when purchasing a BRT bus ticket. 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 the locals or the 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 to the driver (few of them speak English or other foreign languages).
Among the most popular routes are 583 and 584 (from Copacabana and Ipanema to the botanical garden train station and Corcovado Peak), numbers 432, 433, 434, 435, 456, 457 and 464 (from Copacabana to Maracanã stadium) and 107 (from city \u200b\u200bcenter to the cable car station to Sugar Loaf).
A convenient option for getting around the city is the metro, especially after a new line was opened for the 2016 Olympic Games, connecting the center of Rio with the Barra area. Now the city has 4 subway lines. The metro in Rio is clean, safe and fast, operating from 05:00 to 24:00 hours Monday to Saturday, from 07:00 to 23:00 on Sundays, from 00:00 to 24:00 during the carnival. The last car of each train is marked with a pink sticker on the windows, during rush hours this car can only be used by women.
Taxi is one of the best ways to get around Rio, but it's worth keeping in mind the 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 and radio taxis. The cost of a trip by yellow taxis consists of bandeirada or the mandatory payment for the minimum trip (about R $ 5) + mileage fee (about R $ 2, -2.5 R $ on weekends, holidays, from 21.00 to 6.00 and throughout December, about R $ 2 - in the rest of the time). Prices rise 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 ideal city for bike excursions. Over the past five years, the city has quadrupled its cycle paths (now there are almost 400 km). There is a public bike rental system called Bike Rio. Price 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 for walking. There are several travel companies (RealRio Tours or Rio Cultural Toursthat) that can show 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 support GSM and HSDPA standards.
SIM cards for GSM phones are easy to buy from newsstands, drug stores, supermarkets, retail stores, and more. Vivo uses 850 and 1900 MHz frequencies, other operators use 900 MHz and 1800 MHz frequencies. 3G / HSDPA coverage is available in Rio.
Large Russian operators provide customers with roaming services in Brazil.
Resting places
The beaches are one of the city's top attractions. The names of the most popular of them - Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Botafogo - are known all over the world. Even the most seasoned tourist will find them amazing. They are wide and clean with soft white sand. The main beaches from Leme to Barr offer vacationers a variety of services, including: free showers, clean paid toilets, lifeguard and police watch, tent and chair rental, soft drinks and alcoholic bars, beach cafes.
There are 2 types of beaches in Rio: 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 nudist beach in the Rio de Janeiro area.
The waves off the coast of Rio can be as 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 the Carioca in Brazil) have created a unique beach culture with a whole body of customs that outsiders may misunderstand. Vendors sell anything on the beaches, from sunglasses or bikinis to fried shrimp and chilled drinks.
Treatment in the city
Rio, with its ocean, sun, abundance of fresh fruit and a general atmosphere of calm and relaxation, is already a resort in itself.
What to buy
The best Brazilian souvenirs are various Native American crafts (for example, woven 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 shops, amethysts and opals are sold by weight, like groats). It is impossible to imagine Brazil without football, so all sorts of products on a football theme or in the yellow-green colors of the national team would also be a good purchase. Rio is about beaches, so pareos, bikinis and Havianas flip flops will always come in handy and will remind you of an amazing city and country. Well, in order to consolidate the memory, you can take with you a bottle of cachas - 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 city visitors, the ideal option would be comida a kilo restaurants, where the guest pays for the total weight of the food on the plate, or rodízio, all-you-can-eat restaurants. Restaurants of this type most often offer meat dishes (the most famous variant of churrascaria, where visitors are fed all kinds of grilled meats).
Brazil has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan, which is why sushi has become widespread in Rio. Thanks to the long coastline, Brazilians have the opportunity to eat a lot of seafood. The most popular are shrimp, lobster, squid, crustaceans, molluscs and all kinds of fish.
In Rio, open-air juice bars are common, offering fresh juices from all kinds of fruits. There is a popular small local chain of such bars, called "Big Bi", 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, and more. Juices and food are 100% organic and fresh.
Recommended to try coxinha (chicken leg-shaped nuggets - fried spicy chicken breaded with potatoes and cheese), salgado or joelho (ham and cheese roll) and the wonderful pão de queijo buns. All kinds of pastries can be bought in Rio for 3 reais. The most popular guarana made from seeds of Amazonian fruit, mate, coconut water água de coco are used as drinks.
Popular local fast food Bob’s and Habib’s operates alongside international chains 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 of the shuraskeria are Carretao and Churrascaria Majorica (where grilled meat is cooked), the fish Restaurante Siri and Laguna Restaurante (famous for their wonderful seafood and excellent fish), the Garota de Ipanema bar and the 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 postcard. 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, there is an excellent view of the Zona Sul (Copacabana, Ipanema, Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon and the Botanical Garden) and the Maracanã stadium. The top of Corcovado can be reached by funicular, rail or on foot. Before visiting, it is worth checking the weather forecast, because sometimes clouds envelop the peak, hiding the statue. It is better to buy a ticket for a funicular or mini-train in advance via the Internet and come to the specified time. The least number of visitors is during lunchtime or in the afternoon;
Pão de Açúcar –Sugar Loaf or Sugarloaf, which offers an even more incredible view 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 booth 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.
Lagoon Rodrigo de Freitas - a large lagoon in the center of the South Zone, with a magnificent view of Corcovado and the beaches of Ipanema and Leblon. Here you can swim, run, cycle 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. It is home to 8,000 plant species, including orchids, bromeliads, ferns, magnificent giant bamboo forests, a collection of medicinal plants, stunning trees, beautiful flowers and giant cacti. The plants are home to colorful parrots, hummingbirds, butterflies and monkeys.
Ipanema and Copacabana are probably the most famous beaches in the world. This is a separate world with its regulars, bike paths, volleyball nets in the sand, mosaic embankments, beautiful tanned people.
Tijuca National Park - A magnificent national park that encompasses 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 - the legendary stadium, which was once the largest in the world.
Instituto Moreira Salles is a modern white-washed building that houses a collection of Brazilian art and the best private photography collection in Brazil.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, opened in 1996, is located across the Guanabara Bay in the suburb of Niteroi (can be reached by ferry or over 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.
Municipal Theater, 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 (will be especially interesting for 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 Tijuca Park and the Botanical Gardens, 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 during 2 weeks of 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 vibrant and bustling holiday is best known for the parade of samba schools.
Rio will be of interest to fans of delta and paragliding - due 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 a sugar loaf is not difficult 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 the best view of Rio opens up from above without crowds).
Some excursion companies offer tourists a tour of the favelas (the infamous urban slums). The attitude to 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, 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 with an unfamiliar guide.
Rio de Janeiro Monthly Weather
The climate type in Rio is subequatorial. Temperature and rainfall vary little throughout the year. The average temperature throughout the year remains at + 23-24 ° C, the water temperature does not drop below + 20 ° C. The coldest and driest month is July, while January, on the contrary, is the hottest and wettest.
|
month |
day air temperature ° 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 is the second largest city in Brazil, but leading in the annual influx of tourists. Some people think that Rio is the capital of the state, but it is not. Rio was the capital until 1960. This year she was transferred to the center of the country. However, Rio de Janeiro has always been the cultural capital, as well as the economic and financial center of Brazil.
The city has a tourist favorable location - the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, around the world's largest bay Guanabara. The city itself is divided into two parts: north and south. The northern zone is located on numerous mountains and rocks, and the southern zone is endless beaches. In the northern part of the city, on the slopes of the mountains, you can see squalid and poor dwellings. It is home to the poor and beggars from the poorest parts of the city, which are called favelas. There are several thousand of them in Rio. Naturally, the standard of living here is noticeably lower than in the city center. It so happens that some favelas don't even have schools and hospitals. Hence the high percentage of crime and complete unsanitary conditions. Rio de Janeiro is a city of criminals. So, for the sake of personal safety, you need to be careful and extremely careful while on the street. The fact is that the state practically does not deal with favelas. As a result, they are completely out of control by the police. These areas are generally run by the most powerful drug dealers.
Rio is a great place to start your own business, because the city is not called the business center of Brazil for nothing. It provides entrepreneurs with tremendous opportunities.
History
The history of the name of the city is considered very comical. It is translated from Portuguese as "January river". This is due to the fact that the Portuguese initially took the bay, in which the present Rio de Janeiro is located, as the mouth of the river. The Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos is considered to be the discoverer of this bay. The year of opening is considered to be 1502. During its history, the city was the capital of Brazil for many centuries, but in 1960 it was moved to the center of the state in order to ensure a more even development of the country. In Rio, coffee has always been in great demand. It was his export in the 19th century that literally pulled the city out of the crisis. The population grew rapidly, new districts appeared, and industry was actively developing. And by the end of the 20th century, the city became one of the largest and economically leading cities in the world, as well as the country's financial center.
sights
For many people, Rio is primarily associated with their traditional annual carnival. This is a solemn and colorful procession through the streets of the city. In addition to artistic entertainment, football plays a huge role in the life of every Brazilian. Almost every city has its own stadium. The most famous stadium in Rio is called Maracanã.
You can start exploring the city by visiting the beaches. For example, from the world famous four-kilometer Copacabana beach. However, it should be noted that it is always popular, and not only among tourists, but also among local residents. Therefore, it is always noisy and a lot of people. Copacabana is the center of parties.
From the beach you can see another attraction - Sugar Loaf. This is a huge mountain, the appearance of which really resembles someone's head. It offers a breathtaking view of the entire city. The ascent to the top of the mountain is carried out using a funicular.
Another notorious mountain is called Corcovado. On it is the pride and the most famous landmark not only in Rio, but throughout South America - the statue of Christ the Redeemer of an unusually large size. There is also an extensive observation deck that allows you to view the city from all sides.
Lovers of history and art will find that part of the city that is home to many different themed museums and cathedrals. The so-called "Old Town". Of the attractions of this area, the most famous is the Archbishop's Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, the pride of Brazil is the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of the Republic.
What is Rio de Janeiro famous for? All about Rio: what is interesting about the Old and New Towns, beaches and legendary places of the most beautiful city in Brazil.
If you remember the song about the "fairy tale city", "dream city", forget that it is dedicated to St. Petersburg, then these are the epithets that can safely award the pearl - the magnificent Rio de Janeiro. Located on the picturesque coast of the Atlantic Ocean in a tropical climate zone and occupying more than 1200 km² of the area, Rio is inhabited by almost seven million people, and if you take into account its suburbs, the total number of people exceeds 11 million!
Rio de Janeiro's endless beaches of golden sand are legendary!
Considering the proximity of the “big water” and the geographical position, it is worth saying that Rio de Janeiro is quite humid and hot, in summer the temperature does not drop below 25 degrees Celsius, in winter - below 20 degrees, of course, with a plus sign.
History of Rio de Janeiro
The history of the formation of the city began in the middle of the 16th century, when the Portuguese founded a settlement here. Due to its proximity to the ocean, the port of Rio de Janeiro began to develop rapidly, and it took only a couple of centuries for it to become the capital.
Even after the declaration of independence in the 20s of the 19th century, Rio did not lose its capital status, which was lost only in the 60s of the 20th century. Before the Portuguese, several local ethnic groups lived here, among which the Tupi ethnic group prevailed. It is believed that these lands have been inhabited by humans for the last 50 thousand years, which is periodically confirmed by Brazilian archaeologists. With the arrival of Europeans and the emergence of slave settlements, into which Africans, Chinese and representatives of other nationalities were brought, a special ethnic group begins to form in Rio de Janeiro, the descendants of which today represent the local population, mostly black.
What is interesting about Rio de Janeiro
A magical panorama of Rio - the most beautiful city in South America!
Today Rio de Janeiro is one of the most popular resorts in the world. It is here that the world famous beach of Capacabana is located, where you can easily see world-famous show business stars. Here in Rio, the famous Sugar Loaf rises, towering almost 400 meters above the bay.
Another attraction of Rio de Janeiro, known without a doubt to everyone, is the legendary statue of Christ the Redeemer, looking at the city from the height of Mount Corcovado. And, of course, Rio's carnivals are one of the most colorful, noisy and relaxed throughout Brazil.
Rio de Janeiro old town
In addition to those attractions of Rio de Janeiro that do not need an introduction and are known all over the world, there are many more places in the city that you just need to visit when you come here on vacation.
The famous Capacabana Beach lies within the New Town of Rio de Janeiro, as well as the other equally pretty Ipanema Beach.
And it is worth starting with the so-called Old City, where the main number of buildings built in the era of the formation of Rio de Janeiro are located. Here you can see the old customs house, walk along the docks, look into the Arsenal, as well as visit the buildings of the town hall and the stock exchange. Of particular interest for travelers is the Botikario Square with its ancient buildings, as well as the monastery quarter and the monastery of St. Teresa, founded in the first half of the 17th century.
In Old Rio, you can also see many picturesque palaces and stroll through the adjacent parks. The former residence of the emperor, called Quinta da Boa Vista, deserves special attention.Here you can not only enjoy the luxury of apartments, but also take a walk in the shade of tropical trees that grow in large numbers in the palace park.
In general, as for the nature of Rio de Janeiro, this is a separate story, and in order to experience all its beauty and see its wealth, you need to devote several days to it and go on a camping trip with an overnight stay.
Fortunately, one of the most picturesque Brazilian parks is located near the city - the Tijuca Forest, where you can find not only colorful parrots and butterflies, but also much more. The famous Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden is located on the territory of this large conservation area, which contains a unique collection of plants and animals of the region.
New city of Rio de Janeiro
In the photo: Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
But the park and the Botanical Garden are already located on the territory of the New Town. There are also many museums here, where you can visually get acquainted with the history of the city and the land on which it is located.
The famous Capacabana Beach also lies within the New Town of Rio de Janeiro, as well as another equally pretty beach, Ipanema. And also the Flamengo Park, striking in its beauty. Of the new buildings located here, the famous Maracanã stadium, where the overwhelming majority of Brazilian football stars began their careers, attracts attention.
And this is not all the beauty that will open to the eye of the traveler who has decided to choose the Brazilian metropolis, amazing in all respects, with metropolitan manners - Rio de Janeiro, as the place of his vacation.
Two of Rio's most iconic sites: Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf
