Main Attractions

Top Attractions in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is one city that has always lived up to its nickname as the Marvelous City. There are thousands of reasons why a visit to Rio ought to be on every traveler’s agenda. The regions’ wonderful landmarks and rich culture need to be experienced at least once in a life time. Some of the main attractions of Rio are its exotic beaches including the infamous Copacabana and Ipanema, Sugarloaf Mountain, Corcovado Mountain with the distinctive statue of Christ the Redeemer, the Rio Carnival and its Samba Schools’ Parade. The Brazilians are a fun loving, warm and friendly people, which is an attraction itself.

Copacabana – Rio’s Sunshine Paradise

Copacabana attracts millions of tourists to Rio each year to enjoy the best moments of their vacation at the beach. With plenty of sunshine all year round, Rio’s beach neighborhood has evolved from a small fishing village into a tropical paradise. The Copacabana Palace Hotel is one of the most famous landmarks along the beach. The white sand and calm waters of Copa beckons one and all.Copacabana still remains a place of Brazilian ethnic, cultural and social diversity. This alone makes it all interesting!!

Ipanema – Popular With The boys Too

Ipanema is another popular beach neighborhood immortalized by Antonio Carlos Jobim (Music) and Vinicius de Moraes (Lyrics) in the  worldwide Bossa Nova hit in middle of 1960s - “The Girl from Ipanema”.The first thing anyone arriving in Rio should do is sit on Ipanema beach for at least a few hours. This part of Rio has the finest hotels, a bustling nightlife and the best shopping options on Rua Garcia D'Avila and Visconde de Piraja. From designer wear to specialty shops and boutiques, Ipanema has everything that shoppers need.

Botanical Gardens – Preserving Rio’s Ecology

Just 15 minutes from both Copacabana and Ipanema, the Botanical Garden is a wonderful place to spend a leisurely afternoon. The Garden extends over 350 acres and more than 6,000 different species of plants and trees including over 900 varieties of palm trees alone.The Botanical Garden has over 138 catologued species of birds and among the Mammals, there are the “Caxinguelês” which is the symbol of the Garden and also, monkeys. Sometimes you can find skunks too! In the lakes, many native and exotic fish species can be observed. Lizards, snakes and a great variety of butterflies are also constant visitors.

Maracanã Football Stadium

As in many parts of the world, soccer is called football in Brazil. Football is almost a religion in Brazil with the Maracana Football Stadium in Rio being the temple. The official name of the Stadium is Mario Filho, which was given in honour of a Carioca Journalist, who stood out in supporting the construction of Maracanâ. But its popular name is derived from the Maracanã River which crosses the area of Stadium . As soon as you get to Rio, ask around if there is a game going on and if it will be good, meaning big teams or championship finals. This will be an experience like you never had. Sports lovers will enjoy a trip to the museum inside the stadium which has photos, trophies and uniforms of Brazil’s football greats. Maracanã is to Soccer as Wimbledon is to tennis, Madison Square Garden to basketball. An extremely exciting experience.  

Candelária Church

The Candelaria Church is a Latin cross church with a dome over the transept. It was built and decorated during a long period (from 1775 to the end of the 19th Century). The main facade shows Baroque influences in the design of the windows, doors and towers, as well as Neoclassical influences in the bi-dimensionally of the facade and the triangular pediment.The facade contrasts the dark granite of windows, columns and other elements with whitewashed wall segment, a typical characteristic of colonial churches in our city. You should take a look inside it!