The
cidade maravelhosa or 'marvelous city' welcomes you
with an unparalleled mix of cosmopolitain life and natural
beauty with a friendly, youthful population and lengthy beach
playgrounds.
Don't allow an unfamiliar taxi driver be your first impression
of this wonder. Rio de Janeiro is not a city, it is
a by-product of an
exuberant landscape. It is moutains 3000' and higher
gracefully tumbling into the Atlantic Sea, various
bays and beaches and
the city proper nestled just below the mountains.
The
main sights are the Sugar Loaf mountain and the Corcovado mountain
and its Christ the Redeemer statue, from where the city
unfolds in a stunning way. Every escorted tour
should
include each of these sights as a half day sightseeing.
Make sure your hotel is located in the beach district
of Copacabana,
so that you can enjoy beach-life by day and the night-life
there in the evenings.
It
is true that the water quality, although improving dramatically
in recent years, is not that of remote beaches outside
the city, but it is by no means a health hazard. The
people of
Rio de Janeiro go to the beach for the beach life and
not necessarily for a swim. Many good hotels have roof
top
pools with
excellent
views...
Ipanema has the best night life, but Copacabana has the best choice
of restaurants, many of which are side walk places along the
waterfront for excellent people watching 24 hours a day. It
is not uncommon to linger several hours after dinner and enjoy
the atmosphere, as well as the occasional Caiprinha,
THE drink everybody has to try! Made of limes and Brazilian
sugarcane schnaps, this 'little girl from the countryside'
seems innocent enough, at first anyway...
Escorted
Tours including Rio de Janeiro:
