Rio de Janeiro
Rio, who has never dreamed of going there? As the Brazilians say, "If God was an artist then Rio would be his masterpiece". The first brushstroke was the blue of the sea.... then, green ink fell onto the canvas and transformed itself into the forest. Then the mountains and the water appeared on the picture... Rio, nicknamed "cidade maravilhosa" (the marvelous city) owes its reputation to its incredible beauty. Founded in the majestic bay of Guanabara, which the Portuguese explorers confused with a river mouth (which explains the name of the city, literally meaning river of January), the city has expended in every possible direction, still in an amazing proximity with nature. The floresta da Tijuca spreading in the middle of the city, is the largest urban forest in the world. The Corcovado dominates and protects the city at 700 m above sea level, with views over the forest and all around the city. Facing the Corcovado is the other symbol of this city, the imposing Sugarloaf Mountain, the solitary guardian at the entrance of the bay. The beaches spread from there as an opening to the ocean with all those familiar names: Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Barra… where the Cariocas gather in these temples dedicated to the cult of the body. Far less represented on Rio's postcards, the very eclectic city center shelters the modern business center next to the architectural buildings from the time where Rio dreamed to compare with the European capitals. You can walk around without really understanding the actual identity of the city, passing from monumental avenues to alleyways housing artisan workshops. "The beauty of this city and its surroundings is unbelievable. Neither words nor photographs can totally describe it because it is so varied and inexhaustible. A painter’s life would not be enough to represent the thousands of different aspects of Rio. Because nature gathered here a formidable density of beauties that are normally sparse in the rest of this immense country" - Stefan Zweig.
TRIPS
- Amazing Family Trip to Brazil
- Best of Brazil
- Brazil Brick by Brick
- Brazil Highlights
- Brazil Nature & History
- Brazil Wonders
- Brazil the Gold Road
- Brazil's Wild Gems
- Family Outing in Brazil
- From Sao Paulo to Salvador
- Love Bird Honeymoon
- Minas Gerais Mineralogy
- New Year's Eve in Rio
- Rio & Fishermen Trekking
- Rio Samba
- Rio de Janeiro Carnival
- Treasure Hunt in Brazil
- Wild Brazil