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Rio De Janeiro Holidays, Hotels & Travel Guide
Travel guide to hotels & holidays in Rio De Janeiro
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Rio De Janeiro Holidays Overview
A guide to holidays in Rio De Janeiro - Mention Rio to anyone and immediately the name
evokes images of sultry street parades, the Sugarloaf Mountain,
Corcovado Christ statue, and the 'itsy-bitsy teeny weeny' bikinis
on the beach at Ipanema. The exuberant cultural capital of Brazil
is tucked between the mountains and the sea and is endowed with a
natural beauty that ranges from the beaches to the mountain peaks.
It also contains the biggest urban forest in the world, the Tijuca
Forest, that was completely replanted during the second half of the
19th century.
The city throbs to the infectious
beat of Brazilian music, the choro, the samba and the bossa nova,
and is the main source of Brazil's national culture. Its annual
carnival, known simply as Carnaval, draws together the population
of the city (known as the 'Cariocas') ranging from rich to very
poor who take to the streets for the world's largest samba parade
on the Sambodromo. The city is capital of the
state of Rio de Janeiro, which encompasses most of Brazil's major
tourist attractions. Rio is a never-ending story
made up of 150 districts each characterised by unique features,
like Santa Teresa, which is reached by taking an old tram across an
ancient aqueduct called Arcos da Lapa. In the central city area Rio
boasts historic monuments and public buildings like the Municipal
Theatre, the National Museum of Fine Art, the Itamaraty Palace, the
National History Museum and the National Library. There are also
beautiful examples of religious architecture such as the Sao Bento
Monastery. No matter how long you spend exploring the city, it will
always deliver new surprises. To the north of
the city is the Lakes region, which has more than 62 miles (100km)
of beaches and sea-water lagoons and is the site of the main
tourist resorts of Búzios, Cabo Frio, Arrial do Cabo, Rio das
Ostras, Maricá and Saquarema.
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Rio De Janeiro
holidays - Top Places To Go
1. Corcovado
www.bondinho.com.br |
What is it? The distinctive statue of Christ the
Redeemer, arms spread to welcome the world, is one of the world's
best-known monuments. It rests on top of Rio de Janeiro's Corcovado
mountain, 2,330ft (710m) above the beaches below, and is accessed
via a miniature train that runs from the Cosme Vehlo District
through the Atlantic rainforest to the foot of the statue. The
train ride offers stunning vistas of Rio, and the view from the
summit is breathtaking. Spread out beneath the statue is the Tijuca
Forest, resplendent with attractions to enchant visitors in the
cool of the rainforest among natural pools and waterfalls. There is
for example the Mayrink chapel which features murals painted by
Candido Portinari, one of Brazil's best known modern artists, and
the Museu do Acude, housing colonial furniture and a collection of
china from the East India Company.
Hours of Operation: Daily 8am to 6pm
Phone:(21) 2546 8400 |
2. Sugar Loaf
Av. Pasteur 520
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What is it? The summit of Rio's unique 887ft high (270m)
belvedere, named Sugar Loaf because of its resemblance to the
loaves of sugar used by the Portuguese colonists, can be reached by
a two-stage cable car ride. The first stage takes visitors up 550ft
(168m) to the Morro da Urca, where there is a restaurant,
amphitheatre, heliport and spectacular view of the Yacht Club and
Botafogo Bay. The second stage takes one the rest of the way to the
summit for a panoramic view of the city, and the whole of
Copacabana beach.
Hours of Operation: Daily 8am to 10pm
Phone:(21) 2546 8400 |
3. Botanical Gardens
Rua Jardim Botânico
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What is it? Rio's Botanical Gardens were created in 1808
by the Prince Regent of Portugal as a temporary site for
acclimatising imported plants. Today it is home to some 2,600
species of plant life, particularly bromeliads and orchids. Colour
is added to the botanical treasures by a wealth of wildlife, such
as Toucans, Tanagers, Marmoset monkeys and brilliantly-coloured
butterflies.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday 8am to 5pm
Phone:(21) 2294 9349 |
Rio De Janeiro
holidays - Top Events
1. Rio Carnival
From 2007-02-17
To 2007-02-20
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What is it? Brazil's tradition of throwing wild carnivals
early in the year (usually the beginning of February) is one that
was imported along with the colonial Portuguese, adopted and
streamlined into today's world-famous Brazilian event of the year.
Carnaval stems from a Catholic Church spring thanksgiving
celebration dating from the Middle Ages in Europe. When the
fun-loving Portuguese colonised Brazil they instituted Carnaval as
a period of abandoned merriment and street pranks. In 1840 the
Italian wife of a Rio de Janeiro hotelier formalised the carnaval
celebration by hiring musicians and giving a lavish masked ball.
Today each city in Brazil celebrates Carnaval in its own style, but
the crème de la crème of Carnaval celebrations is the one held in
Rio, where the focus is on the colourful parade of the samba
schools, which comes with extravagant floats, brilliant costumes,
magical music and amazingly energetic dancers. The action takes
place in the Sambodromo, a half-mile long path built specifically
for the event in 1984. At the end of the parade the samba schools
perform for an hour each in front of stands packed with spectators,
vying for the judges' favour and the championship title. Carnaval
time is also a time for street parties and elaborate night-long
costume balls, which are held in the top
hotels.
Where is it? Samba Parade: Sambadrome. Street carnival takes place in
different neighbourhoods |
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