CRISTO REDENTOR

Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer)
Standing 125 feet (38 meters) tall, Rio’s “Christ the Redeemer” statue was inaugurated in 1931 at the summit of Corcovado mountain in Tijuca National Park. Voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Cog trains to the statue depart every 30 minutes from Rua Cosme Velho 513; tel. +55 (21) 2558 1329. www.corcovado.org.br

Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) opens his arms wide as if to embrace all of Rio de Janeiro. The statue stands atop Corcovado Mountain, which visitors can climb by taxi or cog railway to gain unparalleled views of the city.

IPANEMA

“On weekends, Rio’s fashion runway.”

Play beach soccer with locals, spot TV stars at Posto 9, watch sun set against Dos Irmaos twin peaks.

The word "Ipanema" comes from the old Tupi language, meaning "bad water". In this case, it means bad for fishing, since the waves die too close to the sand, pushing fish away.

COPACABANA

The hub of Rio’s tourist industry. People from around the world pack the beach by day, the clubs by night. Oceanside avenue shuts down each Sunday for pedestrian-only traffic.

The name Copacabana has a Bolivian origin. Historians trace it to a XVII century image of Our Virgin Lady of Copacabana, brought by the Portuguese from a small village around distant Lake Titicaca. It was installed in a chapel that would later be demolished for the construction of Forte de Copacabana.

MARACANA

Avenida Professor Eurico Rabelo, Portão 18, Maracanã; tel. +55 (21) 2299 2941.

Estádio do Maracanã
“The Flamengo/Fluminense soccer matches are a sporting spectacle beyond compare.” Check stadium calendar (www.suderj.rj.gov.br) for soccer match dates and times.

RAMPA de PEDRA BONITA

info

GPS coordinates : take off : 22°59'17" (22.9882)S; 43°16'43" (43.2788)W - Elevation : 507 m.
landing : 23°0'4" (23.0012)S; 43°16'24" (43.2734)W - Elevation : 18 m.
 

 http://www.guia4ventos.com.br/brasil.php

Take off : alti: 507m
The take-off is a specially made ramp up Pedra Bonita. The top of the ramp is used by hang-gliders. Underneath and to the front of the ramp is for paragliders.

PAO DE AÇUCAR

Pão de Açúcar
Rising 1,299 feet (396 meters) above Guanabara Bay, Pão de Açúcar (“Sugarloaf”) mountain offers spectacular panoramic views of Rio, especially at sunset. Reach summit on two-stage cable cars, stopping at Morro da Urca.  Cable cars leave from Avenida Pasteur 520, Urca; tel. +55 (21) 2546 8400. www.bondinho.com.br

Tip: “There are summer evening concerts on Morro de Urca.”—Flávia Alessandra, actress, Globo TV. Visit Oi Noites Cariocas (www.oinoitescariocas.com.br) for concert details.

JARDIN BOTANICO

Jardim Botânico
340-acre (137.6-hectare) natural reserve; celebrates its 200th anniversary in June 2008. 8,000 plant species from Brazil and abroad. Rua Jardim Botânico 1008; tel. +55 (21) 3874 1808; fee. www.jbrj.gov.br

Do not miss the impressive Victoria-Regis floating on the Frei Leandro pond. Walk among cocoa and rubber trees, breathe in the pungent aroma of the abricó-de-macaco trees, and watch out for the falling fruit - they are the size of a football! The greenhouses with bromeliads and orchids are very popular. There is also a sensorial garden, a Japanese garden, and many other special areas to visit.

MUSEO CONTEMPORANEO

CATEDRAL

ACADEMIA DE CACHAÇA

 http://www.academiadacachaca.com.br

LAPA

Bohemian neighborhood; enjoying a renaissance. Live choro and samba at night; antique stores on Rua do Lavrádio;

street market first Saturday of each month.

Santa Teresa

Santa Teresa
“Old-time neighborhood

Ride streetcar across Arcos da Lapa; visit Museu da Chácara do Céu on the way.

Start at Estação de Bondes, Rua Lélio Gama 65, Centro; tel. +55 (21) 2215 8559.

Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas

Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
Saltwater lagoon at Rio’s heart. A 4.6-mile (7.5-kilometer) walking/biking path; over two dozen kiosks; swan paddleboats for rent. . www.lagoarodrigodefreitas.com.br

Barra da Tijuca

Barra da Tijuca
Upscale district on Rio’s western edge. Includes 11-mile (18-kilometer) beachfront, the city’s longest; ocean cleaner than at Copacabana and Ipanema.

Home to Rio’s largest shopping center, 577-store BarraShopping. www.barrashopping.com.br

Ilha Fiscal

Small island housing 1889 neo-Gothic castle. Arrive on schooner; guided tours in Portuguese (English booklet). Don’t-miss naval museum and submarine. Thursday to Sunday only. Espaço Cultural da Marinha, Avenida Alfred Agache, near Praça Quinze, Centro; tel. +55 (21) 2233 9165; fee. www.mar.mil.br/sdm/ilha/ilha.htm

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Brazil is the giant of South America with nearly half of the continent's area and people; worldwide it ranks fifth in both area and population, which is as diverse as it is large. About 54 percent (103 million) are mainly of European origin, descendants of immigrants from Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany and Eastern Europe. More than 44 percent (85 million) are black or of mixed-race, a legacy of the African slave trade. Less than 1 percent (700,000) are from indigenous groups, mostly Indians in the Amazon region; smaller numbers of Japanese, other Asians, and Arabs live in the larger Brazilian cities.

The motto "Ordem e Progresso"—(Order and Progress)—appears on Brazil's flag. Political progress continues after years of military dictatorship gave way to civilian rule in 1985. Recent censuses reveal social progress, with lower infant mortality rates and higher literacy rates. Brazil's growing urbanization rate helps economic development (some 80 percent of Brazilians live in urban areas), but creates serious social and environmental problems in cities.

São Paulo, with some 10.9 million people, is Brazil's largest city—and one of the world's largest metropolises. It is the leading industrial producer and financial center, but problems with pollution, overcrowding, and poverty abound. The Southeast region of Brazil includes São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, and Rio de Janeiro—the economic hub of Brazil, containing more than 40 percent of the country's population. South of São Paulo is a rich agricultural region with European-style standards of living, where German and Italian are still spoken alongside Portuguese. Itaipu, the second largest hydroelectric power facility in the world, provides electricity to power-hungry São Paulo.

Brazil's second most populous region is the Northeast region, from Maranhao in the north down to Bahia (the most African of Brazilian states). The architecture of cities like Recife and Salvador (Portuguese colonial capital, 1549-1763) shows an earlier age of plantation wealth, but today this is a poor region subject to devastating droughts. Millions have left here for jobs in the Southeast. However, tourism has begun to boom due to sunny weather, samba music, and soft sand beaches.

The North, dominated by the Amazon, is the largest region with the fewest people. The government is making progress in conserving the tropical rain forest and protecting the indigenous people. Tumucumaque National Park, created in 2002, is the world's largest tropical forest park.

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_brazil.html