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Rio de Janeiro

No reviews yetCity Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilTeatro João Caetano (002095RJ005007), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNossa Sra. Amparo   RJ. 186.017   Flickr   Rafael Delazari, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilChrist the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilChrist the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

About Rio de Janeiro

Few cities sit in a setting as dramatic as Rio de Janeiro, where granite peaks covered in rainforest drop straight to Guanabara Bay and a string of Atlantic beaches. Founded by the Portuguese in 1565, it served as the capital of colonial Brazil, briefly of the whole Portuguese empire and then of independent Brazil until 1960. Some six million cariocas live in the city itself.

The statue of Christ the Redeemer watches from Corcovado, cable cars climb Sugarloaf Mountain, and Copacabana and Ipanema set the rhythm of daily life on the sand. Tijuca National Forest, one of the largest urban forests in the world, covers the hills behind the city, while the Botanical Garden has been growing since 1808.

Downtown and Lapa hold baroque churches, the gilded Theatro Municipal and the tiled Selarón Steps, and the revived port district now showcases the Museum of Tomorrow. Samba drives the famous Carnival each year, and football fans make the pilgrimage to the Maracanã.

Best seasonSeptember to November and March to May bring warm days with fewer crowds; Carnival falls in February or March.
Ideal stayFour to five days for the peaks, beaches, downtown and a forest hike.
ArrivingGaleão (RIOgaleão) International Airport handles most long-haul flights; Santos Dumont Airport serves domestic routes near downtown.

Exploring Rio de Janeiro: 12 Must-See Spots

Landmarks 2

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Christ the Redeemer

Completed in 1931, the art deco statue of Christ stands about 30 meters tall on the 700-meter summit of Corcovado, arms spread ove...
Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro

Opened in 1909 on Cinelândia square, the city's grand opera house was inspired by the Paris Opera, with a gilded facade, marble st...

Viewpoints 1

Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sugarloaf Mountain

Rising straight from the water at the mouth of Guanabara Bay, this granite dome is reached by a two-stage cable car via Morro da U...

Beaches 2

Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Copacabana Beach

Rio's most famous beach curves for about four kilometers between the Leme and Copacabana forts, backed by the black-and-white wave...
Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ipanema Beach

Stretching from the Arpoador rocks to the Jardim de Alah canal, Ipanema is the stylish heart of carioca beach life, divided by lif...

Nature 1

Tijuca National Forest, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Tijuca National Forest

Covering the mountains behind the city, this is one of the largest urban forests in the world, largely replanted in the 19th centu...

Arts 1

Escadaria Selarón, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Escadaria Selarón

Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón spent years covering these 215 steps between Lapa and Santa Teresa with thousands of colorful ti...

Entertainment 1

Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Maracanã Stadium

Opened for the 1950 World Cup, the Maracanã is Brazil's most famous stadium and has hosted the 2014 World Cup final and the openin...

Museums 1

Museum of Tomorrow, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Museum of Tomorrow

Designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened in 2015 on Praça Mauá, this striking white building juts out over the water of the reviv...

Neighborhoods 1

Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Santa Teresa

Winding streets lined with old mansions, artists' studios and small bars make this hilltop district one of the most charming corne...

Parks 1

Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden

Founded in 1808 by the Portuguese prince regent Dom João, this garden at the foot of Corcovado shelters thousands of plant species...

History 1

Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Real Gabinete Português de Leitura

Founded by Portuguese immigrants in 1837, this library's ornate Neo-Manueline building downtown hides one of the most beautiful re...

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Photo credits

Photo: Núcleo de digitalização / IMS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Núcleo de digitalização / IMS, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Rafael Delazari from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Sérgio Valle Duarte .mw-parser-output .messagebox{margin:4px 0;width:auto;border, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Leonardo Pallotta from São Paulo, Brazil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Cesar Vieira, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Halley Pacheco de Oliveira, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: I, Rodrigo Gomes da Paixão, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

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Photo: Adam Jones, Ph.D., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: chensiyuan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photo: Arne Müseler, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 de

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Photo: Balou46, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photo: GilbertoSilvaFan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photo: Joalpe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photo: Voscaptureis, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0