Lonely Planet Brazil

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781786574756
• eBook ISBN: 9781788685115

Rio de Janeiro

Sights

Activities

Courses

Tours

Festivals & Events

Sleeping

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Football Fever

Rio de Janeiro

%21 / Pop 6.5 million

Why Go?

Planted between lush, forest-covered mountains and breathtaking beaches, the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City) has many charms at its disposal.

Although joie de vivre is a French invention (as is the bikini), the cariocas (residents of Rio) made it their own. How else to explain the lust for life and zeal with which the city’s inhabitants celebrate their days? While large-scale festivities such as Carnaval make Rio famous, there are countless occasions for revelry: Saturdays at Ipanema Beach, festas (parties) in Lapa, football at Maracanã, and impromptu rodas de samba (samba circles) on the sidewalks of Leblon, Copacabana or any other corner of the city.

Rio’s spectacular landscape is another of its virtues. Verdant mountains and golden beaches fronting a deep blue sea offer a range of adventures: surfing great breaks, hiking through Floresta da Tijuca’s rainforest or rock climbing up the face of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain).

When to Go

• Dec–Feb Steamy beach days and a packed festival calendar, including the Carnaval buildup.
• Apr & May Cooler but sunny days, fewer crowds and lower prices.
• Jun Low season, lower temperatures and sometimes misty days, but great lodging discounts.

Best Places to Eat

AGiuseppe Grill

AZazá Bistrô Tropical

AAprazível

AOteque

AFerro e Farinha

AEspírito Santa

Best Places to Stay

ACasa Beleza

AHotel Santa Teresa

APouso Verde

AMaze Inn

ABelmond Copacabana Palace

Rio de Janeiro Highlights

1 Copacabana Beach Basking in the sunshine followed by drinks at an oceanfront kiosk.

2 Pão de Açúcar Admiring the Cidade Maravilhosa from the craggy heights.

3 ...

Table of contents

• Table of Contents
• Welcome to Brazil
• Brazil’s Top 20
• Need to Know
• First Time Brazil
• If You Like…
• Month by Month
• Itineraries
• Carnaval
• Outdoors
• Eat & Drink Like a Local
• Travel with Children
• Regions at a Glance
• Rio de Janeiro
• Football Fever
• Rio de Janeiro State
• Beaches of Rio de Janeiro State
• Minas Gerais & Espírito Santo
• São Paulo State
• Pizza Paulistana
• Paraná
• Iguaçu Falls
• Santa Catarina
• Vale Europeu
• Rio Grande do Sul
• Vale dos Vinhedos
• Brasília & Goiás
• Niemeyer’s Brasília
• Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul
• Driving the Transpantaneira
• Bahia
• Capoeira
• Candomblé
• Sergipe & Alagoas
• Pernambuco, Paraíba & Rio Grande do Norte
• Fernando de Noronha
• Ceará, Piauí & Maranhão
• Beach Beauties
• The Amazon
• Riverboat Travel
• Amazon Wildlife
• Understand Brazil
• Brazil Today
• History
• Life in Brazil
• Brazilian Rhythms
• Football
• Cinema & Literature
• Architecture
• The Natural World
• Directory A–Z
• Transportation
• Language
• Behind the Scenes
• Our Writers