What to do in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is considered one of the most beautiful places in the world. It is an absolutely amazing place to visit and I recommend it for anyone who is planning a vacation. It is hot year round and almost everyday is a beach day. The city has many palm trees and coconut trees like the ones your dream about. You can always find an ice-cold beer, fresh fruit juice, and coconut water(you don’t even need a cup, they will make a hole and put a straw in!). There are many things to do there to suit every one’s whats.
To start out going to the beach, if that isn’t too obvious. It’s a perfect place to relax, tan, cool off in the water, or even going surfing. There are a few beaches in the city and a lot more nearby. Some the beaches in the city include: Copacabana Beach, Ipanema Beach, Barra Beach, and Recreio Beach. For me the best beaches are located outside of the city in places like Buzios and Cabo Frio. They are both within two hours from the city and if you can’t drive it’s easy to take a bus.
A must visit place in Rio is the Christ the Redeemer statue known as Cristo Redentor there. It is the 5th largest statue of Jesus Christ in the world located at the peak of Corcovado Mountain(2,300ft). You can take a train or drive to get to the top. Once your up there you can see the city and ocean, take pictures of the incredible view and the statue , and they even have a restaurant overlooking the city up there.
Another tourist attraction is Surgarloaf mountain called Pao de Acucar there. It’s called that because it resembles the shape of sugar loaf. To get to the top you need to take a cable car up to Morro da Urca and then another from there to the top of Sugarloaf.
If you like to party, Rio de Janeiro is a great place for partying. They have many night clubs throughout the city, but some of the best are located in a part of the city called Lapa. In Lapa the streets are filled with party goers drinking, talking, dancing and waiting to get into the clubs where they will party until the sun comes up. If your not quite 21 years old yet it’s not a problem because 18 is the legal age in Brazil.
Also, the festival known as Carnival which is celebrated before Lent is considered the largest in the world. People take to the streets to party, dance, play music and watch the parades. It lasts for 4-7 days but people start celebrating weeks before the actual festival.
The favelas of Rio can be considered a good place to visit by some people. I have never been to one, but I do know people who have that enjoyed their experience there. Just last year in 2012 Lady Gaga visited one. Even the pacified favelas can be considered dangerous and you should be with a native before going into one.
If your like nature then the Tijuca Forest(called Floresta da Tijuca)is your place to go. It is the largest urban forest in the world full of all kinds of plants and animals. There are plenty of hiking trails, waterfalls, and rivers to see. Also, you can visit their huge botanical garden which they call Jardim Botanicol. It is home to over 6,000 species of both native and foreign flora.
If you are a food person like me you will need to try a Brazilian churrasco(barbeque). There are many places to eat and what I enjoy is the real fresh fruit juice to go with your meal.
So, if your ever going to go to Rio these are just some of the things that you can do during your visit. Before you go you should know while planning your trip that they speak Portuguese not Spanish. Their currency is called the Brazilian Real(the exchange rate is about double from the U.S Dollar, but you will need to check just in case it changes).
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