Rio is blessed with a wonderful natural surrounding. The city is situated in a range of 15 miles of land, squeezed between the mountains, with contrasting peaks including Sugar Loaf and Corcovado, topped by the famous statue of Christ, and the sea. There are about thirty miles separating down town Flamengo vast playground, bordered on one side by the blue sea, on the other, green hills. Between them lies a colourful state of mind called carioca, with almost 8 million locals who samba their way, relaxed and high-spirited, through life.
Cariocas are known for their warmth, beauty and fun loving attitude to life but they are also very hardworking and competent. This competence has made Rio one of Brazil's most important cities economically speaking.
Fortunately in Rio there's much more beyond and behind the glow: historic neighborhoods, compelling architecture, wildlife and nature, dining (fine and not so well), nightclubs, bookstores, cafes, museums and enclaves of rich and poor. In Rio, the more you explore, the more there is.
Samba:
The music people instantly associate with Brazil is samba. This is the music of carnival in Rio and one of the most popular rhythms. Samba was first performed in the carnival of 1917, although its origins go back much further. Their distinct beats reflect a strong African influence. The frenetic pace is accompanied by samba dance steps characteristic that, for the uninitiated, seem to defy most of nature's laws of motion. Much like the famous carnival sambas, this style is present in many types of music and a few other Brazilian artists not registered at least one samba melody.
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro:
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is really one of the greatest spectacles in the world. For many Cariocas (Rio residents), this is the most awaited event of the year. In Rio, everything stops for more than a week and everybody lets their hair out and partying. Carnival typically lasts some Thursday and continues through Wednesday of next week.
This time is filled with various themed street parades that are so abundant as to be able to spend most of the time in some parade or event. Also during this time are the great contests of the samba schools which take place in specially built Samba drome. There are two ways to get in the competition of the samba schools. The first is to buy tickets and go see the show.
The competition takes place in specially built Sambadrome. Tickets go on sale in January for three nights. However, only a small portion of the tickets are sold to the public at point of ticket sales. These usually sell out very quickly. Most tickets are sold directly to the sponsors and travel agencies.
Barra da Tijuca:
Located a bit out of the way, this popular area and beach deserves a visit. BarraShopping famous for its huge shopping mall and upper-class residents, Barra has an air of Miami right about that. The visitor can come here to enjoy nightclubs, shops, good restaurants and bars. Probably the best reason to come here, however, is the beach itself. The water is clean, perfect for surfing, windsurfing and bodyboarding, and he does not get as crowded as Copacabana or Ipanema.
Beach Life:
The importance of the beach to Rio de Janeiro should never be underestimated. The city 56 miles (90 km) of beaches are part of the lifestyle of the river, some of which - such as Copacabana and Ipanema - are world famous.
Rio de Janeiro:
Rio de Janeiro is the only beaches that will have even your own heart. Wherever you are in town, you're never far from the beach.
Mud Cafe:
This is one of those historic restaurants where presidents, writers, actors, poets have frequented. It opened its doors in 1874 and has been doing a great success since then. The decor is simple, traditional and classic-spacious with wooden chairs and tables and white tablecloths, corresponding to the white columns. The menu is traditional, and the meat is most popular. Experience and the famous Lamas Steak fillet with chips, onion, ham and peas. Another good option is codfish cakes to be enjoyed with cold beer.
Copacabana Palace:
1923 palace hotel is situated near the beach and convenient to the nightlife of Rio de Janeiro and trade centers. The Copacabana Palace 5-star hotel has two restaurants, Arbor (the pool) and the Cipriani restaurant (with Northern Italian cuisine). The restaurant and its bar are located on the ground floor of the Annex, overlooking the hotel pool. The hotel also has 24 hour room service, swimming pool, sauna, solarium and massage. Golf, tennis, health club, beach and water sports are nearby.
The Copacabana Palace is superbly located: it faces the famous Copacabana Beach and yet is just minutes from downtown Rio.
Most visitors to Brazil to start or finish your trip in Rio de Janeiro. A wise choice. There may be more extensive beaches in the north, the highest mountains in the south and higher in the Amazon jungles, but nowhere else on earth is there that wonderful combination of white-hot sand and tall green peaks, with an urban sprawl of humanity filling all the spaces between them. Most people are in beachfront neighborhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema. They are great places to sunbathe and watch the people.