Rio de Janeiro travel guide

• Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf),
• Pão de Açúcar and Corcovado,
• Christ the Redeemer

Rio de Janeiro

By Day or Night Dazzle

Samba, beaches, bossa nova, Guanabara Bay, Funk Carioca, Carnaval, and Christ the Redeemer-one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World"-are all well-known icons of A Cidade Maravilhosa, the "marvelous city." Nonetheless, Rio is a portrait of all of Brazil's contradictions. The gorgeous coastline of the Atlantic rainforest drapes down the hillsides, which are covered with a vast labyrinth of favelas (shanty towns) and spill onto the loveliest urban beaches in the world, lined with the very chic apartments of Brazil's wealthiest class. Both classes have one thing in common: a lust for life that makes for some of the most vibrant popular culture and most spectacular public events worldwide. First , there is Carnaval, of course, which draws thousands to the Sambódromo, where samba schools compete for the prestigious title. New Year's Eve also draws international attention to its beaches as revelers, dressed in white, bring offerings to Iemanjá-"queen of the waters"-while live mega-music shows rock the public along Avenida Atlântica to brilliant fireworks explosions. Sports activities abound, with excellent conditions for sailing, surfing, skin and scuba diving, hang gliding, beach volleyball, and, of course, soccer -- fútbol, as everyone in Brazil knows it. The more than 11 million inhabitants are famous for their love of music, which can be enjoyed in the many nightclubs, restaurants, and theaters -- or even in little sidewalk cafés.

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by jenn