There are many places to see, visit, and explore in Brazil. Rio de Janeiro, the most popular destination, offers many other places to visit besides Christ the Redeemer Statue and Sugar Loaf Mountain. See below two top places worth exploring: Pedra da Gávea (literally “Rock of the Topsail”) If you love hiking, rock-climbing, and mountaineering, then Pedra da Gavea is a must explore when visiting Rio de Janeiro. The bottom of the mountain is just 20 to 30 minutes drive from…read more
There are several points of interest in Rio de Janeiro. Most foreigners, though, have only heard about Corcovado, Sugar Loaf, Maracana Football Stadium, and Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches. However, there are many other points of interest that worth a visit in Rio. Actually, Rio de Janeiro is the city that offers the greatest number of lookouts, places of interest, and tourist attractions in Brazil. No wonder Rio is the most visited city in the country. Find below a few of…read more
Paraty is a historic little town on the coast of Rio de Janeiro State. This tourist destination offers paradisiacal beaches on small islands as well as great dining, live Brazilian music, some nightlife, romantic atmosphere, and a charming historic central area with plenty of colonial buildings, cafes, restaurants, and shops. Paraty is 3 ½ to 4 hours drive without traffic from Rio de Janeiro or from Sao Paulo. This fishing village has a lot of character, and definitely worth the…read more
Buzios is the nicest beach town near Rio de Janeiro. You have the choice of going to Buzios on a full day organized sightseeing tour, or staying there for two or three nights (or even more). Buzios is a little fishing village that offers the real vacation feel. Laid-back, sunny all year around, and reasonably small. Instead of trying to see the whole Brazil on a single trip, many travelers decide to combine Rio de Janeiro with Buzios — it…read more
Petropolis is the closest and one of the most popular destinations for Cariocas (natives of Rio). Many of them travel to Petropolis, and self-tour for a full day before heading back to Rio de Janeiro. Most foreign tourists take a day tour to Petropolis, usually an 8-hour guided tour organized by a Rio de Janeiro tour operator. However, independent travelers can also visit Petropolis by themselves. A map is essential, though, to locate the main attractions in the city such…read more
There are several places to visit near Rio de Janeiro. You can either choose a tourist destination that is one, two, three, or four hours away by car/taxi/bus, or you can fly two to four hours by airplane. Brazil is giant — approximately the size of USA (excluding Alasca), and roughly the size of Europe (excluding Russia). Brazil is the largest country is South America, and the 5th largest in the world. So, you need to decide whether you want…read more
The list of places, scenic overlooks, activities, attractions, sights and sounds not to be missed in Rio de Janeiro is endless. There are really many things to do, see, and try — especially if you are open-minded in absorbing part of the local culture. Here is a random and very limited list of the not to be missed when visiting Rio de Janeiro. Activity — Hang gliding Landing on Pepino Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Jumping off a 500-metre (1,500-foot)…read more
Wondering how much time or how many days is needed in Rio de Janeiro to have a good overview of the most exciting Brazilian city? Let’s get an idea on what you can see in Rio de Janeiro during your stay, and in how much time you can see what matters to you. Bear in mind that many factors count — luck (weather conditions), day of the week, month of the year, high or low tourist season, traffic, special events, long public…read more
You don’t necessarily need a samba tour to see live the most popular rhythm in Rio de Janeiro! All you need is up-to-date recommendations and directions on venues that offer live samba concerts night after night, where natives of Rio go, as those recommended in My Rio Travel Guide — the most practical, useful, and updated travel guide to Rio de Janeiro. With that sort of precious information in your hands, you can set up your very own tour and…read more
Without a doubt, the best way to get around in Rio de Janeiro is by taxi. Actually, there are tens of thousands of yellow taxis in Rio. Apparently, there are more taxis than customers as it is very easy to hail a free taxi. It is easy to hail a cab in Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Arpoador, Leme, Botafogo, Flamengo, Largo do Machado, Catete, Gloria, Sao Conrado, Lapa, and some areas of Barra da Tijuca. For a tourist, it is the…read more
