That you do not lack plans in your carioca getaway
We have fallen in love with Rio and so that you can also enjoy the city as we do, here we propose the musts that you must fulfill for your Eat, Pray, Love experience in the heart of Brazil:
1. ENJOY CARIOCA GASTRONOMY
With very different culinary arts, Rio is the perfect enclave for the most gourmets to be dazzled by the typical dishes of the city. A gastronomy for all tastes where you can satisfy your appetite with Picanha (traditional Brazilian meat) in one of its mythical churrascarias, try the queixo bread, the graze , the tropical fruit ice creams, have a Brahma chopp (draft beer), a very cold coconut water in a beach bar in Ipanema or reactivate with a guarana soft drink.
The best restaurants where you can taste carioca meat are the well-known portion with its endless buffets in Barra de Tijuaca, Flamengo or Ipanema; go to the oldest and most traditional, The Palace Steakhouse in Copacabana; or, in the mythical Fogo de Chao in Botafogo. Another restaurant you should go to is the magnificent Rubaiyat brought from São Paolo to the Jockey Club with incredible views of Christ of Corcovado and the Botanical Garden, and a winery with more than 800 brands from 15 different countries . In this iconic restaurant, on Saturdays you can enjoy a succulent feijoada (frijolada). Don't forget to try the delicious ice creams and sorbets from Beijo Carioca and Sorvete Brazil .
Roast shoulder of lamb at Churrasquería Palace
two. SHOUTS GOAL IN THE MARACANA STADIUM
Any sports fan has a more than obligatory visit to the famous Maracana Stadium . Whether in a fla-flu derby ; in a game of the Fluminenses, the Flamengos, the Vasco da Gama or the Botafogo; or in a private visit to the practically empty stadium to observe its charm, sit in the blue and yellow stands, on the bench, run through the corridors as if you were a football star and step on the field.
Other places to enjoy good football, albeit amateur, will be the beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema or Leblon. Above all, at night where football or handball is played late at night.
Copacabana Beach
3. TOAST WITH A CAIPIRINHA
Sunsets are the best time to relax from visits and end the day with a good cocktail in hand, either by having a caipirinha in the famous Bar Garota de Ipanema where the mythical song of the Girl from Ipanema or learning to make one at the Cachaça Academy in Leblon.
Other places where you can sip this concoction in all its splendor will be the rooftop of the beautiful Hotel Fasano, the Charleston Bubble Lounge where you can also toast with a glass of champagne, in any of the beach bars of Ipanema or Copacabana like the Espetto Carioca , in Armazem 331 or in the musical Complex Corner 111 . In the latter, it is essential to accompany your cocktail with the delicious dessert "Larica Corner" . A sweet brownie with vanilla ice cream, cookie and chocolate pieces, chocolate sauce, condensed and caramelized milk. A caloric delight.
Four. DANCE IN THE SAMBÓDROMO
In Carnival it is filled with crowds, fun, colorful costumes and a lot of magic; but if you go in another season do not miss a visit to the grounds of the Sambadrome designed by the well-known Brazilian architect oscar neimyer . Almost mandatory to dress up as a carioca and do some dances for your photos on Instagram. Another place where you can dance samba or listen to bossa nova will be in Limpet . This enclave of artists and musicians is the perfect place to party, have fun at night, do a few dances and admire the graffitied facades of the leftovers in the area.
Musicians in the Lapa neighborhood
5. FALL IN LOVE WITH THE ARCHITECTURE, NATURE AND THE VIEWS OF RIO
Nature lovers will fully enjoy this majestic place where gigantic parks such as the Botanical Park or Tijuaca intermingle, the most impressive beaches of Ipanema, Copacabana, Leblon or Praia Vermella; Sugarloaf mountain to which to arrive with an impressive cable car; or the Lake Rodrigo de Freitas.
For their part, those who are passionate about architecture and culture will have a more than obligatory visit to the impressive Museum of Contemporary Art Niterói , to the incredible Rio Art Museum, to the São Bento Monastery, or to the magnificent San Sebastián Cathedral with its splendid and colorful stained glass windows and its exhibition on Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Undoubtedly, you also have to stroll through the magical Selarón Stairs by the Chilean Jorge Selarón and visit the old Arcos de Lapa aqueduct (currently, a viaduct where the tram runs).
Also, You will have the most incredible landscapes from the Morro da Urca in the Pão de Açúcar , from Christ the Redeemer, from the Floresta de Tijuaca, near Paneiras overlooking the Favela of Santa Teresa , and on Morro Dois Irmaos from Favela Vidigal.
And to see the beach with a good cocktail, the two most suggestive alternatives will be from the respective pools on the roofs of the Fasano Hotel and the Pestana Rio Atlántica.
Lake Rodrigo de Freitas
6. SPEND UP TO THE LAST REAL ON PURCHASES
Shopaholics will feel in paradise during their stay in Rio. The most fashionistas will enjoy thanks to this crib fashion and jewelry . To buy the latest trends from the most luxurious brands. Get lost in Villa Copa or in 1923 with Missoni clothes or Giuseppe Zanotti shoes. For a jewel of high standing, without a doubt, the very expensive H. Stern or Amsterdam Sauer.
To find the most precious delicatessen, in the deli salumeria In Copacabana you can buy from bottles of Bellini, French champagne, Swiss chocolates and top gourmet products. For souvenirs, nothing better than Lido, the Hippie Fair of Ipanema, the Havaianas shops or some wonderful handmade jewelry in Theresa Xavier . And if you prefer a work of art, the Gustavo Rebello Art Gallery at the Belmond will have unique pieces.
7. GET HANG-GLIDING IN SAO CONRADO
One of the most adventurous plans for any visitor will be to see all this wonderful city from the top. Get on a hang glider with Sao Conrado Eco Adventures and feel like the king of the world.
Go hang gliding in São Conrado
8. TASTE ITALIAN CULINARY DELIGHTS
Something surprising in the city are the exquisite Italian restaurants that dazzle the most demanding travelers. The most appetizing alternatives are the cosmopolitan Florentine with its columns full of signatures from its guests, Gero with his succulent ossobuco and saffron risotto, or The Trust with its piano bar. For a glamorous evening, it is inevitable to dine at Cipriani with its Venetian delicacies in the Belmond Copacabana Palace hotel . The sublime bellini and carnaroli risotto with taleggio cheese and caramelized Cipriani pears are essential. And for a more casual and familiar meal, nothing beats The Trattoria in Copacabana.
9. RELAX WITHOUT TIMETABLES AND GO A WHOLE DAY
The best thing one can do when traveling to Rio is completely forget about the clock and schedules . There are multiple options to relax and unwind in the Cidade Maravilhosa (wonderful city), from snuggling up between the sheets of the fantastic Belmond Copacabana Palace with its colonial façade and their Trussardi bathrobes , to taking a dip in its spectacular pool open 24 hours a day or having a beauty session in its spa. Other very relaxing options will be walking around Copacabana in a bikini, building a sand castle in Ipanema or even surfing in Prainha.
10. MAKE A WISH IN THE CHRIST REDEEMER OF CORCOVADO
If you have to make a wish to make it come true , there is nothing more authentic than doing it on top of the Christ redeemer . At Traveler, we have asked to continue traveling, to return to Rio and Mais amor, please. And you, what will you ask for?
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- Places to visit in Brazil
- Travel Guide: Rio de Janeiro
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Spectacular views of Rio from Christ the Redeemer.