Make the most of Rio de Janeiro during the Olympics
THE OLYMPIC PARKS, FROM END TO END
The party will start the night of August 5 at the Maracana Stadium with the opening ceremony, but the Games will literally occupy all of Rio, as sports facilities are scattered throughout the city. The main Olympic park is Tijuca Bar , where tennis, basketball, swimming, gymnastics and handball competitions will take place, among many other modalities.
Very close is the Olympic Village where the athletes will rest, whose access is prohibited to the general public. Athletics, the king sport of the Games, will not be in the Olympic Park: Usain Bolt and his team will race at the Engenhão stadium , quite a few kilometers away. In another Olympic park, Deodoro, horse riding, mountain biking and hockey competitions, among others, will take place. In the southern area ( Copacabana and Ipanema ) rowing, triathlon, open water swimming and track cycling competitions will be held. Conclusion: the main challenge will be moving from one place to another.
Barra de Tijuca Olympic Park
HOW TO MOVE AROUND THE RIVER AND NOT DIE IN THE TRY
Cariocas, accustomed to insane traffic, fear that moving around the city during the Games will be a Christ (Redeemer), but the organizers believe in miracles. There are two key infrastructures: **the new metro line (line 4)**, which links Ipanema with the Barra Olympic Park, and the Transolympic , a single bus corridor (BRT) that connects the Barra Olympic Park with that of Deodoro . Important detail: only visitors with tickets for the Games will be able to access these transports, who must also acquire the Olympic RioCard . It is a transport card that is worth 25 reais per day (7.5 euros) and gives unlimited access to all transport. **Complete information with schedules and all kinds of combinations is at CidadeOlimpica.rio. **
Olympic City
**WHERE TO SLEEP (AND WHERE NOT) **
If at this point we are short of accommodation, we are going badly. You will have to be willing to shell out a good wad of reais in exchange for a roof. Although during the Rio Games it will be an armored city - 85,000 men, between police and military —It is worth thinking about “cheap is expensive” when looking for a bed at the last minute. Sleeping in the favelas can be cheaper, but it is better to limit yourself to those in the South Zone, traditionally safer. If the intention is to be close to the Barra Olympic Park it is better to focus on Barra de Tijuca itself and rule out somewhat more outsider options, such as Curicica, Taquara, Gardênia Azul or the City of God itself, which is also relatively close and is not exactly famous for being a haven of peace.
Favela of City of God
**SPORTS WITH A VIEW (AND FREE) **
Rio will surely be the most photogenic Games in history. The organizers were in charge of carefully choosing the best scenarios so that the city would look beautiful on television around the world. Outdoor competitions will also allow you to enjoy part of the Games for free: the regatta field is located at the entrance to the Guanabara Bay, in a spectacular natural setting framed by the mountains of Rio on one side and those of the city of Niteroi on the other. Go up in 'bondinho' to the Sugarloaf viewpoints or take the opportunity to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) of Niteroi , by Oscar Niemeyer, are very good options for the days of regatta, since both They have 360 degree views of the bay.
From the sand of Copacabana beach can also be viewed for free open water swimmers and triathletes . To attend the rowing competitions, all you have to do is go to the shores of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. But where it will be easier to feel the Olympic spirit will be in the 42 kilometers of the marathon , which will cover a good part of Rio and will have a tremendous culmination: the finish line will be at the Sambadrome . For once, and without setting a precedent, the carnival samba schools will give way to African sprinters.
Guanabara Bay
LIVE THE GAMES ON THE STREET
the renewed port of Rio de Janeiro, in the historic center, it will be the epicenter of the Games in its most popular aspect. Giant screens will be concentrated on the new promenade that goes from Plaza XV to Plaza Mauá to watch the competitions live. On this 'Olympic Boulevard' there will be concerts and fireworks every night and even a hot air balloon to contemplate the city from above. In addition, the cauldron with the Olympic flame will be in this area (the exact place is one of the best kept secrets of the Games). It will be the first time in Olympic history that the flame will shine in the center of a city and not in a stadium. To get to this area, now known as Porto Maravilha, you can opt for the VLT, a modern tram recently opened.
Porto Maravilha
DISCOVER TIJUCA BAR
At first glance, the closest neighborhood to the main Olympic park and the one that hosts most of the new hotels built for the Games It's a I-want-and-I-can't from Miami to the Brazilian : nondescript apartment towers, gigantic shopping centers and challenging highways that do not exactly invite you to walk. But it is convenient to put aside the prejudices and give it a chance. Its beach is the longest (and for many the best) in Rio. In the part of the neighborhood closest to the new Jardim Oceânico metro stop there are several quiet streets to have a drink. Olegario Maciel Avenue, for example, is a festival for foodies: the fondues of the Italian Uva & Vinho, the sophisticated cakes of Boulangeire Carioca and the refreshing tropical juices of Balada Mix , with a more informal atmosphere, are some options. For those who prefer the peace of nature at the other end of the neighborhood is the Marapendi nature reserve , with a practically virgin beach surrounded by lagoons and mangroves. Just behind is the new Olympic golf course.
Tijuca Bar
PARTY WITH THE KINGS OF OLYMPUS
They have made enormous sacrifices to be able to bite into that gold medal. Now they want to party . The nights of the Games promise to be a bacchanal Of Olympian Gods, to the point that there is an entire infrastructure set up for them, the real protagonists: the athletes. Each country will set up a 'House' in Rio to welcome their delegations, hold official receptions... and make a big mess of it when they start collecting medals, of course.
The most legendary parties are famous for being those organized by the Netherlands , which will be based in the Mount Lebanon Club . To enter you need an invitation, nothing that can't be achieved with a bit of glibness and Brazilian 'jeitinho'. Others will be open, such as the house of Switzerland, which will have a skating rink next to the Lagoa, or the house of Germany, which on the beach of Leblon will organize craft beer workshops . It is also worth approaching the headquarters of Portugal, which will dock a ship on an island in front of the port, and the home of the United Kingdom. The English have rented for themselves the beautiful mansion in Parque Lage. It is not difficult to imagine what will happen in the swimming pool of his cloister in the wee hours of the morning with the athletes washed down with champagne.
country houses
... AND THE PARTY
The 'Mens sana in corpore Sano' thing, maybe we can leave it for the next Olympiad. Those who don't have to get up early to watch the ping pong qualifying rounds can watch the sunrise in Lapa, the most rogue neighborhood in the city. Bars like Semente, Carioca da Gema and concert halls like Circo Voador and Fundição Progesso offer quality music, but magical surreal moments are concentrated around the Cachaca Bar, a corner populated by a hilarious mix of bohemian souls, musicians, transvestites and some unsuspecting foreigner. An ideal place to do an exercise in Olympic nostalgia, could we already call it 'saudade'? and sing 'Friends forever' when it's time to put out the Olympic flame.
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