One of the most exciting cities in the world – Rio de Janeiro is the place of enormous social differences and exaggeration in everything but his “soul” best representing the residents who, despite the misery and poverty, are always ready to play samba. Located between tropical rainforest and the sea, full of life, music, dance, and contrast, Rio de Janeiro leaves no one indifferent. While at one end provide glittering avenues with luxury hotels and restaurants, only a few hundred meters away is located the slum settlements popularly known as favelas, where due to high crime rates isn’t advisable for tourists to hang out.
The most beautiful decoration it’s beaches and numerous attractions, including The Sugar Loaf, the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer, Tijuca Forest and Branko Street and because of this this city is widely known. Fascinating hills with lush vegetation and the bay of Guanabara, the Portuguese discovered back in 1500 and captivated by the beauty of nature, immediately decided to cast in it’s waters their anchors. The city in which the Portuguese court soon sent the first colonists named the Rio de Janeiro de San Sebastian, because they believed that Portuguese sailors landed on the Day of St. Sebastian in January.
The Magical hills
Rio de Janeiro has incredible topographical situation which beauty is primarily visible in the imposing hills that cross the avenue and villages and lure them to ‘win’. However, more beautiful scene followed when on one of these hills really climb, because there are ‘waiting’ for you , cityscape with real tropical forest in the middle of the Atlantic coast, and among them, as in a large wagon, ‘shift’ interchangeably poor and luxurious neighborhoods.
Therefore, a tour of Rio should start precisely with it’s two most popular hill, which can be reached by ski lifts. Corcovado hill, which in Portuguese means “hunchback”, the high of 710 meters and it is located in the middle of the largest urban forest in the world – Tijuca National Park. If the Karioke at the time realized that this is the true attraction that draws tourists, says also the fact that the funicular railway operating since 1884 and allows all interested parties for twenty minutes reach the magical top. On the lookout, which ‘switch’ strong wind, you should still have a lot of luck to ‘steal’ a good look, because all sides are printed hundreds of tourists.
However, it is worth to be patient because the ‘prize’ is a great view of the city in the range of 360 degrees, a monumental statue of Christ the Redeemer which includes it with the outstretched hands, above which fly in flocks brazilian frigate birds. Just with this, the high point of Rio, it becomes clear why this city is also known as ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ -magnificent. From here you have a grandstand visible to all bays, lagoons and beaches of Rio including struts and the famous Copacabana.
At one side is bordered by the cape on which the ‘leaning’ the other and no less famous Ipanema beach, and in the other side is one of the most famous hills in the world – Sugar Loaf. This natural wall which is famous for it’s unique shape seems to wriggle over the ocean, but the view from this hill offers a different perspective, first of all, the Guanabara Bay. The high is 396 meters, and it says that it is the most romantic view of the sunset because the city gets a golden color.
Soul of Rio
In the historic center of the city on the best way you can ‘feel the pulse’ of Rio because of lively streets with beautiful architecture reveal another side. It can be reached by subway and the street you should visit is certainly the Rio Branco, which was designed a century ago, modeled on the Champs-Elysees. It adorns the buildings in the classicist style, the Opera House, the National Library and the Museum of Fine Arts. Although in reality aren’t as fabulous as tourists imagined before they arrive, beach ‘remain’ most popular places of the city.
After all, here you will surely see many dark-skinned beauties with sculpted body which became the trademark of the carnival in Rio so you have the best opportunity to have fun for free in a public place. In fact, on one of 23 beaches you can always find a fun of open type, where hundreds of people spontaneously captures the rhythm of the samba, rumba or popular music.
Copacabana, Ipanema, Botafogo, Flamengo and other beaches that shine on New Year’s night, when locals dressed in white clothes and gathers on the beaches. Each beach has it’s own distinct pattern on the boardwalk and at the Copacabana are wavy sidewalks. The day young people chasing on bicycles, roller skates and skateboards, at evening promenades become open fairs with stalls that sell interesting souvenirs, wardrobe and jewelry.
