Rio de Janeiro Things to Do Tips by acemj

You've all seen this before. Even if you've never laid foot on South American soil (as was my case before this trip), you're probably familiar with the giant stone statue that graces Corcovado Hill over 2400 feet above the city. The Christ the Redeemer statue itself stands at almost 100 feet and was designed by Carlos Oswald. A Brazilian named Heitor da Silva Costa was the architect behind the entire complex that was built between 1926 and 1931. They call the statue Art Deco. Call it what you'd like, but I think it's cool. The angularity of the rock gives it a classic yet modern feel and a graceful yet solid stance.

My guidebook says this costs $10 US. I was told by someone that it costs 30 Reais which would be around right, but here's what I experienced. I took a cab from Sugarloaf and paid the cabbie 60 reais (around 20 bucks) to take me to Corcovado and back to Copacabana. Five of the 60 reais went towards a ticket at a checkpoint just before the statue on our way up the hill. I got out of the cab and didn't pay anything else. There is a tram you can take to the top and then elevators, escalators and stairs up to the Christ.

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From Corcovado you'll have all of Rio at your feet. What a view! You really have to see it in person to appreciate it. You can see all of Rio's major landmarks. The Maracana, Sugar Loaf and many more. You'll look down and see modern commercial zones and fancy houses adjacent to impoverished favelas. But what blew me away more than anything was just gazing over the city, in the shadow of the Christ statue, and thinking about what God made here. Mountains jutting out of blue waters covered in green forests. Rocks pointing up at their Maker as if to say thank you for placing me here. No matter what you believe, this place will make you think about the world.

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Pao do Acucar, or Sugarloaf Mountain is another great viewpoint in Rio. In fact, there is a great debate among the Cariocas about which view is the best. Well, in my opinion, the only problem with the view from Corcovado is that you can't see Corcovado and the only problem with Sugarloaf is you can't see Sugarloaf!! In other words, both views are tremendous. From the top of Sugarloaf, you can see Corcovado, downtown, the favelas of Babylonia, the Tijuca Forest, Ipanema and Copacabana.

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Phone: 021 2546 8400
Address: Ave. Pasteur 520
Directions: Urca
Other Contact: 30 reais

When you arrive, you'll pay 30 reais for your ticket to ride the funicular that will take you up to the 1300 foot Sugarloaf mountain. First you'll stop at a teaser hill, the Morro de Urca, where you'll get out and enjoy some great views before moving on to Sugarloaf itself where the views just keep getting better. There are snack bars and souvenirs at both stops, but you'll come for the views.

If the weather is a little iffy like when I was there, you might have better luck visiting Sugarloaf than Corcovado since it's not quite as high and you'll have a better chance of being able to avoid the clouds.

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On my way up to Sugarloaf I was exploring Morro de Urca when I noticed this little creature. Is it a monkey? Maybe a lemur? I'm not sure, but it really was an interesting looking animal.

According to VTer rtempestini (Rodrigo), it's a monkey called a "Mico Sagui." Thanks, Rodrigo!

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Ipanema is well-known worldwide as a beach because of the Tom Jobim song The Girl from Ipanema. However, Ipanema refers not only to that famous stretch of sand, but also to the neighborhood behind the beach. It is one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in all of Rio, but in my opinion, it must be mostly because of the beach because there are not a lot of beautiful homes or interesting architectural highlights.

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The curve of the shoreline is not the only curve you'll be interested in here. When the sun shines, the curvaceous local (and tourist) ladies come out and invade the beach, all vying to become the next girl from Ipanema. Unfortunately for me, I only had a few hours of good weather and most of that time was spent exploring Rio's amazing mountainous peaks.

The best thing about Ipanema is that the beach is really wide and is great for playing soccer, foot volleyball or tossing a frisbee. On Sundays, the avenue that runs parallel to the beach (Av. Vieira Souto) is closed to automobile traffic and is full of people jogging, walking and riding bikes up and down the road. It's really a great place to see and be seen.

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Most people will tell you that Ipanema is chic as compared to Copacabana's more Bohemian, funky feel. I'm not sure I agree with that. Ipanema might be a little cleaner, with slightly more quiet streets, but for the most part, it's a neighborhood of non-descript apartment houses that appear to date from the 1960s. There is a great shopping street that runs right down the middle of it called Rua Visconde de Piraja. It runs the length of Ipanema and has many shopping options. You'll also find some great restaurants especially on Rua Paul Redfern, Rua Maria Quiteria and Rua Jangadeiros.

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Admit it. You're humming the song right now. Don't curse Barry Manilow for his catchy tune. Instead, go to Rio and check out for yourself what he was singing about. Sadly, my Copacabana story is similar to my Ipanema story. There was this guy (me) walking along this beach (Copa) with his umbrella in hand waiting for the rain to stop and the girls to come out and play!! Sorry, there is no happy ending!

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Avenida Atlantica is the road that runs along the beachfront of Copacabana. Between the road and the sand, you'll find this Portuguese style boardwalk, which is a great place for a stroll. If you're heading in the direction of Leme Beach you'll have the iconic backdrop of Sugarloaf to guide you along the way. If you're facing the opposite direction, you'll be walking toward the Copacabana Fort which also makes a postcard quality photo under the right lighting conditions. Just beyond the fort, the beach turns the corner toward the rocky Arpoador (a rock formation that juts out on the east end of Ipanema) and then becomes Ipanema.

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