Discovering Rio de Janeiro

Some tips about what to do in Rio de Janeiro. Just click in the link to see details about each option.

Giving Belo Horizonte a chance

Some tips about what to do in Belo Horizonte. Just click in the link to see details about each option.

Santa Teresa . Part I

You shouldn't leave Río de Janeiro without visiting Santa Teresa, a colonial neighbourhood close to the center of the city.

Santa Teresa has a lot to offer: old houses, mansions, bar, restaurants, bohemian life and the only street car in the city, called "bondinho".

You can access to the neighbourhood by walking, by streetcar or by bus. I highly recommend to take a ride in the bondinho, and get back walking, descending the Escadaria Colorida, into Lapa area.

Bondinho

The bondinho has 2 lines; you can have a look at the map in the station before humping in and decide which direction you want to take. Santa Teresa is a quiet neighbourhood and more or less safe, so don’t be afraid to wander around.

Each ticket costs R$ 0.60, making the streetcar the cheapest way of transportation in the city.

Parque das Ruínas

Taking any of the two lines of the bondinho, if you descend in the first stop, you’ll be very close to this park that sometimes has expositions and live music.

It’s highly recommended to go to the last floor to have a wide open panoramic view.

Entrance: free. Closed on Mondays.

Museu Chacara do Ceu

You can access the Museu from Parque das Ruínas. It’s a small museum with a permanent collection that includes paintings, books, and ongoing exhibitions.

Don’t miss the garden and the open view of the city!

Entrance: free on Wednesdays. Closed on Tuesdays (but you can still visit the garden!)

http://www.museuscastromaya.com.br

Escada Colorida

It's the stairway created and made by Carlos Selaron as a present to Rio de Janeiro that connects Santa Teresa and Lapa. 

Made with tiles from all around, this stairway has turned into a “must see” in the city.

You might find out the artist working, and might have the chance to chat a little bit with him!

http://www.selaron.net/Matos/english/stairway.htm

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Confeitaria Colombo

If you like history, old buildings, coffee and sweet treats, visiting Confeitaria Colombo, in the heart of the centre of Río, it’s something you shouldn’t miss in the city.

The ceilings, the vitraux, the old showcases and sets make this place unique. The wide variety of his menu, even though not the cheapest in town, is well worth it.

You can buy something for the road, or you can sit and enjoy the view and the ambiance that feels like doing a trip in time.

You can also visit the Café do Forte, in the fort of Copacabana. Ideal to go on a sunny day, and enjoy the view of the beach and the Sugar Loaf. But to go to the Café, you have to pay a fee for the fort that has a small art gallery.



Confeitaria Colombo
Rua Gonçalves Dias 32, Centro
Near Uruguaina subway station.

Café do Forte
Praça Coronel Eugênio Franco, 1 - Ipanema


http://www.confeitariacolombo.com.br/


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One Note Samba

There are a lot of bars with samba in Río. Actually, samba is almost in every corner of the city. But if you want to move away from the touristy samba places of Río, Bip Bip, in Copabana is a good choice.

Almost every day of the week, you'll find live music, but sundays is samba night.

Code of Conduct in Bip Bip: there are a few things you should know before visiting this bar:

- It's a really tiny tiny bar, so you must likely will have to stay in the street, and you won't find a place to sit.

- It's all about the music, so if you want to go there to talk and be loud...well, don't go! If you go and talk, you most likely will have everyone shushing you, or even the owner asking you to be quiet, and probably not in the best way. Again, it's all about the music!

- People there, don't applaud, people just snap, to keep the noice to the minimun because of the neighbourhoods.

It begins around 10 pm and it goes until midnight. 

This is a carioca experience you shouldn't miss!

Bip Bip

Rua Almirante Gonçalves, 50

Copacabana

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Trail to Morro da Urca

The Sugar Loaf ("Pão de Açucar") has a great view of the Botafogo Bay, Copacabana and Ipanema, but if you can't afford the bondinho (the teleferic) that goes up there and costs R$ 44, you can do a trail do the first hill, Morro da Urca, . Unfortunately, it's not possible to buy a ticket from Urca to the Sugar Loaf, so if you go walking to Urca, that's the highest you would get.

Anyway, Morro da Urca has also a great view, that includes Leme, Botafogo, Niteroi, and much more, some bars and sometimes even live music! The good news, is that if you go late in the afternoon, to see the sunset, after certain time, you can go down for free in the bondinho.

The trail starts very near to Praia Vermelha, at "Pista de Claudio Cotinho", and the gate to the trail closes at 5 pm.

Enjoy the walk!

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Trail to the Christ

If you're travelling on a budget and/or you like trekking and nature, maybe a good option for getting to the Christ is to do the trail that begins at Lage Park (Rua do Jardim Botanico 414) and save the 36 reais that the train up there cost. You can have a look to the trail map, here.

The entrance to the Park, which is very close to the Botanical Garden, is free. And the entrance to the Christ itself it's around 18 reais. But, even if you don't get in, you'll have a great view of the city and you'll see the Christ from really really close.

The trail takes around two and a half hours, but since it's very hot and humid, I recommend getting there as early as possible. It's also a good idea to bring a lot of water, repellent and a good pair of trekking shoes.

This trail is considered to be somewhat hard. It's uphill, and even though you won't have to do a lot of climbing, it can be a little bit tiring, especially for the weather. Good knows it's that you have some small cascades along the way to freshen up.

The trail is into the Mata Atlantica which characterizes the area of Rio de Janeiro. You'll see a wide variety of trees, monkeys, flowers, and supposedly, snakes.

To come back, you could do the same trail back, or to follow the road that goes through Tijuca Park (which is the world's largest urban forest) and in the entrance of the park, take a van that will leave you at Largo do Machado or one of the buses you have there.

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