With a dreamlike beauty that exceeds even the greatest of expectations, Rio is a city that has to be seen to be believed. Take the train up the Corcovado to see the breathtaking view beneath Christ’s outstretched arms or the cable car to the top of the famous Sugar Loaf to see the “Wondrous City’s” spectacular landforms that embrace sandy beaches, glittering bays, fine residential districts and towering forest-covered mountains. The landscape is so dramatic that even the largest areas of modern high-rise are still dwarfed by the overwhelming grandeur of numerous peaks and the largest urban tropical forest in the world, itself a monument to environmental preservation.
From the city centre, where the history of imperial Brazil began, through the classic elegance of Copacabana and contemporary sophistication of Ipanema and Leblon to the ultra-modern development of Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro has many faces that include Rocinha, the world’s largest shanty settlement and Santa Teresa, where streetcars still climb the winding cobbled streets through this mountainside artists’ district.
The natives of Rio, or cariocas, are famous for proudly mirroring the city’s qualities in their daily pursuit of health, beauty and elegance: the seafront, lakeside and Tijuca Forest Park are always favourite destinations for exercising or simply enjoying the natural delights that their extraordinary city has to offer.
The cradle of the Brazilian empire, independence, and republic, Rio de Janeiro’s immense historical wealth in fine buildings, palaces, theatres and museums complements her natural splendour. The arts, folklore and popular music reflect Rio’s cultural abundance in the form of leading galleries, the internationally famous carnival and samba schools and Bossa Nova, immortalised by the most famous cariocas, Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes.
Ascending the Serra do Mar mountain range reveals that the interior of Rio de Janeiro State is also rich in history and nature. The summer residences of the former Brazilian Emperor and his family gave birth to the charming towns of Petrópolis and Teresópolis, whilst the Paraíba Valley saw the country’s first coffee plantations. Boasting some of the highest peaks in Brazil, Itatiaia is Brazil’s oldest National Park.
Returning to the coast once again, the atmosphere of colonial Brazil can still be felt in the town of Paraty, an 18th century gold and diamond port whose subsequent isolation has preserved architectural beauty worthy of World Heritage Monument status. The town also hosted the 2003 World Literature Fair. The highway that winds west along the “Green Coast” from Paraty through Angra dos Reis and on to Santos affords stunning views of beaches, islands and Atlantic Rainforest. In contrast, the drive eastwards from Rio leads to the lively seaside resorts of Cabo Frio, Búzios and Macaé.