FACTS
ABOUT RIO DE JANEIRO: The city
is known as “The Marvelous City” and
is located on Brazil’s Atlantic coast just
north of the tropic of Capricorn. It is approximately
450km from Brazil’s Capital, Brasilia, and
about 430km from Sao Paulo City. Rio was once
Brazil’s capital (until 1960) and is situated
in the state that has same name as the city, State
of Rio de Janeiro. Today the city has about 6
million inhabitants and is Brazil’s second
biggest city. See MAP
of Rio.
HOW IS RIO DE JANEIRO:
The wonderful and exotic city is known and famous
for; its mountains, i.e. the Sugar Loaf, Corcovado
Mountain with its Christ statue; the Carnival
celebrations; boys playing soccer everywhere and
women with small bikinis walking on the Copacabana
& Ipanema beaches. Since Rio de Janeiro was
Brazil’s capital, it concentrated economic
power; that today can be shown in Rio’s
old downtown, with impressive architecture, luxurious
and imposing constructions. Tijuca Rain Forest
National Park is another pride of Rio, as it is
the largest urban area of natural preservation
in the country. Besides all traditional characteristics
of Rio de Janeiro, the visitors will soon find
out that the agenda can always be full. There
is always something to be done in the city; from
enjoying the beaches, strolling along the Copacabana
Avenue (buying souvenirs & drink something
at the beach kiosks), to exhibitions, theater
plays, dance & music shows to sports events,
like football at the Maracana Stadium –
such as free flying, much appreciated by all those
who enjoy strong emotions on board a hang glider
floating above the most famous landscapes of Rio
de Janeiro.
WHEN
TO GO / CLIMATE: Rio de Janeiro
is possible to visit all around the year. There
are no big variations in the climate in Rio de
Janeiro. The hottest period (summer) is from November
to March, when the precipitation is highest as
well. The coolest period (winter) is normally
from June to August, when it is quite dry as well.
It is rare with temperatures below 20ºC “winter
time”. The winter might be comparable with
summer climate in northern Europe.
HOW
TO GO: Rio de Janeiro can be reached
in several ways, by air
is the most common way to go. Either you land
at the Santos Dumont (SDU) airport or probably
at the Galeao (GIG) airport. Of security reasons
and to your convenience, we recommend you to pre-book
airport transfers. Another possibility is by
sea, arriving with a cruise ship;
then Packtours do arrangements in the same way
as you would arrive by air, but IF you will continue
stay at the cruiser, we can arrange tours in Rio
from/to the ship. Third possibility to arrive
Rio might be by land
(car / bus) from i.e the south shore (Sao Paulo,
Paraty, Ilha Grande), were we also can make all
necessary travel arrangements for you.
HOW
LONG STAY: For the first time
visitor we recommend at least a two
or three night stay, to able visits
of the main attractions of Rio. Besides the pre-booked
hotel and airport transfers, we recommend you
to book the tour “One day in
Rio”, as the traveler get
familiar with the city (good start), will experience
the highlights of Rio de Janeiro and get a contact
with one of our bilingual guides, which you may
use as your local travel consultant. As you see
there are a lot of to do in Rio, so a longer stay
will not be any problem, but if you intend to
visit other places in Brazil / South America,
a 2 or 3 night stay might be sufficient.
WHAT
TO DO IN RIO DE JANEIRO:
Besides the main attractions in Rio de
Janeiro that you can read more about below there
are some special events of interest as well, that
may justify a longer stay:
EVENTS:
New Year’s Eve Celebration:
In Rio de Janeiro, New Year’s Eve celebration
involves the whole city population. Local inhabitants
and visitors join to celebrate taken by the same
euphoria: to be in Rio. The party, one of the
most famous in the world, is held on the famous
beach of Copacabana, gathering thousands of people
to enjoy musical performances and fireworks –
increasingly exuberant year after year.
Carnival:
It is the great explosion of joy in Rio, a party
uniting emotions, creativity, plasticity, colors,
sounds and many fantasies. It is the greatest
popular party in the world.
Pan-American
Sport Games 2007: Rio de Janeiro
will host the Pan-American Games in 2007.
ATTRACTIONS:
The Brazilian Academy of Letters:
A copy of the Petit Trianon of Paris, this building
was erected to host the French pavilion during
the International Exposition to celebrate the
Centenary of Brazilian Independence. Its annexed
hall hosts the Machado de Assis Cultural Space,
with personnel objects that belonged to that great
Brazilian writer – one of the academy’s
founders. It also offers a library with 90 thousand
volumes. Guided visits are free on Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays, at 2 pm and at 4 pm. The library
is open from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 6
pm, and the Machado de Assis Cultural Space is
open from 1 pm to 6 pm. It is located on Avenida
Presidente Wilson, 203, Downtown.
The
Flamengo Embankment (Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes
Park): With 1,200,000 m² of
green areas by the sea, the Flamengo Embankment
is the result of one of the most beautiful and
important landscape projects ever designed by
Brazilian artist Roberto Burle Marx. Extending
from the Santos Dumont Airport to the Botafogo
Cove, the Park offers a wide range of attractions.
It offers sports courts, bicycle tracks, cooper
trails and aero-modeling courts. The track of
Avenida Infante D. Henrique running from the South
Zone to Downtown is closed to traffic on Sundays
and holidays, from 7 am to 6 pm, considerably
enlarging the space available for walks, games
and leisure in general in the Park.
Lapa’s
Arches (the Carioca Aqueduct): Built
in 1750, with huge double arches, it extends from
64 meters high with a length of 270 meters. It
was built to supply Rio’s population with
water from the Carioca river springs, coming up
from Sta. Teresa hill. It has become a symbol
of the bohemian neighborhood of Lapa. And since
1896 it has been used as a bridge for the Sta.
Teresa Streetcar. It is located on Praça
Cardeal Câmara.
National
Library: The largest library in
Latin America and the eighth largest in the world,
with a collection of 15 million publications –
a great part of which is available for consultations.
Inaugurated in 1910, the building, of neoclassic
style, with marble stairs and columns, comprises
with the Municipal Theater, the National Museum
of Beaux Arts and the Federal Justice Cultural
Center a cultural block around the Cinelândia
area. Guided visits last 30 minutes and are available
from Monday to Friday at 11 am, 1 pm, and 4 pm
– while during high tourism season guided
visits are available every hour. It is located
on Avenida Rio Branco, 219, Downtown; and opens
from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 8 pm, and
on Saturdays, from 9 am to 3 pm.
Colombo
Confectioners’: Founded in
1894, this Confectioners’ is a landmark
in ostentation typical of Rio’s high society
life between the end of the 19th century and start
of the 20th century. It still keeps the charm
of those times in its Belgian crystal mirrors,
in the “straw” chairs and in the rich
engravings on wood panels. It serves a “5
o’clock” tea from Monday to Friday,
from 5 to 7 pm. It is located on Rua Gonçalves
Dias, 32/36, Downtown. It opens from Monday to
Friday, from 9 am to 8 pm, and on Saturdays, from
9 am to 5 pm.
Copacabana
Palace Hotel: Being under government
trust as a Brazilian Historical Heritage (IPHAN),
it was one of the first hotels to be built by
the sea in the city. Inaugurated in 1923, Copacabana
Palace Hotel faithfully reflects the European
cultural influence on Brazil at that time, with
a sophisticated style of lodging. It eventually
became a symbol of Rio, as the favorite of artists,
politicians, businessmen and international celebrities.
It is located in Copacabana.
Christ
Redeemer (Statue): More than a postal
card, the Christ Redeemer statue was deservedly
elected by the city’s population as the
"The Wonder of Rio". From the height
of its 38 meters – plus Corcovado Hill’s
height of 710 meters - the Christ is an image
of faith and sympathy characteristic of Rio’s
and Brazilian people. The monument – which
celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2001 - was
inaugurated on October 12th 1931, a day was in
which Brazilians celebrate Our Lady of Aparecida
(national patron). Elevators and escalators take
visitors to the statue’s base. The statue
weighs 1,145 tons. Going up by a small train takes
around 20 minutes and goes along the Corcovado
Railway – inaugurated by Brazilian Emperor
D. Pedro II in 1884. Access
by car has been allowed, but each vehicle passenger
must pay a small fee to the local Ibama (Brazilian
environmental agency) post, at Paineiras (at the
Hill’s foot). Another option is to park
the car in Paineiras, to avoid traffic jams, and
go on a 3-km walk to get to the statue –
or pay for a ride in of the accredited vans. Access
is available on Rua Cosme Velho. The train runs
every day, from 8:30 am to 6 pm.
Tijuca
National Park: To go on a tour along
sinuous roads and to visit the attractions may
take a whole day. As the largest natural preservation
area in an urban area in the country, the Park
is 20 km away from downtown. It is divided into
three nucleuses – the Tijuca Forest, the
Carioca Hill and the Gávea Stone/Bonita
Stone. Its flora was devastated at the end of
the 19th century to give way to coffee plantations.
Reforestation brought back plants species of the
Atlantic Woods such as “ipês”,
“jequitibás”, “jacarandas”
and “sapucaias”. At
the Carioca Hill nucleus, besides the famous Corcovado
Hill, its attractions are the Dona Marta, Vista
Chinesa and Mesa do Imperador belvederes. In the
Tijuca Forest there are trails, the Taunay Small
Waterfall, the Mayrink Chapel, the Açude
Museum and the Solidão Sugar Mill. On two
Sundays every month, the Park’s administration
offers guided tours for free. In 2004, the Park
incorporated new areas, including the Lage Park
and a region known as Covanca-Pretos Forros, with
4.4 million square meters, although visits are
not allowed in that area.
The
Copacabana Fortress: Built in 1914,
with the purpose of reinforcing Guanabara Bay’s
defense, the Copacabana Fortress was the scenario
for the “Lieutenants’ Movement”
(an political upheaval in Brazilian history) in
1922. It offers visitors many historical curiosities
and also a branch of the famous Colombo Confectioners’.
Its collections of guns, varied military and historical
objects and panels are part of the Brazilian Army’s
Historical Museum. It is located on Praça
Cel. Eugênio Franco, 1, Copacabana. It is
open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 8 pm.
The
Nossa Senhora da Candelária Church: Located
in the financial downtown district, in an area
rich in cultural venues, the Candelária
Church is impressive due to its grandiosity. Built
during the 18th century, its plant was designed
in the shape of a Latin cross, with internal marble
lining, front wall made of cut-stone masonry,
doors with bronze works and the church’s
history painted in internal murals. It is one
of the most beautiful churches in Rio de Janeiro.
It is located on Praça Pio X, Downtown.
It opens daily: from Monday to Friday, from 7:30
am to 4 pm, on Saturdays, from 9 am to noon and
on Sundays, from 9 am to 1 pm.
The
São Francisco das Penitências Church:
Built between 1657 and 1772, it is one of the
most beautiful exemplars of Baroque art in Brazil.
Put under government trust in 1938 and restored
in 2001, the church exhibits many of the works
of Francisco Xavier de Brito, a Portuguese artist
who influenced the works of Aleijadinho –
the most famous Brazilian baroque artist, who
lived in the State of Minas Gerais in the 18th
century. Access to the church is available by
elevator or stairs, from Largo da Carioca, near
the Sto. Antônio Cloister. It is open to
visitors from Tuesday to Friday, from 9 am to
noon and from 1 pm to 4 pm.
The
Botanical Garden: A true ecological
sanctuary. That’s the best way to define
Rio de Janeiro’s Botanical Garden - one
of the ten most important in its genre in the
world. Not only does it host the rarest specimen
of Brazilian flora and that of other countries,
but it is also an excellent leisure option for
children and adults, and a pleasure for all those
who love contemplating nature. Put
under government trust by the National Historical
and Artistic Heritage bureau (IPHAN) – due
to its historical, cultural, scientific and landscaping
importance – it has also been internationally
acknowledged as a “Live Museum” in
the Botanic area and defined by Unesco as one
of the most important biosphere reserves. Its
collection includes Imperial palm trees from the
time of the Garden’s foundation –
in 1808 -, greenhouses, orchid rooms, rosebush
plantations and a lagoon with water lilies. It
also hosts the Pilões House – an
old gunpowder factory with archeological excavations
– and a greenhouse with insect-eating plants,
restored in 2004. Access for pedestrians is available
on Rua Jardim Botânico, 920, and for vehicles
on Rua Jardim Botânico, 1008, at Jardim
Botânico. It opens daily, from 8 am to 5
pm.
The
Rodrigo de Freitas Lake: Surrounded
by the most fancy neighborhoods in Rio –
such as Lagoa, Ipanema, Leblon, Gávea and
Jardim Botânico -, encircled by hills and
embraced by the Christ Redeemer statue, the Rodrigo
de Freitas Lake has become a meeting point for
the local population and visitors alike. Connected
to the sea by the Jardim de Alá channel,
its margins host parks, sports courts, skating
rings, an heliport, trails for walks and jogging,
a bicycle track, cycling boats and um gastronomical
center spread among kiosks that offer from German
to Japanese food – including live music
at dusk. Near the Lake, visitors find the Catacumba
Park, with an outdoor exhibition of 30 sculptures
by Brazilian and foreign artists.
The
Maracanã Soccer Stadium: Considered
by many soccer fans as the “Temple of the
Gods”, it is one of the largest soccer Stadium
in the world. It was built in 1950 to host the
World Cup, and it was designed to welcome 166,369
people. Today, after some restorations, it can
receive a crowd of 114,145 soccer fans. Access
is available on Rua Professor Eurico Rabelo, gate
16. It is once more under renovation, this time
to host the 2007 Pan-American Games.
The
São Bento Cloister: Works
to build the Nossa Senhora de Montserrat Church
and the São Bento Cloister were started
in 1617, ending in 1669. However, a century later,
many restoration works were still undertaken with
the purpose of extending and renovating its facilities.
Today
- considered a World Heritage Monument by Unesco
- the Cloister impresses by the contrasts between
the austere style of its front wall, its triangular
front façade and the intricate work of
golden engravings on inside walls. Painting
works, works of art, the conception of chapels,
the aisle ceiling – remaining from the 18th
century - and the Gregorian choral chanting charm
all visitors to the São Bento Cloister.
It is located on Rua D. Geraldo, 68 and entry
for pedestrians is available by elevator on, 40.
Downtown. The Cloister opens every day: from Monday
to Friday, from 8 am to 11 am and from 2 pm to
6 pm; on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 am.
The
Modern Art Museum: Inaugurated in
1958, the Modern Art Museum (MAM) is located in
a privileged area and has a great history to tell.
It hosts a collection of four thousand works.
It exhibits the Gilberto Chateaubriand collection
- with paintings by Anita Malfatti, Tarsila do
Amaral, Lasar Segall, Di Cavalcanti and Portinari.
Its gardens were designed by Burle Marx and were
restored in 2004. It offers also an art cinema,
a library and a bookstore. It is located on Avenida
D. Henrique, at Flamengo Park. It opens from Tuesday
to Sunday: during the week, from noon to 5:30
pm; on Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 7 pm.
National
Historical Museum: The architectonic
complex became a museum in 1922, during the Presidency
of Epitácio Pessoa, and hosts a priceless
collection with 275 thousand pieces, including
paintings, guns, royal carts, furniture and rare
objects – such as the plumed pen used by
Princess Isabel to sign the Áurea Law,
which abolished slavery in Brazil. The Museum
is located on a 18 thousand m² land and occupies
three separate buildings erected at different
times: the Train House, from 1762; the Royal Arsenal,
from 1822; and the Annexed Building for military
quarters, from 1835. It is located on Praça
Mal. Âncora, Downtown. It is open to visitors
from Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 5 pm, and
on Saturdays and Sundays, from 2 pm to 6 pm. On
Sundays, the entrance is free.
International
Museum of Naïf Art: Naïf
art – “naïf” means “naive”,
in French – is made by self-learnt artists,
without much technical skills, The museum hosts
the works of 520 national and foreign artists
with the predominance of live, strong colors and
irregular, abstract traces. It is considered as
one of the largest collections in its genre in
the world. It is located on Rua Cosme Velho, 561,
at Cosme Velho. It opens from Tuesday to Friday,
from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Saturdays, Sundays
and holidays, from noon to 6 pm.
The
National Museum of Beaux Arts: It
hosts rarities from Brazilian artists such as
Victor Meirelles, Rodolfo Amoedo, Pedro Américo,
Almeida Jr. and Eliseu Vasconcelos – works
that comprise the largest collection of Brazilian
art from the 19th century. This institution also
keeps a much-prized collection of foreign paintings,
including Italian baroque paintings, landscapes
by Dutch painter Frans Post and paintings by French
Eugène Boudin. Rooms are divided by themes
and there are always excellent temporary exhibitions.
It is located on Avenida Rio Branco, 199. It opens
from Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 6 pm, and
on Saturdays and Sundays, from 2 pm to 6 pm.
The
Catete Palace – the Republic Museum:
It hosts the Republic Museum and what used to
be the headquarters of the Brazilian Republican
government 1897 and 1960, the Catete Palace; with
a neoclassic architecture, with granite and rose
marble façade and white-marble engraved
portals. 18 Brazilian Presidents lived and worked
there and it witnessed some of the most events
in the Country’s history – such the
Brazilian decision to enter both Great World Wars
and the dramatic suicide of President Getúlio
Vargas. Turned into a museum after the Capital
Federal moved to Brasilia, the museum offers an
intense cultural agenda and offers also a bookstore,
a bar, a restaurant, a souvenirs store and a beautiful
garden. Located on Rua do Catete, 153, at Catete,
the Museum opens from Tuesday to Friday, from
noon to 5 pm, and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays,
from 2 pm to 6 pm.
The
Sugar Loaf Mountain Cablecar: Conceived
in 1908, by Brazilian engineer Augusto Ferreira
Ramos, and inaugurated on October 27th 1912, the
Sugar Loaf Mountain cablecar celebrated its 90th
anniversary in 2002. As the first cablecar to
be installed in Brazil and the third in the world,
it is one of the most important icons of tourism
in Rio, and has become one of the city’s
trademarks. Since it was inaugurated, the cablecar
has already transported more than 31 million tourists.
During high season, daily attendance reaches three
thousand people. Access is available on Avenida
Pasteur, 520, at Urca. The ride is available from
Sundays to Thursdays, from 8 am to 10 pm, and
on Fridays and Saturdays, from 8 am to 8:30 pm.
Quinta
da Boa Vista: The park is part of
the Solar da Boa Vista, the royal residence of
Brazilian emperors between 1822 and 1889 –
the year the Republican Government was established
in Brazil. It extends over an area of 155 thousand
square meters, provided with a garden in 1869
according to a project designed by French landscape
artist Auguste Glaziou. By entering through the
side gates, visitors walk along Sapucaias Alameda
and its romantic design, with the original lakes,
grouts and nooks of such imperial gardens. The
Quinta’s long gardens host the National
Museum and city’s Zoo, including also playgrounds,
sports courts, picnic hides and restaurants. It
offers guided tours and free gardening lessons
on weekend. Located in São Cristóvão,
it opens daily, from 7 am to 6 pm.
The
Roberto Burle Marx Cottage: Extending
over an area of 3,600 m², one of the most
important landscapes artists of our times, Roberto
Burle Marx, left this attraction as priceless
legacy to the city and to all those who love an
fight for nature protection and preservation.
Marx’s cottage, located in the town of Guaratiba,
hosts a collection of 3,500 specimen including
national and foreign plants – many among
which now face extinction –, which, added
to the a fabulous collection of art works, a library
with more than 2,500 books and a busy agenda of
cultural activities, have turned into an almost
obligatory visiting point for children, adults
and researchers from all corners of the world.
In the year 2000, it was put under government
trust by the National Historical Heritage bureau
(IPHAN). Visitors must book visitations in advance,
and are free of charge. It is located on Roberto
Burle Marx Road, on Barra da Guaratiba Road, 2019.
The
Municipal Theater: In the heart
of Cinelândia, downtown, near the National
Library, the National Museum of Beaux Arts and
to the Pedro Ernesto Palace, the Municipal Theater
of Rio demands a visit not only for its architectonical
design but also for the grandness and beauty of
its interior décor. The noblest materials
employed to build the Theater have turned it -
with capacity to 2,200 people -, into a true temple
of culture. On orchestra rehearsal days, guided
tours may be cancelled. Entry is available on
Rua Manuel de Carvalho, Downtown. It is open from
Mondays to Fridays, from 10 am to 6 pm, and on
Saturdays, from noon to 4 pm.
MORE
ABOUT THE BEACHES IN RIO:
Ipanema Beach: This
is, no doubt, the most famous meeting point in
Rio de Janeiro and one of the most celebrated
beaches in the city – and the world! Its
ten-block length includes “soccer-volley”
courts, fitness exercise equipment and, at each
lifesavers post, there are public toilettes and
showers to wash sand and salty water off. It also
hosts many events such as the Beach Volley World
Championship.
Copacabana
Beach: With plenty drinking and
snacks bars, it is much appreciated for a late-afternoon
cold beer. The beach’s wide stretch of sand
extends from Avenida Princesa Isabel to the Copacabana
fortress. Copacabana hosts one of the most famous
New Year’s Eve parties in the Country, with
fireworks and free music shows.
Leblon
Beach: This is a calm beach, with
good infrastructure for sports and a bicycle track.
It is 1,3-km long and is separated from the beach
of Ipanema by Jardim de Alá – a channel
connecting Rodrigo de Freitas Lake to the sea.
Prainha
Beach: It is a small beach with
strong waves, one of the most favorite among surfers.
Hills surrounding the beach still keep stretches
of the original rich Atlantic forest.
Grumari
Beach: Environmental conservation
area with many cliff walls and very brave seawaters.
Grumari’s left corner is also known as Abricó.
Arpoador
Beach: Between the Copacabana Fortress
and the corner of Rua Francisco Otaviano and Avenida
Vieira Souto. It is famous for the huge stone
that separates Copacabana and Diabo beaches from
the beaches of Ipanema and Leblon. Up on the stone
visitors enjoy one of the most beautiful views
in Rio, with the Dois Irmãos Hill on the
background. It is much appreciated by surfers.
Pepino
Beach: With string waves, Pepino
beach used for hang-gliders’ landing, as
they take flight from the neighboring Gávea
Cliff.
Barra
da Guaratiba Beach: An urbanized
beach, it stretches from the near coastline to
Restinga da Marambaia marsh. This beaches gives
access to trails leading to desert beaches, such
as Inferno, Perigoso and Meio beaches.
Barra
da Tijuca Beach: Long and urbanized,
with strong waves with some dangerous stretches
not recommended to inexperienced swimmers. Much
appreciated by surfers.
Pepe
Beach: It extends over a stretch
of Barra da Tijuca beach just across Rua Noel
Nutels, much appreciated by young boys and girls.
This beach’s name celebrates a world free
flying champion called Pedro Paulo Carneiro Lopes,
“Pepê” – who died in a
hang-gliding accident in 1991.
Botafogo
Beach: An urban beach, it is quite
polluted. It offers a beautiful view of Corcovado
Hill and Sugar Loaf Mountain.
Flamengo
Beach: With calm waters, this beach
is also quite polluted. It offers visitors a view
of fancy boats at Glória Marina.
