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Tips

Rio de Janeiro is a city of multiple faces, which show in its natural beauty, the variety of people that walk along the streets, and its five centuries of culture. From the beach to the forest, from the rural tranquility to the urban hustle and bustle, Rio is, without a doubt, one of the most original cities on the planet. Maybe this is one of the reasons why it takes visitors a while to start absorbing the city, and if you are a visitor in Rio, the best way to get to know it is to approach it little by little.

Start at the beach. From Leme to Recreio dos Bandeirantes, kilometers and kilometers of cold blue water and white sand give Rio a special aura, which cariocas simply love. But you will gradually notice that each part of the seashore has its own personality. We have the hippie beach, the smart beach, the gay beach, the athletic beach … Yes, there are different points for different tribes.

Then, get to know the forests. The Tijuca Forest runs through a mountain range right in the middle of the city, and the 200-year-old Botanical Gardens deserve a long visit for there is much to see there. One of the most beautiful parks in the world it is also international reference when it comes to botany studies.

Culture is a vital aspect of the carioca lifestyle. At Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB), a gorgeous and unique building from the beginning of the century, visitors can enjoy movies, plays, art exhibits, or just browse through the bookstore or have a snack in the nice teahouse. At the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) and the Fine Arts Museum visitors have an opportunity to learn about some of the best Brazilian art production. If you are in the mood for more avant garde cultural manifestations, Oi Futuro is the place to visit. But there is much more, specially cultural centers, a fever that has taken hold of the city in the last decades.

Finally, we get to night life in Rio. Cariocas enjoy going out at night, but in a carioca way, that is, the informal way. It is not unusual to see guys in shorts and sandals next to girls smartly dressed in the same event. One of the best ways to get to know night life is Lapa, the old bohemian zone and the place that best represents this mixture. In Lapa you hear good samba, for most bars and restaurants specialize in Brazilian music. Lapa is not ‘a tourist thing’: cariocas love Lapa. Don’t miss the São Cristóvão Fair and Market, located in the neighborhood the Portuguese royal family chose to live in when they moved to Brazil. It combines food and music from the northeast of Brazil, and you can hear and dance forró all night long. To top it off, you can have fun in the south zone of the city, whose night life has an international flavor, with several options of entertainment.

We could take forever talking about Rio, we could run kilometers in words. This is what happens when we talk about this city: it is hard to stop, there is always something left behind that we want to include. So, this is the final tip: take your time to get to know the city at your own pace. It will be worthwhile.


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