Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RIO DE JANEIRO CITY
R
io de Janeiro is quite simply one of the world's most beautiful
and vibrant cities, and is the number one destination for visitors
coming to Brazil. Its unique setting, with dramatic mountains
and beaches at its very center, sets it apart from the other great cities
of the world. In addition, Rio's flamboyant Carnaval,
samba
, and
bossa nova
make for a heady mix that is impossible to ignore.
Rio de Janeiro was first
discovered by European
explorers on January 1,
1502. They mistook the
huge Guanabara Bay for the
mouth of a river (
rio
) and called
the site “River of January,” thus
giving the city its name. Evidence
of the city's colonial past can still be
seen in downtown Rio, with
buildings and artifacts dating from
the 16th to the 19th centuries,
including the imposing Paço Imperial
and Palácio Tiradentes. In 1763, the
city became the capital of Brazil's
Vice-Royalty and in 1808, the
Portuguese royal family and court
abandoned Lisbon for Rio, making it
the capital of both Brazil and the
Portuguese Empire. It remained
home to the Brazilian monarchy until
1889 and the capital of the Brazilian
Republic until 1960, when the title
was awarded to the newly-built
Bauhaus-style Brasília.
Today, Rio is an international
metropolis and a spectac-
ular tropical resort. It has
several iconic sights, includ-
ing the enormous statue of
Christ that looms protectively
over the city from Corcovado
mountain, the easily recognizable
Sugar Loaf mountain at one end of
Urca Bay, and the famous stadium,
Estádio Maracanã, which opened for
the 1950 World Cup and has hosted
crowds of up to 200,000 people.
Rio's residents, affectionately called
“Cariocas,” are a laid-back, friendly
people who love to go out. Visitors
will be spoiled for choice in this
hedonistic city, and can visit Lapa for
its extravagant clubs, Gávea for its
bars, and Ipanema and Leblon for
their boutiques and restaurants. Rio's
beaches provide ample opportunity
for all manner of watersports and are
a great meeting place for the city's
residents, both rich and poor.
The colorful Copacabana beach, lined with palm trees
Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) on Corcovado mountain, with Sugar Loaf in view
