RIO DE JANEIRO
Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere and is known for its natural settings.
Carnival, samba, bossa nova, beaches such as Barra da Tijuca, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon made Rio worldwide famous. In addition to the beaches, some of the most famous landmarks include the giant statue of Christ the redeemer at the top of Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf Mountain with its cable car; and Maracanã Stadium, one of the world's largest soccer stadiums.
Corcovado
Voted one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) is a 38-meter high statue which weighs 1,145 tons and with open arms welcomes visitors and protects Rio de Janeiro from the top of the Corcovado mountain. It is by far the image through which Brazil is most easily identified worldwide and happens to be the most visited tourist attractions in Rio de Janeiro. Visitors can get there by taking the train or a car ride and then taking the elevator or escalator to the top floor in order to have the most privileged panoramic view of Rio.
Pão de Açúcar (The Sugar Loaf)
An intrinsic part of the Carioca landscape, the glass-paneled cable cars known as “Bondinhos” which take people to the top of the Pão de Açúcar Mountain were installed in 1972. They have been modernized and today one can enjoy in only 6 minutes the breath-taking ride from Praia Vermelha, Urca Hill and Pão de Açúcar Mountain in two independent cable cars which can carry 1,360 persons per hour.
Copacabana Beach
Copacabana Beach is named after the same District where it is located in southern Rio and is considered the world’s most famous beach. Its history is a mixture of glamour, tradition and glory. Ipanema Beach is also named after the same District where it is located and became worldwide known for having inspired the poet Vinicius de Morais to compose the lyrics of “The Girl from Ipanema” along with Tom Jobim. Ipanema Beach highlight is “Posto 9”, a place where lots of young people from all tribes and walks of life, and specially artists hang out.
The Carioca Samba
The Carioca Samba has its own history, contours and melody and has won over the heart of the whole world through the Escolas de Samba of the Special Group (Schools of Samba) which parade through the “sambadrome” during the Carnaval holidays. It consists of the successful Carnaval parades broadcasted live on television which have popularized the mulatto ladies who became internationally known thanks to the historical TV Show called “Sargentelli and his mulatto ladies”. The show toured the entire world and enchanted foreigners everywhere. The Samba is really unbeatable even by our “Bossa Nova”.
Maracanã Stadium
After winning the right to host the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the Brazilian government sought to build a new stadium for the tournament. Brazilian officials claimed it could seat over 200,000 people, while the Guinness Book of World Records estimated it could seat 180,000.To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the stadium, on 16 January 1980, Frank Sinatra performed to a crowd of 175,000.Tina Turner and Paul McCartney made the Guinness Book of World Records with performances at the stadium. Both concerts, in January 1988 (Break Every Rule Tour) and April 1990 (The Paul McCartney World Tour), respectively, attracted crowds of over 180,000 people.