The unexplored Rio story in the July 2010 Issue of Explore TACA

The unexplored Rio

By Carolina Aguerre and Mariana Blengio
Photos by Christopher Villano

On a daily basis, the Cidade do Samba, well-known worldwide for its exuberant Carnival, transports seven million residents among sites offering spectacular panoramic views as well as urban, scenic and social contrasts. Its beaches—Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon—immediately capture the attention of residents and visitors, but that's not the only place where the city comes to life. Getting to know Rio's charms through its varied corners, neighborhoods and districts is worth your while.

Rio was founded in 1565, and it grew in importance until 1763, when it became the seat of the Viceroyalty of Brazil and the capital of the colony. When the Portuguese royal family moved to Brazil in 1808, the region benefited from important urban reforms undertaken to meet the needs of the Portuguese court. These improvements led to the building of new churches, hospitals and small forts, and the consolidation of the city's historic center—where even today structures built in rationalist and modern styles coexist with arches and Portuguese baroque buildings.

In the Heights
Rio has steep granite hills and vegetation that tries to grow anywhere it can. The Sugar Loaf peak seems like the last breath of a land that sighs when it meets up with the sea. It's located on a small peninsula that marks the entrance of Guanabara Bay, where two hills of different heights stand tier-like: Urca, at about 722 feet, and Sugar Loaf, at 1,296 feet. They can be accessed across from Tiburcio square. You can purchase tickets at the cable car station, which features informative screens and photos depicting the history of the cable cars that began operating in 1912. Sugar Loaf has an infrastructure that includes souvenir shops, restaurants and restrooms. The cable cars run from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., except when there are special shows at the summit, which take place especially in spring and summer. It's advisable to go up before sunset, to be able to watch the sun setting and the city as the day turns into night.

Another hill that's emblematic of this metropolis is Mount Corcovado, with its monumental sculpture of Christ the Redeemer. Its imposing position dominates the city, and the statue can be seen day and night. The base of the Christ has a series of cement platforms of different heights that end at the very feet of the monument. Stairs connect the platforms, from which you can begin to see the different panoramic views of the city. With a height of 125 feet over a hill that's 2,310 feet high, it offers a magnificent view of Rio's southern area with the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, the beaches of Ipanema and Leblon, the Botanic Garden and the Jockey Club. From the front of the Christ, you can see downtown, Guanabara Bay and Niteroi, a city located on the other side of the bay. Toward the west, you can see Maracaná stadium and part of Tijuca Park. Corcovado is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ascent by train is very picturesque and takes about 15 minutes, going through the Atlantic Forest, an exuberant green space that can also be an escape from the intense heat of summer days.

The Bohemian Scene
The Lapa Arches or Carioca Aqueduct is an old structure that was used to distribute the waters of the Carioca River. The Arches are considered Brazil's most important colonial structure, and they're the access gates to the neighborhood where samba was born. Here, varied bars and restaurants coexist with samba dances. Music, colors, street vendors selling made-to-order fruit juices and the intense movement of people going places make this a very special location. A tram linking downtown Rio and Santa Teresa Hill runs along the top of the old aqueduct.

Riding the tram is very entertaining and scenic, since you can see very striking panoramic views of downtown; the unique, cone-shaped Rio de Janeiro Cathedral designed by renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer; and, once you reach the top of Santa Teresa Hill, all of Guanabara Bay. This district is a favorite of artists. Its diverse old mansions house a variety of restaurants, bars and bistros, as well as small bookstores, art galleries and handicraft shops. This yellow tram that crosses the neighborhood from corner to corner is Santa Teresa's greatest symbol.

Rio Scenarium is one of the world's best bars, according to several specialized media, and a fundamental locale for samba, but also for Brazilian Popular Music and northern Brazilian rhythms like forró. This space is jam-packed with unique objects that mark the passing of time—and at the same time, prove the validity of a place that continues to be essential for enjoying live Brazilian music.

Historic and Natural Heritage
The San Benito Monastery was founded in 1590 and is located at the top of a hill downtown. Thanks to this strategic position, it enjoys a panoramic view of Guanabara Bay and is considered one of the country's most beautiful building complexes in an architectural sense—because of the contrast between its austere, simple exterior appearance and its baroquely rich interior.

To the south is the Botanic Garden, a captivating and peaceful place. Its almost 200 years of history and 40,000 plants belonging to more than 6,000 species make it one of Latin America's most important living museums. It's open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and you can go around its many paths on foot, with or without a guide.

Meals and a Good Time
Botafogo is a neighborhood that became a stronghold of the Cariocan aristocracy and still has mansions from the 19th century. It links downtown and the city's southern area. It's interesting to visit the bars at Hortomercado Cobal, a festive fruit and vegetable market, which at night turns into a great place for food and drink.

Porcão Rio's in the Flamengo district, on Avenida Infante Dom Enrique and with a spectacular view of Sugar Loaf, is one of the places to savor a picanha or tri-tip roast, a typically Brazilian cut of beef. The restaurant offers a very traditional meal service called rodízio, an all-you-can-eat menu of varied cuts of beef served with salads.

Confeitaria Colombo, founded in 1894 by Portuguese immigrants, is located right in downtown Rio. There, you can enjoy delicious cakes, coffees, juices and petiscos (snacks) surrounded by an environment of nostalgic elegance. This was a favorite place of local elites of more than a century ago and is the city's most traditional culinary location.

Bar Veloso—which is right in the middle of Ipanema neighborhood and the place where Tom Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes composed the unforgettable "Garota de Ipanema" in 1962—continues to be worth visiting. Peaceful and unpretentious, it's on a street that residents of the neighborhood and visitors cross on their way to one of the world's most celebrated beaches.

Special thanks to the Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau for its extraordinary help in the development of this article. To learn more about Rio de Janeiro, visit rcvb.com.br.

"Fly With Us"
Río de Janeiro | TACA flies directly to Rio de Janeiro from Lima.

For more information on how to book your next trip on TACA, please visit www.taca.com or locate a TACA Call Center, here.

exploretaca.com - @2004-2010 HCP/Aboard Publishing
Book your trip online now at www.taca.com or click here to locate an office around the world.