Tall? Tanned? Young? Lovely? One out of four ain’t bad (I’m 5’8”). Frank Sinatra may have made Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema beach famous for its girls with these admirable qualities but, happily for me, the beauty police aren’t in attendance today. As we take a leisurely cycle beside the wide stretch of white sand, bikini-clad ladies playing beach volleyball are by no means in the majority.
All Rio life is here. There are old men with pot-bellies playing beach volleyball. There are old couples sitting hand in hand on benches, Muscle Marys doing pull-ups on the beachside gym bars, a man giving his dog a drink from a coconut, vendors selling hats, surfers rushing into the waves and everywhere people jogging, running, strolling, or walking along the beach. Rio is a city where most of life happens outdoors.
When you see how beautiful Rio’s outdoors is, that’s easy to understand. Its high-rise towers and sprawling neighbourhoods follow the contours of naturally curving white-sand bays and are punctuated by jutting mountains of granite and quartz, partially covered with verdant jungle.
Rio de Janeiro
I’m here on a fam organised by Embratur and TAP, accompanied by 12 agents and operators from the UK, and we’ve got two days to cram in as much Rio as possible. So there’s no time to laze around on these beautiful beaches – after our cycle ride it’s time to get sightseeing.
We swing past the Sambadrome, the huge venue for the world-famous Carnival celebrations. Though there’s no procession going on, you can still get a sense of the massive scale of the parade and visit a small exhibit where R$5 (about £1.80) buys you the chance to try on a costume and have a shimmy around yourself.
Then it’s on to the funnel-shaped Metropolitan Cathedral. This modernist building is a real beauty. From outside, the silhouette is somewhat stark, but the interior is transformed by the light flooding through its honeycombed walls and floor-to-ceiling stained glass.
Nearby, Cinelandia Square is a grand address with many historic public buildings, including the newly refurbished Theatro Municipal, the National Library and the High Court.
Clients might also enjoy wandering around Santa Teresa, a bohemian neighbourhood of winding streets and historic mansions located on top of a hill in the centre of Rio.
Favela tours are increasing in popularity, with clients who want to see the other side of Rio. Tours of the slums aren’t for the faint-hearted, but if clients go with a reputable company they’ll be quite safe and will get a real feel for the lives of Rio’s poorest inhabitants.
Try Favela Tours, an established company that will take clients to visit two favelas, Rocinha, the biggest in Latin America, and Vila Canoas. The tour visits the community school, which is 80% supported by donations from passengers taking the tour.
The best views
Two of Rio’s most famous sights rise high above the city. The statue of Christ the Redeemer sits on top of the 700m-high Corcovado mountain, and at nearly 40m tall is the largest art deco statue in the world.
It’s visible from just about everywhere in the city, and the immediately recognisable silhouette with arms in the shape of the cross has become synonymous with Rio.
Getting up close to it is a must for any visitor, and one of the easiest methods is to take the steep but short train ride through the Tijuca Forest National Park. From the station it’s but a hop, skip and a jump – or make that a trip in a lift and then on an escalator – right to Jesus’s feet.
Though the crowds mean it’s not a spot to have a quiet moment of religious contemplation, the clean lines and vast scale of the statue – not to mention the 360-degree views of Rio – are breathtaking.
Rio’s other icon is Sugarloaf Mountain, which sits at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that sticks out into the Atlantic, making it the perfect spot for views back over Rio to Corcovado. There are actually two peaks: the smaller Morro de Açúcar, from which scenic helicopter flights over Rio and around Christ the Redeemer leave; and the taller, jutting Pao de Açúcar, where there are multiple viewing platforms.
Glass-panelled cable cars take passengers from the ground to Morro, and then right up to the summit of Pao – a thrilling ride if you’ve a head for heights. As well as staring out over Rio, visitors can spot the tiny, cute sagui monkeys and even have a coffee. There are a couple of examples of the original smaller, open cable cars dating back to 1912, which show just how much braver visitors used to have to be.
Nightlife
The Cariocas, as those from Rio call themselves, have a reputation for their partying skills, and we were determined to find out more. Our guide, Eddy, from ground handler Walpax, recommended Scenarium, a samba club patronised by locals and a few tourists in Lapa, the area most noted for up-and-coming nightlife.
This labyrinthine venue spreads over three floors and is decorated with thousands of antiques. So with the caipirinhas flowing and a live band playing, we put our dubious samba skills to the test. It’s worth telling clients to make reservations as the venue is hugely popular, and not to arrive too early – most of the Brazilians showed up about midnight.
Brazil is also famous for its churrascaria – grill restaurants where the waiters come to the table bearing skewers of meat and keep filling your plate until you plead with them to stop.
For an atmospheric experience try Marius Degustare at the end of Copacabana beach. Guests can choose between meat and seafood options and there’s a massive salad bar and a dessert buffet too.
But the food is only half the attraction – this unique-looking restaurant has tables stuck on the ceiling and vases glued to the walls, among other eccentric decor. The waiters are dressed as pirates and the toilets have to be seen to be believed.
Find out more: VBRATA, the association for promoting Brazil, has doubled its UK budget next year, and will host roadshows and fam trips. vbrata.org
Sample product
Hayes & Jarvis offers a 10-night Best of Rio, Iguaçu Falls and the beach package from £2,399. The trip includes three nights in Rio with excursions, two nights at Iguaçu Falls and five nights’ all-inclusive at the beachfront Breezes Costa do Sauipe, on the coast of Bahia, plus Tam flights from Heathrow and transfers, and departs on February 1. hayesandjarvis.com, 0871 664 0246
Distinctive Americas offers a 14-day luxury package to Brazil from £3,295 including four nights at the Copacabana Hotel in Rio, three nights at Das Cataratas at Iguaçu Falls, four nights at Insolito in Buzios, all on a B&B basis, plus Tam flights and private transfers. Tours are included. distinctiveamericas.com, 01844 347005
