Rio de Janeiro

Brazil’s second largest city is also without question its best known and most visited. Sprawled over 4,500 square kilometres of the South American eastern seaboard, Rio de Janeiro is famed for its long sandy stretches, dramatic mountain backdrop, energetic favela towns and vibrant way of life. To the front, the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana bubble with life both day and night, the spots where the Brazilian locals thrive in the heat of the Latin sun. Away from the surf breaks and bikini-touting crowds, a cable car ride to the Sugar Loaf Mountain brings up magnificent views of the bay, the district of Tijuca highlights the greens with it’s wild and wonderful forests, while perhaps the most iconic ‘must see’ of them all is the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Found atop the Corcovado karst, this world famous sculpture has kept watch over the city, featuring as the kingpin of any Rio de Janeiro tour guide since its completion in 1931. The annual Carnaval is Rio’s most lucrative attraction, drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists who time their visits to revel in the colour, energy and unbridled flamboyance of the city. Amidst the sea of cantinas, samba clubs and energetic day-to-day routines that dominate the beachfronts and lively inner-city districts, this is a city that always lives up to its name.