Joatinga
Barra da Tijuca
...things to do...people to meet...
If you are looking for beautiful long beaches, extreme water sports, or Brazilian soap opera and soccer stars, Barra da Tijuca, aka Barra, is the bairro for you. Besides tanning on the white sand beaches you will find volleyball, surfing, kite surfing, wind surfing, jet skiing, and a number of other fun beach activities. If you already have experience with these sports, awesome! You can rent equipment, or if you want to learn we can help you find some cool, well-recommended schools. Barra also is the best city to go star searching. You’ll most likely see a famous soccer player eating at a restaurant, or a Soap Opera Star tanning on the sand. Plus, if you’re feeling a little homesick, Barra has a lot of great American style restaurants and giant movie theaters.
Joatinga is an amazing little surfer beach tucked away beneath private homes. It is very easy to get to, and you’ll feel like you stepped out of the bustling city and into a private paradise. You have to take a certain bus (557) and walk down a hill and some rocks to get to this beach (get in contact for more details) that a lot of tourists don’t know about and even some Rio locals have never been to. This is a must see in Rio!
Escadaria Selarón
Arpoador
Places to Check Out
Cristo Redentor
Hike to Cristo
The statue of Cristo Redentor, aka Christ the Redeemer, located on Corcovado Mountain, is rightfully named one of the “7 Wonders of the World.” No matter your religious affiliation, Cristo is one of the best viewpoints and classic tourist marvels in Rio de Janeiro. You can get there either by tram, or hiking.
The hike to Cristo starts in a public park called Parque Lage and is challenging, but beautiful. The trail takes about two and a half hours and if you would like to enter the statue when you reach the top, you have to buy tickets before hand. The descent is usually made by car or tram. Let us know if you are interested in the hike and we can set you up with a guide!
Parque Lage
Parque Lage is a public park covered with Atlantic Rainforest that makes up a part of the Tijuca Forest. This park has a beautiful old mansion, many century-old palm trees, lakes and vistas. The old mansion offers brunch on Sundays and art displays. It was also featured in Snoop Dogg’s music video, “Beautiful ft. Pharrell.”
Arpoador is the part of the city that makes up the curve between Copacabana and Ipanema. There you will find beautiful rocks that you can easily climb onto (really, there are stairs) and tan, chill, but most importantly, watch the sunset. You’ll really feel that Brazilians know how to live life right as you end the day clapping with everyone on the rock when the sun goes down behind Dois Irmãos (a mountain formation across the bay).
Located in Centro, in the bar and show area called Lapa, Escadaria Selarón aka Selarón’s Staircase is a mosaic masterpiece made by a wacky artist from Chile named Selarón. He fell in love with Brazil back in 1983 and a few years later, began working on the steps as a tribute to his adopted country. You might recognize these colorful stairs from a number of music videos filmed in Rio, and they really are a site worth seeing. It is common to find the artist himself hanging around sketching and talking to his fans. If you would like to be part of this ever-evolving piece of art, you can donate a tile or two that the artist will incorporate into the stairs themselves.
Jardim Botânico
Jardim Botânico is a botanical garden that lies right underneath Rio de Janeiros most prominent landmark, the Cristo Redentor statue. This garden has a great mix of huge old trees, sensory and herb gardens, monkeys, castles, lakes and waterfalls. It costs less then R$5 to enter, and is really worth checking out!
Niterói
Niterói is a cool city right across the bay from Centro. If you would like to feel like you stepped out of your city without going to far, this is place for you. Niterói has beautiful beaches, museums and hiking. Annndddd you can take a ferry to get there for under R$5. Who doesn't like a boat ride? (If you don't, you can also take the bridge!)
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Copyright 2012 BeyondtheMap. No Gringos were harmed in the making.