Unique Things To See In Rio de Janeiro

An Overview of Rio de Janeiro

World renown for its culture, incredible beaches, breathtaking landscapes and thriving festivals, Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous cities in the world. The city is home to the immensely popular Carnival Festival, samba music, favela culture, expansive beaches and dynamic islands. Away from the shore, the city is also home to forested mountains which tower over the city and a surprising network of beautiful lakes. With its vibrant culture, amazing number of attractions, wonderful access to beaches and excellent hiking opportunities, there are many unique things to see in Rio de Janeiro.

Advice When Visiting Rio de Janeiro

Buses in Brazil, especially ones on highway routes, are only loosely subject to their schedules.  When planning, allow for upwards of twenty minutes of padding-time.

The Favelas throughout Brazil are important cultural icons but very poor.  Cautious is warranted when visiting. Tour groups should be carefully vetted to ensure ethical visitations that do no harm to the community. 

Copacabana and other beaches are very popular areas to visit, but Ubers and Taxis are a little difficult to obtain close to the beaches. Additionally, the area is often clogged with bikes and foot traffic.  It’s better to wander a few streets inwards, away from the coast to get a vehicle more quickly. 

Attractions such as Forte Copacabana have a lot of historical information and exhibits. However, all of it’s in Portuguese.  If one isn’t fluent, bring a guide, translator or prior research for the full experience.

Getting around Rio is surprisingly easy.  Subways, rail lines, Ubers and buses are easy to figure out, especially between Centro and Copacabana.

Most visitors choose to live outside of Rio in the quieter parts of the city.  Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon and Tijuca ae relatively popular neighborhoods. Note that beaches around Rio are very pretty but fairly packed, even on weekdays. 

Lapa, close to Rio’s Center, is a very popular party and drinking avenue, but remains loud throughout most nights. It’s a poor place for most hotels in the area, as parties often continue until 3 AM or so.

Keep an eye on the weather. The seasonal rainfall in Rio can prevent many of the more interesting sites from being visited.  Even light rain clouds can completely obscure Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf, making visits rather boring. 

Pickpockets are notoriously common in Rio.  Locals avoid using their phones openly while walking the streets and it’s a good idea to carry phones in the front waistbands of pants. Also consider holding decoy currency in fake wallets to avoid theft. 

English is somewhat scarce, since Spanish is the more popular secondary language after Portuguese.  A moderate fluency in Spanish can help a person muddle through most common Portuguese phrases.

Tipping isn’t part of the culture in Rio, but most restaurants have tips included on their bills as a “service charge” that hovers around ten percent.  Taxi drivers don’t generally expect tips either, but giving them a bill greater than the value of the ride may result in them just keeping the change as a “de-facto tip.”  Many taxi drivers also just round up the fare for their tip. 

Unique Things To See In Rio de Janeiro

Forte de Copacabana

This is a well-preserved seaside fort with access to nearby beaches, numerous cafes and old military installations. It’s an important feature of Rio’s colonial history and regional influence.

Copacabana Beach 

The world-famous Copacabana beach includes a long stretch of pristine beaches with paddleboards, sailing boats, beach activities and notably large crowds.

Carioca Aqueduct

This is a pretty aqueduct that has been converted into a tram route overlooking the city.  The lower parts of the aqueduct host various street food stalls at night.

Booze Bar 

Booze Bar is an entertaining novelty bar located in Lapa which serves novelty drinks from pop culture, such as Star Wars Baby Yoda Beverages, Game of Thrones drinks, Harry Potter Potions etc.  The drinks are somewhat expensive, though one should note that all of the Lapa neighborhood is pricey.

Nova Capela Restaurant & Bar

This is an indoor, slightly upscale dining establishment in Lapa.  It is quieter than the surrounding bars at night and often serves as a decent place to dine during poor weather conditions.

Catedral Metropolitana de Sao Sebastiao 

This is a large and entirely unique church in a massive cone shape with an interior lit by four immense stained-glass-windows.  The church has several art pieces and plays Georgian Chants in the background.

Escadaria Selaron

This is a rather interesting outdoor staircase of bright colors created in a mosaic patterns located near many hole-in-the-wall establishments.

Parque das Ruinas

This is a beautiful series of mansion ruins with an art gallery.  It is a small park with semi-regular outdoor events and concerts.

Boulevard Olimpico

This is a famously artistic road known for its brightly colored murals following the coastline.

Museu do Amanha

This is an interesting science and art museum with an extremely unique design and immersive shows. Guests should book tickets in advance, as there are often lines winding out the entrance.

Royal Portuguese Reading Room

Likely one of the most beautiful architectural marvels in Brazil, this is a wonderfully ornate building hosting a massive collection of volumes by Portuguese authors.

Navy Cultural Space 

This is a unique little seaside museum covering the history of the Portuguese and Brazilian maritime traditions.

DarkCoffee 

DarkCoffee is an excellent coffee house located in the northern part of Central Rio. It serves many specialty treats and traditional Brazilian desserts.

Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro 

This is a wonderfully large walking area with enough space to easily avoid crowds.  The garden hosts many unique species of plants, a large tribe of monkeys and colorful birds including toucans. Visitors can also enjoy many freshwater public fountains from local springs, large sculpture areas and meandering trails.

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