Rio de Janeiro, a bustling city, has long been one of Brazil’s most popular and frequented tourist attractions. Its bustling city heart is brimming with culture and infused with a strong sense of history and heritage. Rio, as it is usually known, is Brazil’s second largest city and the third largest metropolitan in South America.
The city was founded by the Portuguese in 1565 and served as the capital of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, a territory of the Portuguese Empire. Later, in 1763, it was designated as the capital of Brazil, a Portuguese Empire state. In 1808, the Portuguese Royal Court relocated to Brazil. Queen Maria I of Portugal chose Rio de Janeiro as the seat of her court. In 1815, under the leadership of her son, Prince Regent and future King João VI of Portugal, Brazil was elevated to the status of a kingdom within the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and the Algarves. Rio remained the capital of the pluricontinental Portuguese kingdom until 1822, when the War of Brazilian Independence began. This is one of the few times in history that a colonising country’s capital has officially moved to a city in one of its colonies. Rio de Janeiro was the capital of the independent monarchy, the Empire of Brazil, until 1889. It thereafter became the capital of republican Brazil until 1960, when it was moved to Brasília.
It is the most visited city in the Southern Hemisphere, which is no small accomplishment. This creates a stunning and memorable attraction for people from all over the world.
Rio de Janeiro is hot most of the year, with regular rain between December and March. The fresh air sweeping off the turquoise seas of the Atlantic Ocean keeps coastal locations cooler than those further inland. The average annual temperature is between 21 and 27 degrees Celsius. The environment and vegetation in and around this metropolis are breathtaking, inspiring authors and screenwriters all over the world.
Because of its numerous cultural and historical attractions, Rio has built fantastic infrastructure to meet the needs of its visitors. This includes first-rate accommodations and a variety of tours. Rio de Janeiro served as a host city for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, attracting millions of visitors. In addition, it hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics™, bringing sportsmen and women, as well as millions of fans, to focus on this lively location. To improve Rio de Janeiro’s global reputation, significant efforts have been made to reduce social inequality and upgrade its economy. This makes for a truly unique destination.
Rio de Janeiro is located on the far western part of a strip of Brazil’s Atlantic coast (between a strait east to Ilha Grande, on the Costa Verde, and the Cabo Frio), near the Tropic of Capricorn, where the shoreline runs east-west. The city was constructed on Guanabara Bay (Baía de Guanabara) and its entry is highlighted by a point of land called Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar), a “calling card” of the city.
Rio’s core, the Centre (Centro), is located on the plains near the western bank of Guanabara Bay. The majority of the city, known as the North Zone (Zona Norte), spreads northwest over plains made of marine and continental deposits, hills, and some rocky mountains. The city’s South Zone (Zona Sul), which includes the beaches that border the open sea, is separated from the Centre and the North Zone by coastal mountains. These mountains and hills are extensions of the Serra do Mar to the northwest, an old gneiss-granite mountain system that constitutes the southern slopes of the Brazilian Highlands. By the end of the twentieth century, the huge West Zone (Zona Oeste), which had previously been blocked off by rugged terrain, had become more accessible to residents in the South Zone thanks to new highways and tunnels.
The city is typically split into the historic centre (Centro), the tourist-friendly wealthier South Zone (Zona Sul), the residential less wealthy North Zone (Zona Norte), and the West Zone’s periphery, which includes Santa Cruz, Campo Grande, and the opulent newer Barra da Tijuca sector. Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s top tourist destination and resort. It has the most visitors per year of any city in South America, with 2.82 million international tourists.
The city is a major global LGBT attraction, with 1 million LGBT tourists arriving each year. The Rua Farme de Amoedo is located in Ipanema, a well-known neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro’s South Zone. The street and neighbouring beach are well-known tourist destinations, but they are especially popular with the LGBT population. Rio de Janeiro has received the most World Travel Awards in the “best destination” category for South America.
During your time in Rio, you are encouraged to see the following wonderful attractions:
• Incredible surfing waves off Prainha. These waves are astounding, whether you conquer them yourself or simply watch the water-bound athletes glide over and under them with ease.
• Tijuca’s rainforests are lush and dense, with hiking trails to explore the fauna and plants firsthand.
• Relax on Ipanema Beach or any of the city’s other famous beaches.
• Marvel at the enormous scale of the statue of Christ the Redeemer, which overlooks the city far below.
• Take the cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain for breathtaking views.
• Walk down the famed Avenue Nossa Senhora de Copacabana.
• Join an official walking tour of Rio to learn about the city’s history and present legacy.
• Explore the Jardim Botânico (Botanical Garden), home to over 5,000 plant and tree varieties. The palm species alone number around 900.
• Sports aficionados must visit the Maracanã stadium, which seats 100,000 spectators and has hosted numerous heart-stopping matches between international football greats.
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