Rio De Janeiro

ABOUT RIO DE JANEIRO

KEY DATES
Yachts arrived: 26-29/03/2009
In Port Race: 04/04/2009 1300hrs (Local Time)
Leg 6 Start: 11/04/2009 1500hrs (Local Time)

Ask any group of people to name their dream destinations and Rio de Janeiro is sure to feature for most of them. It has everything. Exotic carnivals, beautiful women on the endless Copacabana Beach, throbbing Latin music, sunshine, wooded mountains leading down to tight coves and long stretches of beach bordering an azure blue sea.

It is a modern, cosmopolitan city of over 10 million people, but it has always played a key part in Brazilian culture and history.

Evidence of its evolution over the centuries can be seen in the architecture of the important public buildings in the downtown area, preserved in excellent condition. French influences can also be seen, as well as an outstanding example of the Portuguese baroque movement in the Sao Bento Monastery.

As for looking down on Rio, the best place, when the weather is right, is from the top of the world-famous Sugar Loaf Mountain. It gives a panoramic view of Guanabara Bay and the city, and it is the only place where you can see the whole of the Copacabana beach. For the very best view, take the four-minute cable car ride during the late afternoon or early evening.

It is impossible to ignore the 96 km of beaches when talking about Rio, as they are an integral part of the city’s life. Copacabana, the most famous of them all, is the perfect place for people-watching.

For the residents of Rio, it is their playground, their gym, their meeting place and their eating and drinking place.

From the moment the sun comes up behind the Christ the Redeemer, there are people on the sands playing volleyball, taking a massage, or simply just walking their dogs.

Music and gastronomy go hand in hand, and when eating out in Rio, nothing can compare with the famous barbecue, or churrasco, traditionally from the south of Brazil, and a true dining adventure.

Every cut of meat imaginable is cooked and served on spits and, accompanied by a spectacular buffet of exotic salads and fruits, continue to arrive at your table until you finally give in, turning the card at your setting from green to red to say that you cannot eat another thing.

Precede all this with a famous caipirinha, and you will be ready to samba the night away. Anything is reason enough for a party in Rio, and anything and everything is an excuse to dance.

A visit to Rio de Janeiro would not be complete without taking the train up to the statue of Christ the Redeemer. A modern Swiss-made cogwheel railway climbs the mountain almost to the top and once you get there, the statue in soapstone mosaic in the finest art nouveau style, is reached via a flight of steep steps.

An even better view is from an aircraft at night, bound for the small domestic terminal in the centre the city. Passing very close and at the same level, the statue is floodlit and appears to be floating in the sky.

It is to this paradise that the Volvo Ocean Race returns for the third consecutive time. Once again at the delightful Marina da Gloria, which nestles in the small curved horseshoe cove, just inside the entrance to the Guanabara Bay, is where the boats and crews will rest after the grueling leg from China.

THINGS TO DO

10 THINGS TO DO IN RIO

The obvious ones
When in Rio, there are four must go places: Copacabana and Ipanema for the beach, the Christ (Cristo Redentor) and the Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar) for the view. Copacabana and Ipanema, in the Zona Sul (south area), are easy to access trough big avenues (Atlântica for Copacabana and Vieira Souto for Ipanema). For Pão de Açúcar and the Christ, the “Bondinhos” (cable cars) should be your choice. The Pão de Açúcar's cable car station is located on Urca (Avenida Pasteur, 520). The Christ can be accessed by car, but the railway trip from Cosme Velho (Rua Cosme Velho, 513), on the foot of the Corcovado, to the feet of the Christ is a beautiful one.

Getting to know the locals
Around the Lapa Arches, night life is abundant with traditional samba houses standing side by side with rock and roll places, or up-market restaurants neighbouring popular bars. In a space of a few blocks, you can find Clube dos Democráticos (Rua do Riachuelo, 91) and Centro Cultural Carioca (Rua do Teatro, 37) for samba and dancing or Teatro Odisséia (Av. Mem de Sá, 66) and Circo Voador (Rua dos Arcos, S/N) for rock and roll music shows. Drinkfreezign cold chopp (draft beer) on the street at Taberna do Juca (Av. Mem de Sá, 65) or Nova Capela (Av. Mem de Sá, 96), where lamb with broccoli rice is famous.

The beach no one knows
Copacabana and Ipanema are the famous ones, but locals consider Prainha the most beautiful beach of the city. About 50 minutes by car from Zona Sul, Prainha is a tiny sand strip between mountains and forest. It is a famous surfing spot and the sand isn’t as crowded as in Copacabana or Ipanema. A little further along the road you will find Grumari, a wild beach where the food stands don’t even have electric lights. You can eat in one of the restaurants on the roadside, such as Point do Grumari (Estrada do Grumari, 2710 - + 21 2410 1434) – where you should order the Caldeirada seafood.

The city from above
How about flying over Rio? If you have the courage, you can hang glide over the city, jumping from Pedra Bonita, a part of the Tijuca Forest and fly over São Conrado. During the 15 to 45 minute flight (depending on the wind conditions), you can see Rio’s landmarks, like Pão de Açúcar, Corcovado and the shoreline. Contacts: Rio Hang Gliding (www.riohanggliding.com/) or Rio Turismo Radical (www.rioturismoradical.com.br/).

The city from the water
If flying over the city is too much, you can ride the waters of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. The lagoon has always been the water sports centre of the city. During the Pan-Am games last year it was the venue for the rowing, canoeing and waterskiing competition. If you want to you can waterski in the lagoon (Rio Wake Center – www.riowakecenter.com.br or +21 2239 6976) and see from inside why the Lagoa is considered the most beautiful place from the City – for those not into waterskiing, there’s always the pedal boats... After so much action, a good option is relaxing in one of the bars around the Lagoa, such as the Palaphita (Av. Epitácio Pessoa s/n, quiosque 20 - + 21 2227 0837).

Some shopping
For a taste of the Old Rio, the Feira do Rio Antigo happens every first Saturday of the month in the Rua do Lavradio. You find antiques and art in the middle of the street. The restaurants have tables on the pavements and it is a great chance to have a caipirinha in the middle of the street, contemplating the architecture. Some of the houses are preserved from the times of the Old Rio. If you want to spend money on something less alternative, go to Ipanema and the fashion square. Between the streets Aníbal de Mendonça and Joana Angélica and avenues Vieira Souto and Epitácio Pessoa you will find the shopping mall stores.

Up the hill
Want to go up the hill? How about Santa Teresa and the stone streets? Go to the Largo da Carioca and get the Bondinho de Santa Teresa (Santa Teresa’s street car). You’ll be surprised to see the yellow street car going up the steep and narrow streets of the hill. During the afternoon, walk through the stone alleyways and stop for a drink in one of the old-houses-turned-into-bars that spread around the area. At the Bar do Mineiro (R. Paschoal Carlos Magno, 99 - + 21 2221 9227), don’t forget to ask for the Caldinho de Feijão (the broth from the Feijoada). Another good option is Aprazivel (Rua Aprazivel, 62 - + 21 2507 7334 – www.aprazivel.com.br), a nice restaurant, with great view and great food.

Into the Forest
Don’t want to go to the beach? You can go to the Floresta da Tijuca (access through Praça Afonso Viseu - + 21 2492-2253 / + 21 2492-5407), the biggest urban forest in the world. The trekking trails, waterfalls and picnic spots are endless. If you have the time, extend the trip to the Vista Chinesa (Chinese view), an oriental belvedere 380m high inside the Tijuca National Park (access through Jardim Botânico and the Vista Chinesa road). Both of them are an alternative to the traditional Jardim Botânico (Rua Jardim Botânico, 1.008 - + 21 3874 1808 – www.jbrj.gov.br) visit. The Botanical Garden was created by the prince Dom Joao VI in 1808 and is considered a live museum.

Animals and history
Animals are your thing? So your destination is Quinta da Boa Vista. The place was the residence of the Portuguese Royal Family during their stay in Brazil and the original landscape project still remains intact. The Rio de Janeiro Zoo (Quinta da Boa Vista, s/nº - + 21 3878 4200 - www.rio.rj.gov.br/riozoo) is also in the gardens, with more than 2100 animals, including the native Brazilian endangered species like the Mico Leão Dourado (Golden Lion Tamarin) and the Tamanduá Bandeira (giant Anteater).

Meat or fish?
Do you want to eat fish or meat? For meat, go to Porcão (www.porcao.com.br). Brazilian barbecue in its prime, you can eat almost every kind of meat you can think of, from the traditional Brazilian Picanha, a cut considered the best part of the steer, to Jacaré (alligator) steak. If you want seafood, you can try the tiny Shirley (Rua Gustavo Sampaio ,610 - + 21 2275 1398) on Leme for paella or the popular La Plancha (Av. Ayrton Senna, 1791 - + 21 3325 3383) on Barra for the seafood platter. Finally, for a late meal, go to Cervantes (Barata Ribeiro, 7), in Copacabana, open until 4:00 am, and ask for a pork and pineapple sandwich.