Rio, blog
If you walk up Rua Gonçalves Dias from the Largo da Carioca, youll pass a number of cool shops. This is a great area for finding good deals on clothes. But the highlight of the street is the classic coffee shop and bakery, the Confeitaria Colombo (Gonçalves Dias 32). Used as the backdrop for numerous Brazilian films and soap operas, the café is a fantasic place to sit and have a refreshment. You can choose the upstairs balcony or downstairs in the main sala.
A landmark in itself, the café is worth a visit for a cup of coffee and a look at the wonderful furnishings, including Belgium crystal mirrors and chandeliers. If you walk farther up Gonçalves Dias and turn right onto Rua do Rosário, you’ll enter an area full of bookstores, restaurants, and coffee shops. You should find something here that interests you.
Rio
If you see one church in the downtown area, make it the Igreja de São Francisco (Largo da Carioca, 11am–4pm Wednesday–Friday). Recently restored, the church is a large and beautiful example of the Baroque churches of the 17th and 18th centuries in Brazil, such as those found in Minas Gerais. In fact, some of the master artists and sculptors from Minas worked on this church, which was erected in 1657. The altars inside are replete with wood sculptures, covered in gold. There are numerous paintings along the walls and on the ceiling and a museum of sacred art inside.
A metro station right at the Largo da Carioca makes it easy to get there and away. On the other side of the square from the São Francisco Church is the Convento de Santo Antônio, which has its share of gold covered sculpture lining the altars, along with Japanese sculpture from 1597 upstairs in the choir area. At the top of the square, you’ll encounter the street Rua da Carioca, which is full of food markets and various shops and is a great little stretch to explore. A highlight here is the age-old Bar Luiz (Rua da Carioca 39), which began in 1887 and has been the city’s favorite German bar and eatery ever since.
Art, Rio
During the golden days of Hollywood, Brazil was experiencing a cultural and economic growth period at the tail end of the coffee boom. Here in Rio, a number of things were occurring, including international recognition of the city, mostly due to the casinos in Copacabana. In the old downtown area, a number of movie houses were erected and the area that was Praça Floriano became known as Cinelândia. During the coffee boom just a few decades earlier, the praça was chosen as the location of some important public buildings. Today there is a convenient metro station right at Cinelandia and the area is buzzing during happy hour, with various bars serving cold beer. There is often live music playing in the praca (usually samba).
The highlight of the praça is the grand Theatro Municipal (21/2262-3935, 10am–5pm Monday–Friday). The Theatro, built in 1909 at the height of the coffee boom, is a neoclassic building rich in wood, marble and brass. There are stained glass windows from Europe and salas rich in crystal and ornamentation. The best way to visit is to see a orchestral performance in the evening, but there are guided tours of the Theatro during the day (subject to cancellation for rehersals). You can also catch a performance on Sundays at 10am and 5pm Also in the Cinilandia area is the Biblioteca Nacional (Av. Rio Branco 219, 9am–10pm Monday–Friday and 9am–3pm Saturday), built in 1910 in a style to match the Theatro. It’s said to be the second largest library in South America and the eighth largest in the world. Inside are numerous rare books (over three million), all of which are available for viewing. Most impressive is the building itself with its grand marble staircase and columns. It’s worth looking inside and they have guided tours for R$2.
Down the street a piece is the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, inside a 1908 building of renaissance style that was the city’s fine arts acadamy until 1937, when it became a museum. It holds over 14000 pieces from national and international artists, with a special focus on the natoinal artists (including works by Portinari, Segall, Calvalcanti and Tarsila do Amaral, among others). There are also works by Picasso, Dali, Monet and Rodin. Inside is a casual restaurant and souvenir shop. Cost is R$4 and Sundays are free.
When you’re ready to take a break from all this history and art, have a seat at the Bar Amarelinho, a classic bar from the 1940’s that sits in the Cinilandia praça and usually attracts an international crowd. In the evenings, they have samba music and dancing among other festivities.
Rio
The Praça that marks a major turning point in Brazil’s history, moving from a monarchy to a republic, is right here in downtown Rio, in front of the old Imperial Palace (noon–6:30pm Tuesday–Sunday) home of the royal family from 1808–1889. Naturally, the praça was renamed in honor of the occasion, which took place in 1889, and the Palace itself was promptly taken over by the state. Emperor Dom Pedro II and his immediate family went on an extended vacation. Inside the palace is a restaurant, food stands, and stores. Upstairs they have stages for theater presentations and rooms for exhibitions. Nearby, you’ll find other vestiges of the era, including the 18th century Arco do Teles and an 18th century chafariz (type of fountain that also served as a water supply). Exiting the praça toward Rua Primeiro de Março, you’ll find the Igreja Nossa Sra. do Carmo (7am–5pm Monday–Friday). Considered one of the finest Baroque chuches in the Region, Carmo has a huge, vaulted interior that is rich in sculpture and ornamentation. It’s worth crossing the busy boulevard for a look inside.
Rio
The images that come to mind when one thinks of Rio de Janeiro are many and varied, but one that always seems to appear is of the famous Copacabana boardwalk and the Copacabana Palace Hotel with its luxurious interior and high-rolling clientele. In its heyday, Copacabana (and the hotel in particular) was the scenario of several Hollywood films, not to mention the playground of the actors themselves. Today, the Copacabana Palace remains the city’s finest hotel, sitting majestically overlooking the action on the boardwalk. Beautiful women in the latest bikini fashions, athletes playing volleyball or demonstrating Capoeira on the sand, people jogging and cycling and tourists from all nations congregate on the boardwalk to participate in the scene.
Then, like a director overlooking this stage, stands the Cristo Redentor high up on the Corcovado peak. To his left is the great historical center of town with a myriad of monuments and historical buildings from the glorious days of the 19th century, when Brazil was rich from the coffee boom and still bathing in the aftermath of the great gold rush of the 18th century. The 19th century brought many changes to Brazil, including its independence from Portugal and the end of its monarchy and formation of the Republic. All this happened right here in Rio de Janeiro. To the Cristo’s right is the famous Ipanema Beach, birthplace of Bossa Nova and home to many of the country’s rich and famous. All this history is present here in Rio…in the buildings, in the landscape and in the people themselves, who incorporate the traditional aspects of the city, while also encouraging its more modern, democratic traditions.
Not the least of these more democratic traditions is the popular festival of Carnaval, as much associated with Rio de Janeiro as Copacabana is. Carnaval is characterized by parades of highly costumed (or nearly naked) mulatas dancing to Samba rhythms, followed by elaborate floats that reach up to three or four stories tall, sparkling along the parade rout. There are also many private galas and small, neighborhood festivities.
Over the years, Rio has not ceased to attract people from all over the world. Surfers come to join a great community of like souls who practice on the many great beaches in town and to the south; artists come to setup their ateliers in the bohemian neighborhoods and wealthy playboys and debutantes continue to make Rio their home. Undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest cities, Rio de Janeiro, like Paris, Rome, or London, is a place of dreams and fantasies.
You’ll find Rio to be pleasant all year long, but the best time to visit is in the months leading up to and including summertime, from September to March. The rainy season begins around the end of February, but really hits in March and April.
Planning Your Time
With Rio’s de Janeiro’s recent bouts of violence and its overall reputation for crime, travelers are spending less and less time here than they used to. That’s a shame, because Rio is loaded with natural beauty, history, culture and attractions that continue to make this one of the world’s great cities. Some travelers are so enthralled by Rio, they return here over and over to spend their vacations. But if you’re set on breezing through Rio de Janeiro, it is possible to see most of the city’s highlights in about three days. That may not sound like much for a city this abundant, but remember that Rio de Janeiro is relatively small and compact and there are only three principal areas that attract visitors: this historic downtown, Copacabana, and Ipanema (unless you’re a surfer, in which case, you’d have to include Barra de Tijuca as a fourth). If you set yourself up in the Glória or Lapa neighborhood (where you can find reasonably-priced hotels) you’ll be close to the metro line and will be able to access just about everything in the city with ease. On the other hand, some of the hotels in Copacabana may provide the kind of luxury experience you’re looking for.
With that in mind, you’ll want to spend part of your time checking out the historical sites in the old downtown area. Some of the 19th century palaces, museums, and even coffee shops are spectacular. Take an afternoon walk along the Copacabana boardwalk and be sure to hit the high points (literally) of the city: the gondola to Pão de Açúcar and the view from the Cristo monument on Corcovado Mountain. These may require taxis to get to, since they lie just outside the main areas. Spend your evenings in Ipanema and Leblon with perhaps a happy hour in the Cinilândia area downtown. If you want to party, then a night in Lapa should probably be on the agenda. If you have a week to spend in Rio, then you’ll be able to relax on the beach, take a walk in the park, or go on a guided tour of a favela. If you like to shop, then you should reserve a day for those activities too.
pelourinho-bonfim, salvador
Over 800 colonial mansions and Baroque churches lean against the hillside of the old city center of Pelourinho. It was here at the Largo do Pelourinho where slaves and outlaws were publicly whipped (the word Pelourinho means whipping post). During its heyday, Pelourinho was the center of Salvador, the capital city of the colony and home to the richest sugar and cocoa barons of the time. It was also home to the country’s most active international port, located strategically inside the Bay of All Saints. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pelourinho is a living museum, with numerous buildings from the 16th and 17th centuries fully restored to their original beauty and charm (there are always buildings undergoing restoration in Pelourinho, as the job is practically endless.) During the day, you can walk the streets, looking into the many clothing and art shops, restaurants, museums and churches. At night, Pelourinho offers up music and dance events in its many public squares, as well as a non-stop street scene that passes in front of the many sidewalk café/bars that decorate the streets. The Laranjeiras areas is loaded with charming restaurants that seat their guests outside on the sidewalk or inside their colonial manors. A number of programmed events take place during the week, like cultural performances at the SENAC theater or concerts by Olodúm and other groups. Just outside the Centro Histórico, you can watch a native Candomblé ritual.
Originally, this principal area of Salvador consisted of a high and low city, called Cidade Alta and Cidade Baixa. Today the famous Lacerda Elevator carries over 50,000 people every day between the two. At the bottom, where all of the shipping activity took place, are more churches, the Mercado Modelo for regional arts and crafts, and the Maritime Terminal, where you can catch a boat to one of the islands in the bay. The Cidade Baixa extends westward to the area known as Bonfim, a neighborhood famous for its Afro-Brazilian festivals and home to the famous Bonfim Church.
On the other side of Pelourinho (toward the ocean) the monuments, churches and museums continue all the way down the coast to the Campo Grande neighborhood (mainly along Av. Sete de Setembro). Some highlights here include the Museum of Modern Art and the nearby Solar do União performing arts center. Two of the city’s best museums are here (Carlos Costa Pinto and Bahian Art Museum) as well as the Praça Castro Alves and the modern Castro Alves Theater.
Sites
Churches in Pelourinho
Museums in Pelourinho
Architecture & Monuments in Pelourinho
