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Rio de Janeiro Vacations and Luxury Travel Packages |
The most gorgeous beaches with women and men to match, the most renowned samba schools, the largest soccer stadiums, the most corrupt policemen, and the most millionaires - Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City) is what the inhabitants of Rio call it. "A city where love makes life more enchanting, where one can die more easily from love" is how the poet Vinicius de Moraes describes his native city.
Cari means "white" and oca "house": "White Man's House" is what the original inhabitants of this region, the Tamoio, called the dwellings of the first European settlers. The name stuck, and inhabitants of Rio have been called Cariocas ever since.
Today, Rio has a population of over six million in an area measuring slightly under 1,200 square kilometers; the population of metropolitan Rio exceeds 10 million. The city has many peaks, ridges and hills, the highest of which, Pico da Tijuca, rises to 1,022 meters. Typical of Rio are the bare and hump-like formations called morros, the most famous of which is Corcovado (The Hunchback), atop whose summit a statue of Christ presides.
More than anything else, this city's setting makes it one of the loveliest in the world. Rio is idyllically nestled between the tropical vegetation of the Serra do Mar and the glistening waters of Guanabara Bay. Internationally-renowned architects have provided Rio with buildings that other industrialized nations would be proud to have in their capital cities. Especially in the southern part of town, one never has the feeling of being in a monstrously-big metropolis.
A good way to begin seeing Rio is from the place where locals and tourists always come together: the expansive beaches. However, when strolling along the sands of the praias, as well as elsewhere in Rio, visitors should bear firmly in mind that certain basic precautions are in order because the glitter of the city has its dark side too: Rio is rife with pickpockets, con artists and muggers.
The City Center
Although vacationers seldom include it in their sightseeing plans, downtown Rio is definitely worth spending at least a morning or afternoon in. Indeed, visitors whose favorite holiday pastime is wandering through museums and old churches might even want to consider devoting two full days to exploring Rio's rich historical and architectural heritage, still fascinating despite the politically and economically motivated destruction brought about by 200 years of "progress." The Old City is comprised of the Centro and Lapa quarters, and extends roughly from the Church of Sao Bento to the modern Catedral de Sao Sebastiao. Many structures in the historic center of Rio have been superbly restored, and new paving stones have been laid in the streets and squares. The area has a fresh sheen to it that even extends to the centuries-old building materials, whose stately qualities are now much more in evidence.
The City can be reached by taking the Metro at Botafogo Station and getting off at the sixth stop, Carioca. Begin your walking tour of the area at lively Largo da Carioca (right outside the Metro station) by first taking the stairway to Morro Santo Antonio. |
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| Full Service Rio de Janeiro Vacation Planner |
| Click here to start planning a great South America vacation, tour or cruise with our Virtuoso Travel Advisors. You may call us too, but we'd really appreciate it if you complete a vacation planner first so we can determine which destination specialist to introduce you to.Thank you very much! 1 800 330 8820 or 415 446 5252 to book your South America vacation. | |
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