High above in the cloudless sky, I wake up from my overnight slumber to an unexpected spectacle. The sun, ever the artist, is painting the horizon in 100 shades of orange. Maybe it’s his way of greeting the new day and, at the same time, my new adventure. Down below, I notice the sea of vivid greenery merge with the vast blue ocean. On the rugged edges, imposing rocks seamlessly intertwine with the man-made structures of the city. The buzz is palpable even from up here – Rio is preparing for Carnival.
Upon setting foot in Brazil again, I am reminded of the contagious vivacity in the air. Rhythm and dance live in the heart of the country and its people seem to find a way to celebrate life despite, at times, quite difficult circumstances. You need to look no further than Rio to witness the great discrepancy in life quality between the different parts of the population. And yet, the human spirit perseveres.
Carnival amplifies this energy ten fold. Carnival in Rio, famous worldwide, creates a unique microcosm that deserves its own dedicated post ( coming soon! ). But whether you’re visiting during the celebrations or not, you’ll likely find Rio de Janeiro’s undeniable charm work its magic on you. Beautiful sandy beaches stretching out for miles. In front of you, the ocean breaks its waves in a soothing pattern. Behind you, Corcovado stands tall with its lush forest, while on top, Christ the Redeemer casts its watchful eye over the city. With its bossa nova and samba melodies, the sounds of Brazil accompany you as you explore the city.
No trip to Rio would be complete without ticking off the big ticket items. Experiencing the world famous beaches – a swim at Ipanema , a twilight stroll along Copacabana. Taking the tram up Corcovado to see Big Jesus as I like to call him. Watching the sun set over the city from the top of the iconic Pão do Açucar. Climbing up the colourful steps of Escadaria Selaron. Yes, it can get quite touristy, but in my experience it’s been worth it. I was particularly skeptical about going to Pão do Açucar at sunset since that’s one of the most popular times, but the incredible view made up for the slightly longer queuing time on the way down ( at least for me! ).
With our stay being a little over a week long, we were lucky to have plenty of time to explore without needing to pack all the touristy activities close together. Naturally, a large part of our Rio experience was centred around Carnival – from street parties to the impressive Sambadrome parades.
But during our ‘down time’, we also enjoyed wandering through the city streets, occasionally stopping for fuel in the form of an iced coffee or some delicious açai. Of course, I couldn’t miss an old haunt from my previous trip, Bibi Sucos and their massive bowls of frozen goodness. And since Brazil is the home of the infamous Havaianas, we did get a pair when visiting the ‘mother store’ in Ipanema. Flip flops are no joke there – even the walls are covered in them! Speaking of shopping, if you’re after unique clothes with beautiful, bold patterns, Farm Rio is a must. Tempting as it was, my backpack only has so much spare space, so I ended up leaving the shop empty handed this time.
So, whether you’re after a packed day of activities or want to take it slower, Rio welcomes you with open arms. The people are warm and helpful, the atmosphere is vibrant and there are beautiful sights at every corner – a perfect recipe for a memorable trip.
I’m aware I haven’t talked about the elephant in the room! Keep an eye for my next post for a full immersion into the magic of Rio Carnival. But in the mean time, I leave you with more pictures from Rio and some other highlights.
⌂ Accommodation
As you’d expect for a city of its size, there are plenty of accommodation options in Rio. Copacabana and Ipanema might be some of the more popular areas, but they also come at a premium given the close proximity to the beaches. Since we were visiting during Carnival, and not wanting to break the bank, we decided to base ourselves in the centre of the action in Lappa for the first leg of our stay.
Framed by the imposing Lappa arches, this neighbourhood close to the city centre is home to the party scene in Rio, with restaurants, bars and clubs crowding its winding streets. Normally, I would try to avoid staying in the most bustling part of town, but this time it worked out pretty well allowing us to easily pop in and out of the Carnival celebrations. I have to say that the area didn’t feel particularly safe, especially around the arches themselves, but with a bit of caution and common sense, we didn’t have any unpleasant experiences.
Since our hotel didn’t have availability for one of the nights, we ended up moving to an Airbnb in Botafogo part way through the stay. Botafogo is a more residential neighbourhood, half way between the city centre in the north and the beaches in the south. With its own smaller beach, and plenty of hip cafes and restaurants, it turned out to be the perfect chill end to our time in Rio.
☆ Highlights
Some of the places I’ve enjoyed in Rio:
- Sabor Peruano en Rio – for delicious Peruvian food
- Aurora Cafe – for an airy space to have a bite and coffee; also laptop friendly
- Bibi Sucos (multiple locations) – for massive bowls of açai goodness; they also have plenty of decent lunch options
► More pictures
⧗ Period
25 February 2025 ➳ 5 March 2025
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