I can't tell you how long I dreamed of visiting Brazil. It was on my wishlist for at least 4 years, my wanderlust growing stronger with every Portuguese class, with every new Brazilian song or artist discovered. So, when the opportunity to travel to this country came, I felt ecstatic.
Before my actual work trip to a different city, I took a couple days to visit the iconic Rio de Janeiro, and although we did and saw a lot, I am sure there was a lot that we did not get to explore. Honestly, it was hard for me to find information about the top spots in Rio, so I hope this post helps you when visiting the "Cidade Maravilhosa."
Before diving in, I wanted to mention that what I liked the most about Rio was that there was music everywhere. No matter where we went, there were always singers or bands playing live, performing the very songs that inspired me to learn the language. It felt magical time after time, and, in those moments, it felt like my life, or this part of it, had come full circle.
If you want to listen to these songs, you will find them in the playlist at the end.
Day 1:
We arrived in the afternoon of a very cloudy day, so we figured that visiting a museum would be a safe bet to seize the time and make the best of the weather. The Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) was just the perfect choice.
In my previous life (job lol), I had the opportunity to learn about Museums and wonder how to make them innovative and ever-attractive. So this one was the perfect example of how to present the right amount of information in a way that was compelling and technologically forward, meeting visitors where they are.
Afterwards, we explored the city center, drinking caipirinhas, looking at the people dancing, and having a beer at one of the crowded bars.
Day 2:
This was our only full day in Rio, and we knew we had to make the best of it and try to squeeze in as many places as we could. Luckily, given how nice it was to walk and how cheap Ubers were, moving from one place to another was very smooth.
Because the weather was, luckily, amazing, we kicked off the day at Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf Mountain), a famous peak rising 396 m above the harbor and offering stunning and unique views of the ocean. I was impressed from the start with how well-planned the experience was, from the ticket purchase area to the ferry and the activities up top. You can spend as much time as you want there, visiting the little museum or the many shops, grabbing a bite, or exploring the green areas.
After coming back, we walked around Urca, an old area of the city with beautiful views. We took our sweet time discovering the neighborhood and walking through the many farmers' markets, where we tasted empanadas, bolinhos de bacalao, guaraná, and any other thing we could get our hands on.
In spite of eating the whole day, we then headed to the Santa Teresa neighborhood for an actual lunch. We went to Bar do Mineiro, famous for its feijoada, which we, of course, paired with caipirinhas. This restaurant is very traditional and always packed, so we were lucky to arrive before its peak time.
Feijoada, the national dish of Brazil, is made with beans, rice, smoked pork, and beef products, so, as you can imagine, it is very heavy. Therefore, we needed coffee to fuel the rest of our day. We decided to go a few steps down to Casa Nossa for coffee. It was an unexpected but perfect spot for what we needed, and the best part was that we got to witness a captivating performance of famous Brazilian songs by a local duo, who played from a balcony of this three-story house.
After this necessary stop, we went to the Museu da Republica (Museum of the Republic), located at Catete Palace, which is the former presidential residence. Not only was the building worth seeing, but so were its gardens, which hosted artistic performances, and a street market with food and goods vendors.
From there, we went to Escadaria Selaron, the famous set of steps covered in tiles, where we took a couple of pictures but didn't stay around for long. It was then time to visit the upscale neighborhood Leblon, where we did some shopping at Farm Rio (highly recommend, as prices are way lower than in the US), topped with a delicious meal at the Portuguese restaurant Sardinha.
Day 3:
We took this day way more slowly. In the morning, we visited Parque Henrique Lage, the former house of its namesake. The property now has this beautiful café, which you might have seen on Instagram posts. On top of the hill, you can spot Christ the Redeemer. We took our sweet time to walk around the property and explore its lush gardens, hidden lookouts, and gift shop.
In the afternoon, we wanted to relax, so the natural option was spending time at the beach. While I liked Ipanema better, we spent the afternoon at Copacabana, since it was closer to our hotel. We had a wonderful time enjoying a stunning sunset, the Brazilian beach snack queijo coelho, and, drumroll please, caipirinhas. Enough said, I think.
Day 4:
On this day, we woke up early to take the shuttle that would take us to Christ the Redeemer. I recommend you take this tour with plenty of time, as there is a whole system that requires you to onboard and off board different buses. During this transfer, visitors are also encouraged to visit the souvenir store and visitor center.
Once there, you will get marveled by the statue and realize why it is indeed one of the wonders of our world. In my case, its grandiosity not only made me feel small, but also extremely blessed.
Because we got there early, we were lucky to have some moments of relative peace before it got really packed. We were able to take as many decent pictures as we wanted, appreciate the cidade maravilhosa and its wildlife from this unique vantage point, and visit the Nossa Senhora de Aparecida chapel. I definitely recommend doing this, also because it can get very hot.
Yes, I am looking at Christ the Redeemer in most picture of this day
For lunch, we went to Encontro Nordestino, a restaurant selling food from the Northeastern region of the country. I got to eat my favorite Brazilian dish, moqueca, a stew made with shrimp or fish, coconut milk, tomatoes, and other ingredients. The restaurant is not fancy, but it has beach views and everything we tried was delicious.
At night, we walked around the area and went inside the Copacabana Palace, an iconic art-deco hotel famous for its prominent celebrity and royal guests. I recommend having a drink at the hotel restaurant and people watch.
Day 5:
Day 5 was our last day in Rio, and even though we only had the morning available, we managed to see a lot.
We ubered to Centro, the financial, government, commercial, and cultural center of the city. The weather was gorgeous, so it was perfect to walk around and see the Theatro Municipal, the São Francisco de Paula Church, the Paço Imperial, and the Real Gabinete Português da Leitura. The perfect send-off was a cappuccino at the iconic Confeitaria Colombo, a Belle Époque café considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world.
These days in Rio were wonderful, and I am so thankful for everything I got to see and experience in such a short period of time.
And, as promised, one of my most beloved playlists, Dreaming of Rio, so you can mentally travel to the Cidade Maravilhosa.
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