Cecilie's travel guide
 
Read about my favorite
beaches all over the world...
Rio de Janeiro
Facts
Population: Over 11 million inhabitants which makes Rio the second largest city in Brazil.
Climate: In the summer (December to March) the temperature is between 25-40 degr. In this period there's more rain than other periods, but it doesn't last long. In wintertime it's around 20-30 degr. something that's very cold for the Brazilians.
Language: Portuguese
People: You find a mix of Europeans, Africans and Indians something that's characteristic for Rio de Janeiro.
Money: Real
Music: Samba, Bossa Nova, Brazilian pop, but they also listen to international music influenced by the USA.
Places to practice
Copacabana: This is Rio de Janeiro's most famous beach. The beach is full of volleyball nets, footvolley courts and of course soccer fields. Many of the best beachvolleyball-players practice here. You will also find many volleyball schools which are very popular. Here it's possible to rent a top-coach for a small amount of money.
Ipanema: Like Copacabana, Ipanema is full of activity at all times. The only time the beach is empty is during the heavy rainfalls.
Barra da Tijuca: This is the cleanest beach, but only a few teams practice here daily. The area Barra DA Tijuca is called the Miami of Rio, because malls and beaches dot the landscape.
My favorite places in Rio
Copacabana: The famous beach where the Cariocas (people living in Rio) spend a lot of their time. Unfortunately the beach and the water are quite dirty.
Ipanema: This beach is cleaner than Copacabana and is absolutely worth a visit.
The Sugar Loaf: This is a mountain with a great view over most of the city. Make sure to go on a clear day! To get to the mountain you have to ride two different Cable Cars something that is very exciting and a bit scary.
Corcovado: Another mountain with a fantastic view is the Corcovado mountain crowned by the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The statue is 30 meters high and from the top you have a splendid view of Rio de Janeiro.
Búzius: About a two hour drive from Rio (depending on the traffic) you find Búzius. This place was made famous by the french model Brigitte Bardot. She had a brazilian boyfriend and spent a lot of her spare time here. Búzius is a small village famous for it's beautiful beaches. You can find small hidden ones like Ferradurinha or larger more crowded beaches like Geribá where a lot of the kids stay.
Ilha Grande: If you want to go to a place close to paradise, you should absolutely go to the island Ilha Grande. This island is a two hours drive and one hour with a ferry from Rio, and is a quiet and beautiful place. When I visited the place, we rented a boat one day and went snorkling. The next day we went by foot to a lot of small, beautiful beaches and swam and relaxed.
Centro: I like shopping, but the Copacabana-area is getting more and more expensive. In the center, on the other hand, you can find small stands with a lot of cheep, fun stuff. They have everything from clothes to souvenirs. It is absolutely worth a trip. Take the subway from Siqueira Campus or Cardeal Arcoverde station in Copacabana and get off at Uruguaiana station in the center. It takes about 20 minutes. The subway is fast, clean and relatively secure, but pay attention when you get off in the center. Don't wear heavy fabrics because it can get really hot in this area during the day.
Rio Water Planet: This is the biggest Aqua Park in Latin America with Lazy rivers, Crazy falls and the biggest Kamikaze of the world. I enjoyed it very much!
Rio Sul: If you like shopping, there are many great malls. One of them is very close to Copacabana and is called "Rio Sul". Among the things you find here are cinemas, fitness center and nice restaurants. One restaurant called Vienna, is a bit special. You pay one price and can eat as much pizza as you want. The special thing is that you can taste pizza with banana and chocolate. This might sound strange, but it's very good, especially if you're almost full and want to finish up with some sweets...
Maracană: This is the biggest football-stadium in the world. If you go here, be careful, because tourists often get robbed as they buy their tickets. Don't hold them in your hands, but put them in a safe place. Here you can see the Brazilians dancing samba and cheering for their favorite team. The biggest rivals in Rio are Vasco, Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo.
Floresta da Tijuca: If you want to get away from the traffic and big-city noise you should go for a jeep-tour which will take you to Floresta da Tijuca. This forest is simply beautiful and you will hardly believe you are in a city with many million inhabitants. This is one of Rio's green loungs.
Samba school: I always wanted to learn the Samba, so I went to one of the samba schools in Rio. A lot of people gather in a big hall where they sing and play the drums. People are dancing like crazy and singing terribly... It was a nice experience, but I understood that the samba is difficult to learn in just one night.
Lagoa: In the middle of Rio you find a lagoon surrounded by small kiosks. They often have live concerts here. This is a nice place to drink some beers or just enjoy the warm night.