4 Absolutely MUST DO's in Rio de Janeiro!
Despite some over cast and cloudy weather, Rio remains arguably my favorite city. The city is jam packed with amazing sights to see, some delicious food (yes, even for vegetarians!) and some of the best people you could meet…not to mention the lethal caipirinha’s!
Here are my four things that absolutely EVERY person must do when visiting Rio:
1) Escadaria Selarón, Lapa:
Also known as the Selarón Steps, Escadaria Selarón are a set of world famous steps in Rio de Janeiro. Located between the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods, the Selarón Steps are the work of “Jorgen Selarón”, a Chilean born artist.
The steps are made up of over 2,000 brightly colored tiles, collected from over 60 countries all over the world. This vibrant and elaborate mosaic spans over 215 steps (125m) and is Selarón’s tribute to the Brazilian people, after he adopted the city as his own in 1983. It is a wonderful piece of artwork, teaming with a vivid riot of color. It symbolizes everything you would imagine about Rio de Janeiro. As time has gone on, people have added their own tiles to the steps, creating an ever-evolving piece of art.
Nearby to Escadaria Selarón is also the Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro. A beautiful building, however a word of caution: The area itself is not as nice! Be careful when walking towards the cathedral, and as enticing as they look, avoid going under the Lapa arches. Walk around them!
2) The Buffet Food:
As a vegetarian, food was always a concern when entering such a meat fueled continent. However, Rio de Janeiro has such a wide range of cuisines that it is very easy to find something!
Brazilian lunches tend to consist of a buffet style meal where you take as much as you want and pay based on the weight of your plate. A simple but very effective meal idea! The buffets are loaded with vegetarian foods. A special shout out must be made to the delicious Brazilian style black beans and the fried aubergines!
SNEAKY SPOT: For anyone missing some home comforts, there is a restaurant in Copacabana called “Deck” which does all you can eat pizza, ending with desert pizza’s including a chocolate one!
3) Lapa Street Party:
Lapa is the vibrant, bohemian district of Rio de Janeiro. Full of traditional bars, lively music and amazing artwork and architecture, it is a massive hub for activity in the city. Already featuring the Lapa Arches (Arcos de Lapa) and the Selarón Steps (Escadaria Selarón), Lapa is being mentioned for a THIRD time in this post!
Every Friday night, Lapa hosts arguably one of the best street parties you could visit. Funk music blasts from the speakers, samba circles form on the streets, live bands entertain outside café’s and restaurants. Along the sidewalks, countless street vendors ensure that no throat runs dry selling you a variety of drinks, including the famous Caipirinha’s; a drink made from cachaça (a sugar cane based liquor), sugar and lime. Street vendors line their stalls with fruits like watermelon and mango, which you can have mixed into your caipirinhas for a delicious remixed flavor!
Everywhere springs to life to create an intoxicating nocturnal environment. To capture the essence of the cities nightlife and it’s people, a Lapa street party is something you cannot miss when in Rio de Janeiro.
4) Cristo Redentor:
The final one goes without saying!
The towering statue of Christ the Redeemer is iconic to Rio de Janerio. Sitting at the top of Corcovado Mountain, this sculpture spans of 30m (92ft) high and is listed as one of the new Wonders of the World.
As tourist attractions go, this is one of the most popular. However unlike normal tourist traps, this one is probably one of the best ones you will ever see. The sheer feat behind the engineering and sculpture is amazing. On top of that, the views from Corcovado are breath taking. The entire city of Rio de Janeiro just sprawls out beneath you and you can even track the entire coast line, from Copacabana to Ipanema. Follow this round see Guanabara Bay. In the distance, you can see Lapa with the Cathedral of St Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro poking out. For any eagle-eyed football (soccer) fans, you can even spot the Maracanã, the national football (soccer) stadium of Brazil.
If you go to Rio de Janeiro, there is absolutely no way you can miss this. One amazing bucket list activity ticked off!
