If you’ve already put off a visit to Rio, what’s stopping you? The recommendations below will let you go now and take in more of everything Rio is famous for without a moment’s hesitation. 1.- Dress down, and dress comfortably and avoid drawing too much attention. 2.- Avoid using credit cards and try to pay with cash. 3.- Stick to well-visited (if not crowded) places. 4.- Don’t carry all of your money and documents at one time. 5.- Take only what’s necessary to the beach. 6.- For car rentals, the allowable blood alcohol rate is 0.0 so don’t drink. And use the cars GPS to detect the best routes for traveling. 7.- A variety of guided tours will help you to avoid getting lost in the city. 8 .- Use common sense and plan ahead so that your trip is safe and secure from start to finish. Whenever you’re in Rio de Janeiro, don’t miss the following highlights… – Christ the Redeemer or Cristo de Corcovado One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, it’s 30 meters high, with arms outstretched to the city. You’ll find the statue in the Tijuca National Park, though the statue is visible from almost from any part of the city. More than just impressive, Christ is said to embrace and protect all of Rio, including visitors.
– Pão de Açúcar: Sugarloaf Mountain Another symbol of the city, Sugarloaf Mountain is a spectacular granite peak rising directly from the sea. From the very top, you can see just how admirable the city is, but then, you’ll be 396 meters up. – Ipanema Beach At the very entrance to the Guanabara Bay, Ipanema is the city’s most famous beach. With two kilometers of coast and soft white sand, it’s a favorite for its Cariocas and an indispensable stop for visitors, perfect for sunbathing, enjoying the sea, sports and just relaxing. – Garota de Ipanema Restaurant Antonio Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes wrote Brazil’s most famous song, Girl from Ipanema, here. Still the best bohemian place on the beach, Brazilian specialties like “Picanha no Rechaud”, a grilled sirloin steak, with rice, fried potatoes and toasted cassava is the best in Rio. – Copacabana Beach Copacabana is still known by locals as the “Princesinha do Mar,” the Princess of the Sea and it’s still one of the most pampered stretches of coast anywhere. Both the beach and the neighborhood lived a golden age in the 1940s and 50s, when the rich and famous visited the elegant clubs, casinos, and hotels. Copacabana is still fashionable, partly because the beauty of the beach never ends, but also ‘cause the restaurants, clubs and constant buzz doesn’t either. – Maracanã Stadium and Football Museum Football (soccer) is Rio de Janeiro’s true passion. The temple to it all is the Football Museum, right next to the still imposing Maracanã Stadium, with a capacity some 80,000 fans. If you can catch a match, don’t miss out on the opportunity. – Night Life An indispensable part of any visit to Rio is the life teeming from all the clubs. Options for revelers are as many as we could count, from omnipresent Samba shows, to dancing or taking in the Caipirinhas and beach bar that sway until dawn. Get ready for a major party! Rio is full of life. You should be too. Royal Holiday Vacation Club has been sending members to the Rio Othon Palace for years, and it’s still one of the best hotels in the city. Just a few steps from Copacabana beach, there’s a pool on the terrace and magnificent views of the bay. With a restaurant and bar, Skylab, onsite, it’s one of the most famous in Rio. If your ready to take on the good life, get to Rio. Put your head to it, and before the end of this summer, you’ll know Rio and and everything it has to offer – with your Royal Holiday Vacation Club
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