Things to do in Brazil
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Travessa do Comércio
Beautiful two-story colonial townhouses line this narrow cobblestone street leading off Praça XV (Quinze) de Novembro. The archway, called Arco de Teles, leading into the area was once part of an old viaduct running between two buildings. Today, Travessa do Comércio contains half a dozen restaurants and drinking spots that open onto the streets. It's a favorite spot for Cariocas after work.
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Surfing
Surfboard rental and surf lessons are easily arranged. Zebra & Pepê offer board rentals. The coast south of Itacaré is characterized by rough surf (better for surfing than swimming).
There has been a rash of muggings at and around Itacaré's beaches, so take little money and nothing of value. Avoid the trails through the forests past late afternoon.
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Instituto Moreira Salles
This beautiful cultural center is next to Parque da Cidade and contains an archive of more than 80,000 photographs, many portraying old streets of Rio as well as the urban development of other Brazilian cities over the last two centuries. It also hosts impressive exhibitions, often showcasing the works of some of Brazil's best photographers and artists. Check its website for details of what's on when you're in town.
The gardens, complete with artificial lake and flowing river, were designed by Brazilian landscape architect Burle Marx. There's also a craft shop and a quaint café here that serves lunch or afternoon tea.
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Jangadas
Jangadas sail out 2km at low tide to natural pools formed by the nearby reef. On a busy day, the pools fill up with people (clouding the water for those interested in snorkeling) and waiters run around serving drinks from floating bars. You can arrange trips with any boat captain - stop in early to find out when the boats are sailing. Embark at Praia de Pajuçara.
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Casa das Onze Janelas
Once the home of a sugar baron, then a military hospital, the Casa das Onze Janelas now houses an excellent art gallery and one of Belém’s finest restaurants, Boteco das Onze. The medium-sized gallery contains a mix of classical and modern artwork, plus a good photography exhibit upstairs. The café in back has a view of the mouth of the Amazon.
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Velho Marineiro
Rio’s newest aquatic venture is a small party boat that heads out for a four-hour cruise around Rio. The tour entails music, a barbecue, free drinks, and stops for swimming along the way. Tours run only when there’s enough demand (10 persons or more), which is fairly often in the summer. The tour operator will pick you up on the day of the tour.
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Nam Thai
Thai cuisine is a rarity in Rio, which makes charming Nam Thai even more of a star. The French colonial interior is a cozy setting for the eclectic Thai cooking. Favorites are the squid salad and spicy shrimp curry with pineapple. No less intoxicating are Nam Thai's tropical drinks, such as the caipivodca de lychee (lychee vodka caipirinha).
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Petropolis Day Trip from Rio de Janeiro including Imperial Museum and Crystal Palace
10 hours (Departs Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
by Viator
Escape the crowds of Rio de Janiero at Petropolis, the beautiful mountain retreat of Brazil's only two emperors. Wander through the Imperial Museum. Pay your…Not LP reviewed
from USD$64.99 -
Xicara da Silva
Plenty of people say this popular restaurant prepares the city's best pizza and pasta, and you won't find any arguments to the contrary here. With artful and comfortable dining areas indoors and on a raised patio, the atmosphere is just as appealing. For something smaller, try the quiche. Squeezed into a small leafy lot near the huge Lider Z mall.
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Parque das Aves
This 5-hectare bird park, located 300m from the entrance to Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, is home to 800-plus species of birds, including red ibis, bare-throated bellbird, and flamingos galore. They live in 8m-high aviaries that are constructed right in the forest. Other exhibits are devoted to snakes, butterflies and other species.
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Forte Duque de Caxias
More commonly known as Forte do Leme, this military base is open to the public on weekends, when visitors can access the forested trail skirting up to the top of Morro de Leme. The short but steep trail passes through Atlantic rain forest and by the ruins of an earlier 18th-century fort that stood here. The views from the top are magnificent.
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Money Museum
Numismatists will also be interested in a visit to the money museum in the Banco Central do Brasil opposite Caixa Federal. Cash from around the world is on show, as well as a complete set of Brazilian currency, including a 1,000,000 Cruzeiro note. You’ll need to show your passport to get in – they take no chances.
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Santuário Dom Bosco
Santuário Dom Bosco is made of 80 concrete columns that support 7500 pieces of illuminated Murano glass symbolizing a starry sky, and which cast a blue submarine glow over the pews. The central chandelier weighs 2.5 tonnes and adds an amazing 435 light bulbs’ worth of energy to the monthly electricity bill.
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Ristorante Fiorentina
The pasta, fresh meats, sangria and homemade desserts are all first-rate, even at the per-kilo lunch buffet, but bring some extra moolah to cover your meal. The dining area features the obligatory Italian restaurant red-and-white checkered tablecloths; the upstairs area mixes things up a bit with blue and white checkers.
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Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Reopened in 1989, the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB) is housed in a beautifully restored 1906 building. It's one of Brazil's best cultural centers, with more than 120,000 visitors per month. Facilities include a cinema, two theaters and a permanent display of the evolution of currency in Brazil. CCBB hosts excellent exhibitions that are among the city's best. A recent display of African art garnered international attention.
There is always something going on at the CCBB, from exhibitions, lunchtime and evening concerts, to film screenings, so look at O Globo's entertainment listings before you go. Don't miss this place, even if you only pass through the lobby while…
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Gero
Part of the Fasano family of high-end restaurants, Gero occupies a beautifully minimalist, brick-lined dining room that attracts a lively, fashion-conscious crowd with its brilliantly executed Italian fare, like polenta with squid in its own ink, and homemade pasta with a ragu of sausage and radicchio.
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Jaime Rodriguez
An experienced local guide fluent in English, Spanish and Pemón, he leads excellent Roraima tours emphasizing local culture and customs. A vivid and engaging storyteller who breathes life into the landscape and chilly tepui-top evenings, he is in the process of developing a Pemón guide cooperative.
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Instituto Ricardo Brennand
From Tuesday to Friday afternoons, you can visit the scenic Instituto Ricardo Brennand, Oficina Cerâmica Francisco Brennand's cousin’s museum. This contains a massive collection of European and Brazilian art, swords, armor and historical artifacts in a fake medieval castle on lovely grounds.
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Zuka
One of Rio's best restaurants, Zuka prepares delectable mouthwatering cuisine – zingy ceviche or the confection-like delicacy of Zuka's original foie gras to start, followed by rack of lamb with passion fruit, grilled fish of the day with mandoquinha (a kind of sweet root vegetable) purée, seared tuna over heart-of-palm tagliatelle and many other imaginative dishes. All the grilling action happens at the open kitchen to the right (you can sit at the counter and watch the chefs in action), and the cocktails (particularly the lychee saketinis) and desserts are excellent.
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Artigiano
Overlooking the Jardim de Alah, Artigiano is set in a picturesque villa with more than a hint of the old-world about it. Here, you will find an older, well-dressed crowd enjoying classic Italian fare, including some 20 superb varieties of handmade pasta amid the oil paintings and antique furnishings.
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Cantina Jeri
Excellent value spot offering a ridiculously extensive (and good) list of pastas and risottos. Dishes are meant for one, but when they show up – placed on the table in the very pan in which they were cooked – they can easily serve two, catapulting this Italian-run midrange into the budget category.
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Fellini
One of Leblon's top buffet restaurants, Fellini has an enticing selection of dishes: salads, pastas, grilled fish and shrimp, a sushi counter and the hallowed roast-meat counter. The modest dining room attracts a mix of hungry patrons – tourists, neighborhood folk and the beautiful crowd included.
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Pimenta Verde
This delightful little corner café with only a few tables pumps out memorable cuisine from the former chef at longtime favorite Carcará. The octopus Provençal (best dish in Jeri?) and the green peppercorn filet are both divine. Cute artistic touches round out the culinary happiness.
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Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto
The free Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto, southwest of Savassi, features a renovated colonial farmhouse, the solitary remnant of Curral del Rey, the rural village destroyed in the 1890s to make room for Belo. There are some fascinating historical photos and other bric-a-brac.
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Jardim Botânico
This exotic 137-hectare garden, with over 8000 plant species, was designed by order of the Prince Regent Dom João (later to become Dom João VI) in 1808. The garden is quiet and serene on weekdays and blossoms with families and music on weekends. Highlights of a visit here include the row of palms (planted when the garden first opened), the Amazonas section, the lake containing the huge Vitória Régia water lilies and the enclosed orquidário, home to 600 species of orchids. Also on-site is the Museu do Meio Ambiente, which opened in 2008 and houses temporary environmentally focused exhibits. English-language tours can be arranged by appointment. A pleasant outdoor café…
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