Introducing Rio de Janeiro
Be warned: Rio’s powers of seduction can leave you with a bad case of saudade (indescribable longing) when you leave. Planted between lush, forest-covered mountains and breathtaking beaches, the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City) has many charms at her disposal.
Although joie de vivre is a French invention (as is the bikini), it’s the Cariocas (Rio dwellers) who’ve made it their own. How else to explain the life-lusting zeal with which the city’s inhabitants celebrate their days? While large-scale festivities like Carnaval make Rio famous, there are countless occasions for revelry – Saturday at Ipanema Beach, a festa (party) in Lapa, soccer at Maracanã, or an impromptu roda de samba (samba circle) on the sidewalks of Leblon, Copacabana or any other corner of the city.
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Group of Carnival participants at Copacabana.
- Viviane Ponti
- Lonely Planet photographer
