Rio de Janeiro
Designed by famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, this thoughtfully conceived science museum has interactive exhibitions on outer space, the earth…
Must-see attractions in Rio de Janeiro State
Rio de Janeiro State
The stunning white church of NS de Nazaré (1837), perched on the hill near the entrance to the lagoon, is the town's focal point. From this strategic spot…
Rio de Janeiro
One of the most picturesque beaches near Rio, Prainha is backed by cliffs and thick forest. The sea can be rough, but it's a favorite among surfers. It…
Parque Natural Municipal de Marapendi
Rio de Janeiro
Near Barra da Tijuca's coastal strip, this155-hectare biological reserve has photogenic views over the Marapendi lagoon dotted with mangroves, towering…
Rio de Janeiro
Inside a beautifully restored mansion overlooking Praça Tiradentes, this exhibition hall is dedicated to Brazilian crafts from across the country. Several…
Paraty
Set beside the rushing Rio da Pedra Branca, Paratiana offers free tours of its cachaça distillery, where gleaming stills share space with giant casks of…
Santa Teresa & Lapa
This enormous cone-shaped cathedral was inaugurated in 1976 after 12 years of construction. Among its sculptures, murals and other works of art, the four…
Rio de Janeiro State
Visitors are free to roam among the high-ceilinged, parquet-floored rooms of this grand yellow edifice, which served as a summer home for Brazil's…
Rio de Janeiro
Although the waters of Baía de Guanabara (Guanabara Bay) are too polluted for swimming, the beach overlooking the Enseada de Botafogo (Botafogo Inlet)…
Rio de Janeiro State
Among the nicest and most accessible of Mauá’s dozen or so waterfalls, this one is a 10-minute drive or a 40-minute walk northwest of Alto Maringá via the…
Ipanema & Leblon
One of Rio's top contemporary galleries moved to this Leblon location in 2017, and it continues to stage captivating exhibitions inside a four-story…
Rio de Janeiro
Naval enthusiasts shouldn't miss this waterfront museum, a short stroll from Praça XV. It contains the Riachuelo submarine, which you can wander through,…
Rio de Janeiro
This avant-garde museum is set in a 19th-century neoclassical building that originally housed the Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Arts. Today the…
Rio de Janeiro
Owned by French designer Jacques Van de Beuque, this impressive museum containing some 4500 pieces has one of the best folk-art collections in Brazil. The…
Paraty
This stunning beach, about 35km southeast of Paraty, is accessible only by foot or boat. Catch a Colitur bus to Laranjeiras (R$4.25, 40 minutes) and then…
Búzios
The biggest draws in Búzios are the natural setting plus the intoxicating mixture of opportunities for relaxation, nightlife, shopping and ocean sports…
Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa
An old mansion full of antiques, the former residence of Eva Klabin houses the works of art she collected for 60 years. Reflecting Eva's diverse interests…
Rio de Janeiro
From this station you can take the Bonde tram to Santa Teresa. It's a marvelous ride on a quaint yellow streetcar over the Lapa Arches to the hilltop…
Rio de Janeiro State
Forte São Mateus, a stronghold against pirates, was built between 1616 and 1620 at the eastern end of Praia do Forte to protect the lucrative brazilwood…
Rio de Janeiro
This tiny beach is popular with neighborhood kids who gather here for pick-up football games when school is not in session (and sometimes when it is). A…
Paraty
This acclaimed cachaça distillery, 10km north of Paraty, often places within the top 10 or 20 in nationwide competitions. Call at least a day ahead to…
Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa
One of several new galleries in the Jockey Club, Carpintaria stages exhibitions by both Brazilian and foreign artists. It's a great place to see sculpture…
Ipanema & Leblon
A few fishers casting out to sea mingle with couples admiring the view at this overlook uphill from the western end of Leblon Beach. The luxury Sheraton…
Rio de Janeiro State
Colina dos Mirantes, in the southern suburb of Fazendinha, is an especially good place to view the city and its mountain backdrop. On clear days you can…
Rio de Janeiro State
Head to this park, 10km north of town, for the 30-minute climb via a moderate trail to the top of Pedra do Cão Sentado, a rock formation resembling a…
Rio de Janeiro State
A must-see for surfing aficionados, this quirky museum near the Cabo Frio waterfront traces the history of the sport through the owner's private…
Igreja Santa Rita dos Pardos Libertos
Paraty
Built in 1722, this was the church for freed persons of mixed black and white ancestry. Nowadays it houses a tiny museum of sacred art and has some fine…
Rio de Janeiro State
Built in France and imported in 1879, this ornate iron-and-glass structure was originally used as a hothouse for growing orchids. It's now a venue for…
Rio de Janeiro State
This charming house was the summer home of Brazil’s diminutive father of aviation and inventor of the wristwatch. Photos and exhibits document Dumont’s…
Rio de Janeiro State
Reached by a 500m trail through the forest, a few kilometers up the road from park headquarters, this 40m-high waterfall tumbles down a cliff face into a…
Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa
Offers fantastic views over Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, and the seaside neighborhoods of Ipanema and Leblon. Reachable by taking the path in the Parque da…
Rio de Janeiro State
Accessible via a 750m trail a few kilometers up the road from park headquarters, this broad series of falls tumbles over rocky shelves into a deep emerald…
Rio de Janeiro State
This waterfall and its popular adjacent swimming hole are 2km west of downtown Penedo along the main road just before it starts climbing to Alto do Penedo.
Rio de Janeiro State
This waterfall is about a 20-minute walk uphill from the bus turnaround in Alto do Penedo. Ask locally for directions, as signs are intermittent.
Rio de Janeiro State
Just below the point where the lower park road dead-ends, Maromba's waters surge through a rocky gorge into a sun-dappled natural swimming hole.
Búzios
Remarkably realistic-looking fishermen hauling in their nets by sculptor Christina Motta.
Rio de Janeiro State
This very beautiful waterfall is 300m south of the main road, just west of Maromba.
President Juscelino Kubitschek Statue
Búzios
Statue of the former Brazilian president by sculptor Christina Motta.
Flamengo & Around
This handsomely landscaped park is a pleasant escape from busy Rua das Laranjeiras outside its sphinx-guarded gates. It has a small wooded area and a tiny…
