Things to Do in Rio De Janeiro

The Cosme Velho neighborhood is best known as the jumping-off point to ascend Corcovado Mountain to Christ the Redeemer. Most visitors to Rio will set foot in this small, historic area on their way to the city’s most iconic attraction, but it’s worth it to explore beyond that. From shady plazas overgrown with jungle to colonial architecture, Cosme Velho offers a taste of Rio’s old-time charm. The neighborhood’s principal street, Rua Cosme Velho, snakes up into the hilly area and to ‘Estação de Ferro do Corcovado,’ where visitors catch the funicular to the Christ Statue. Beyond the station, the neighborhood becomes mostly residential and continues way up the hill into the rain forest.

While in Cosme Velho, before or after seeing the Christ, allot some time to roam the winding, leafy avenues with quaint shops, or grab something to eat in one of the many open-air cafes. Just across the street and a few yards up from the funicular station lies Boticário Square (Largo do Boticário). This plaza of early 19th-century Portuguese buildings has fallen into disrepair, but the brightly colored colonial structures set among the rain forest scenery retain the square’s original charm. Art-lovers can head to the International Museum of Naïf Art just down the road from the station, where they’ll find a small colonial-era building housing an impressive collection of 6,000 paintings from 120 different countries, which focus on struggle and marginalized populations.

Situated in a sleek, chic modernist house in Santa Teresa, Rio’s bohemian quarter, the Chacara do Ceu Museum houses part of the vast art collection of the late Brazilian industrialist and aesthete, Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya. Over the course of his 74-year lifespan, Castro Maya amassed over 22,000 works of art, a large portion of which is displayed at the museum (the others are showcased at the affiliated Museu do Açude, Castro Maya’s other house).

The Chacara do Ceu itself is a work of art, built amidst lush gardens in 1954 with a 360-degree panoramic view of Rio and the surrounding area. The name of the house and museum means “Country House of the Sky,” and the views of both the city and the artworks are heavenly.

The museum features the works of Brazilian and international painters, sculptors, and engravers--from contemporary artist Candido Portinari to French Impressionist master Henri Matisse. Sadly, a Matisse, a Picasso, a Dalí, and a Monet were stolen from the museum in 2006 and never recovered. Still, the remaining items in the collection more than make up for the lost pieces, and the insanely low admission price ensures that art is accessible to the Brazilian public, to whom Castro Maya bequeathed his collection upon his death in 1968.

With miles of white sand beaches, aquamarine waters and a backdrop of forested mountains, Angra dos Reis, or the Bay of Kings, is as impressive as its name suggests and known as one of the top attractions of Brazil’s famous Costa Verde (Green Coast). The main draw of Angra dos Reis is its serene coastline, and with 365 islands dotting the bay, there are many beaches to explore.   Cruising around the islands is a popular pastime for visitors, and the warm, clear waters offer ample opportunities for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. Ilha Grande is the largest and most visited island, but additional highlights include the fish-filled waters around the Botinas islands, the lush rainforest trails on Gipóia and the floating bars around Jurubaíba Beach and Praia do Dentista.

The Flamengo district of Rio de Janeiro offers a comfortable, middle class, downtown alternative to trendy beaches and resorts. Far less crowded than Rio hot spots like Copacabana or Ipanema, Flamengo is still located close enough to be a short cab ride away. The neighborhood’s main highlight is Flamengo Park, a grassy section of reclaimed shoreline that faces Guanabara Bay. The water here isn’t safe for swimming, but the walking trails throughout the park are packed with joggers, walkers, and locals in the morning and late afternoon, not to mention that the Flamengo beach offers sweeping views of Guanabara Bay, Sugar Loaf Mountain, and Christ the Redeemer. There’s also a wide selection of local restaurants and steak houses for a leisurely lunch or dinner on the town. A benefit of the neighborhood’s location is that late night venues are a cab ride away if you want to party all night—yet the neighborhood itself is quiet enough if you’d prefer a mellower night.

A vast oceanic inlet flanked by the looming peaks of Sugarloaf Mountain and Papagaio Peak and dotted with over 100 islands, Guanabara Bay provides a dramatic backdrop to the city of Rio de Janeiro. Measuring in at about 159 square miles (412 square kilometers), Guanabara is Brazil’s second largest bay, home to the cities of Niterói and São Gonçalo, the Port of Rio de Janeiro and Rio’s two airports. The iconic landscape has been immortalized on countless postcards.