Mon, Jan 28th 2008, 00:00
Rio de Janeiro is a city that captures the imagination. Cidade Maravilhosa, the Marvellous City, has one of the world’s most dramatic settings ... nestled between rainforest mountain peaks and miles of decadent white sand beaches.
Rio has one of the densest populations of a city on earth. Locals are known as cariocas, meaning energetic, exuberant people in love with life. This is a city that never sleeps, a place where people live with passion and take time for feeding the senses and dancing to the rhythm of the streets.
Just west of the city lies the granite peak Corcovado, 710 metres high. Daily, visitors stream to the peak to take a closer look at the iconic statue of Jesus with outstretched arms embracing the stunning views over Rio de Janiero, her beaches and the equally famous Sugarloaf Mountain. The dramatic 700 ton statue Christ the Redeemer (O Cristo Redentor in Portuguese), was completed in 1931. This incredible statue took 9 years to build and is now listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
Rio de Janiero is a fascinating city. There is the 45 miles of white sand of the world famous Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, lined with tourist hotels and vibrant beach culture like nowhere else on earth. Rio also prides itself for its arts and culture.
On the other end of the scale are the favela’s, slum areas that dominate every Brazilian city. The name favela originates from a thorny plant that grows in the north east of Brazil. The street life in the favelas is equally as vibrant, but worlds apart from the glamour elsewhere in the city.
Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the city that does not sleep reviews
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