We took a cruise that ended in Rio de Janeiro and opted to spend a couple of extra days to enjoy this amazing city. The scenery was really beautiful with all the mountains and sea views. My favorite by far was the iconic egg-shaped Sugarloaf Mountain in the background of the bay. Just picture-perfect.
To be honest, we had read so many scary things about Rio and the crime and how we should not wear any jewelry, not bring a phone, not wear a purse, and so on… What we found was that we were actually quite comfortable in the Copacabana area where we were staying. There was a lot of police presence and most of the people were just going about their day either exercising, trying to make a living selling things, or just enjoying the scenery like us.
Maybe we were in a bit of a bubble with our special reserved Marriott area on the beach, but we went walking around and never felt unsafe. Honestly speaking, what we see on the news about Miami’s South Beach looks worse! However, do keep in mind that some areas in the back streets and favelas may not be safe at all.
So, aside from staying on the famous Copacabana at the Marriott with a view onto the beach (which was very cool!) we also opted to hire a car and driver to take us to the various sites.
Christ the Redeemer
One of the main attractions we wanted to see was of course the famous Christ the Redeemer statue.
One of the seven new wonders of the world, the statue of Jesus Christ is 98 feet tall and was completed in 1931. It’s perched up atop Mount Corcovado at 2,301 feet and is seemingly visible from every part of Rio. The head and hands were a gift from France.
The cog train is a fun experience and runs like a well-oiled machine with attendants directing traffic in and out of the cars. After our tour we overheard them saying that there was a 2-hour wait for the train so it’s good to get this attraction done early in the day to beat the crowds. When you get off the train, we recommend taking the stairs to the summit. The elevator line was long and the 220 steps give you great photo ops (both of the surroundings as well as the Christ the Redeemer statue).
The summit near the statue was so full of people it was almost impossible to move around. Everyone was pushing and shoving to get the perfect photo making it impossible to enjoy any one spot for very long. Some were lying down or trying to pose the statue on their hands or on their heads! And those on tour (like us), had to ‘get back on the bus in 30 minutes’ so the pressure was on for those perfect selfies. I bet it would be so much nicer being here first thing in the morning on your own!
Attractions near the Cruise Port
Our first day in Rio was actually on the cruise ship which docked next to Downtown Rio overnight. After our excursion to the Christ de Redeemer, we walked to several of attractions near the port.
Museum of Tomorrow
This is just an amazing building at one end of the port area. It was filled with multimedia displays and exhibits. It’s a great museum and we both enjoyed it spending well over an hour.
Be sure to walk around the building for photos. It looks like a cross between a huge whale skeleton and a spaceship.
Museum of Art of Rio
This museum was just next door, but we didn’t find it all that interesting. The attendant directed us to certain floors so perhaps we missed some of the exhibits.
The best part was getting a great view of the Museum of Tomorrow from the terrace. Lucky for us the entrance was free when we visited, but if limited in time we would give this one a pass.
AquaRio
Also, in the port area and within walking distance we found AquaRio. The highlight is a huge shark tank that you can walk through in a tunnel. A little like the one in Barcelona.
Sugarloaf Mountain & Cable Car
After getting off the cruise ship on day 2, we made our way to our hotel, and got started with the next must-see attraction on our list, Sugarloaf Mountain. This is one of the best places to get panoramic views of the city and of the Christ the Redeemer statue. The mountain is shaped (and named) after the Portuguese sugar loaf bread and was named by early explorers to the area.
At 1,299 feet you go up by cable car and the vistas from up there are just amazing. There are actually two separate cable cars as you go up to Morro da Urca and from there take a separate cable car to get you up to the peak of Sugarloaf.
Once up, there is plenty of room to wander around and lots of concessions. There is also a small nature trail where we saw some small monkeys and many birds. Unlike the packed area of Christ the Redeemer, we felt quite comfortable hanging around here to take pictures and stay for a while. It was also nice not to get chased back to the bus! We had our own driver and guide.
At the base of Sugarloaf Mountain, we also visited Praia Vermelha (Red Beach). Next to the military academy this beach is known for its reddish (and quite coarse) sand.
Copacabana and Ipanema beaches
We drove by both of these, and the beaches are just superb. Wide soft sand beaches bordered by an esplanade. We were impressed that the various concession stands had run hoses with pin-prick holes to wet the sand so you don’t burn your feet as you walk. A waste of water I guess but ingenious all the same. Maybe they use seawater?
Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden
The Rio Botanical Garden is definitely a great attraction and worth spending over an hour at. We had to rush a bit as we had a packed itinerary, but the gardens were beautiful and we would normally have loved to spend more time here.
Donna Marta Mirante Overlook
This is one of those wonderful spots that may be off the beaten path, but our driver took us there for some of the best views of the city. It’s located at a lower elevation on Corcovado Mountain and from here we got excellent views of both Sugarloaf and Christ de Redeemer.
Escadaria Selarón
Located in the Santa Teresa district of Rio this colorful staircase is a very popular attraction. The steps and walls are adorned with hand-painted tiles made by the artist, Jorge Selarón. Sadly, like many artists, he only became famous after his death. It’s an appealing (and crowded) attraction that makes for some interesting photos.
Must-see places in Centro Rio (Downtown)
Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro
This beautiful cathedral took our breath away. From the outside, it looks quite plain, like a tall Mayan pyramid. Inside, the colossal stained-glass windows and conical interior are awe-inspiring. The top reaches up to 246 feet and ends with a sunlit cross. The cathedral can seat 5,000 people, or 20,000 standing. A definite must-see in Rio de Janeiro!
Under the cathedral there is also a mausoleum. Our driver-guide showed it to us because it holds a special place in his heart as it’s the final resting place of his son.
Mosteiro de São Bento
This Benedictine Abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of Montserrat, one of the Black Madonnas, and dates back to 1590. The interior is filled with wooden carvings decorated with gold leaf. Beautiful!
Royal Portuguese Reading Room
We also heard about this old library from another tourist, and it was worth a quick visit. Not far from the downtown area, it has an ornate interior and contains a vast collection of books by Portuguese authors.
Other Rio Attractions
Parque Lage & Mansion
This park sits at the base of Corcovado Mountain and has an elegant historic mansion on the grounds, and of course a view of the Christ de Redeemer. We quickly stopped for a few pictures on the way back from the Botanical Garden. But with more time we would have enjoyed exploring the grounds a bit more.
Forte de Copacabana
We ran out of time and were only able to glimpse at the outside of this fortress, but we had had a pretty full day already and were ready to hide from the sun (it’s brutal, so bring lots of sunscreen).
Conclusion
Looking back, we really enjoyed Rio de Janeiro as a city. The beach area near Copacabana seemed quite safe to us and was a great place to stay. Having the private car for tours was not expensive and gave us a chance to see the city with its attractions at our own pace. I’m not sure we would like it at Carnaval time (too crowded for my liking). Despite all the scary stories we had read before arriving, Rio de Janeiro surpassed our expectations, and we are so happy to have had the chance to visit.