Rio de Janeiro travel of the city districtsEnjoy a first glimpse of Rio de Janeiro travel in pictures and text! Smell the green forrest and imagine the humid climate moisting your skin, as we move through the zones of Rio! The city of Rio de Janeiro is a spectacular landscape of mountain formations, forests and the Atlantic ocean surrounding small strips of land in which the people of Rio, or Cariocas, inhabit with great happiness. The terrain naturally divides the city into 3 zones, the northern, the southern and the western, which is again divided into city districts. In addition there is also defined an area as the centre of Rio de Janeiro. Map
of the zones of Rio here. Show a bigger map! Map of Rio de Janeiro travel Metro here!
The Rio de Janeiro travel tour trough the city districts begins in the north zone with Vila Isabel, Tijuca and São Cristóvado and on into the centre of Rio. There are allot of city districts in the north zone, but these three are the ones with value for tourists. The tourist attractions here include;The historical tunnel of Noel Rosa and the vibrating samba school of Vila Isabel, The famous playground from 1950, the Maracana football stadium in Tijuca and the Sao Cristovado with Rio Zoo (more than 2,500 mamals like elephants, lions and monkeys) and the old park and palace of Quinta da Boa Vista. The north zone also house allot of Rios residents. Going here will give you an impression on how the inhabitants live their day to day life. You will also see favelas (shanty towns) which shouldn’t be entered as they are dangerous. The Centre of Rio, business, architecture, history & culture!Arriving at the centre zone, the Rio de Janeiro travel tour is marked by business, but still has allot of history, culture and architecture to offer. You can see the traces from the colonial times, the empire period and the republic period here, with the palace of Dom Pedro, the first emperor of Brazil, as well as other fantastic pieces of architecture and museums. There are several nice walks of Rio de Janeiro to get a picture of the old times. Cinelandia is a great place to start on your Rio de Janeiro travel tour. Exploring the centre of Rio de Janeiro with the three beautiful buildings Theatre Municipal of Rio de Janeiro, the National Library and the Fine Arts Museum is breath taking. Cinelandia offers a fantastic walk along tourist attractions with great historic value; Uruguaiana, Confeitaria Colombo, Rua sete de decembro, Praca XV and Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. (Use the map to see where to go) From Praca XV you can also travel Rio de Janeiro by boat having a magnificent and different view of Rio. Some of the destinations worth catching is the Niteroi bridge, Fiscal island and the Paqueta Island. Arcos da Lapa or the Carioca Aqueduct (Carioca means native inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro) is also highly recommended on your Rio de Janeiro travel tour during the weekends (Fridays or Saturdays). You’ll see the streets filled with people, Brazilians and tourists, drinking beer, dancing to samba music with an incredible atmosphere! Allot of the samba history has its origin from this very district. On top of the Lapa aqueduct you’ll find a 100 years old train going to the Santa Teresa district. Arriving Santa Teresa is like going back in time to the colonial period with narrow streets and an incredible view over Rio de Janeiro. A dinner on one of the restaurants, watching the sun go down is unforgettable here! Then head down to Lapa afterwards for more folk life and some beers. Other spots to mention in the centre are Catete with the Catete Park and Catete Palace where Vargas killed himself after being accused of corruption and murder. The Aterro de Flamingo is also a good place to visit to gather thoughts and relax. You’ll find the museum of modern art here. Last but not least, in the Cosme Velho district close to the south zone, you’ll find the defining Corcovado station going up to the Rio Jesus, or Christ the Redeemer as he is also called embracing Rio de Janeiro! The South Zone of Rio for swimming and nightlife!The south zone of Rio de Janeiro is first and foremost associated with the Rio beach scenario, night life and high concentration of tourists! Going on a Rio de Janeiro travel implies a visit to Copacabana beach which remains one of the worlds most famous beaches and is filled with hotels, bars, restaurants and shops in every flavour and style. If you are looking for a place to stay in Rio, you will usually end up at a Copacabana hotel. Walking the wavy pavement along the Avenida Atlantica (the beach promenade) is highly entertaining in its self because of the mixed population inhabiting the district. You’ll see beggars, prostitutes, wealthy people nipping at a beer and allot of joggers training at the beach. Then next spot on your Rio de Janeiro travel tour is Ipanema and Leblon. The Ipanema / Leblon district is catching up to Copacabana in popularity because of cleaner beaches and an excellent nightlife for the younger generations. Tom Jobins Garota de Ipanema or Girl of Ipanema has also assisted to make the world aware of the neighbourhood. In the South zone you’ll find the districts of Urca, Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Botafogo, Lagoa,Gavea, and the Jardim Botanico with all they have to offer. Big tourist attractions here are: The Sugar loaf, Botanical Gardens, The Jockey club and The Copacabana Fort The Western Zone, a visit to America, with hanggliding, surfing and shoppingBarra de Tijuca makes part of the western zone of Rio de Janeiro and is virtually a new city built in its own American style. Natural terrain separates Barra de Tijuca somewhat from the rest of Rio de Janeiro and with its high rise expensive condominiums, shopping malls and even their own statue of liberty, Barra has become an elitist centre of Rio de Janeiro. Barra also has Rios longest beach line of 12,1 km. If you want pure ocean, surfing waves and privacy then the Rio de Janeiro travel tour has brought you to one of the most attractive areas of Rio. The western zone beach life is very popular during the summer, but can be a little hassle to get to. For surfers, the rio beaches of Barra, Macumba, Prainha and others found here are almost always worth the trip. There is even an orange surfbus leaving laranjas, passing by the Avenida Atlantica every morning and going all the way out to prainha. This is the only bus to my knowledge that goes this far out, so if you want to enjoy the waves, or some of Rio's most untouched beaches, get up early. Many celebrities live here as a way to get out of the public eyes. You’ll also find several night clubs like Newt and Bombar and bars here (Barril 1800)and even your own Terra Encantada merry land with a rollercoaster. |
