Best of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, Ipanema, Tijuca Forest, Maracana & Carnival Heritage - A 2026 First-Person Guide
Browse more guides: Brazil travel | Americas destinations Best of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, Ipanema, Tijuca Forest, Maracana & Carnival Heritage Last updated: 2026-05-13 1. Why Rio de Janeiro Belongs on Every Serious Travel List I have lost count of how many travelers I have walked through the Marvelous City over the years. Rio de Janeiro, or Cidade Maravilhosa as the Cariocas call her, is one of those rare places where the geography itself does the storytelling. Granite domes rise straight out of the Atlantic. A 38m statue of Christ stands on a 710m peak with arms open over the bay. A 32 square kilometre urban rainforest, the largest of its kind on the planet, drapes itself across the city's spine. Two of the most photographed beaches in the world, Copacabana and Ipanema, curve in white-sand crescents below sheer cliffs. And every February, two million visitors descend on the Sambodromo Marques de Sapucai for five nights...