Olá
Our last stop with this group took us to the gorgeous beach destination of Rio De Janeiro. Situated along the famous Copacabana Beach with Sugar Loaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer standing proudly over the city, it is a beautiful place to be.
Christ the Redeemer
A trip to Rio wouldn’t be complete without a tour to the big man himself. As it is situated in a national park, only permitted buses are allowed to take visitors to the base of the mountain. From here, you can either walk up to the statues (around 300 steps) or take the elevator. The statue stands at an impressive 30 meters and has an arm span of 28 meters. We went early afternoon and it wasn’t too busy which made it easier to get photos. In order to get the full statue, we had to use the panoramic function which made the people behind us very distorted! Up top, you also have a 360 degree over the city, including the beach, lagoon, and favelas.
Sugar Loaf Mountain
To get another view of the city, we went up to Sugar Loaf mountain which is named after the shape of the refined sugar. This is actually made up of 2 mountains; Morro da Urca and Sugar Loaf. To reach both points, you need to take a cable car. We were at top of Sugar Loaf for sunset and the views were incredible. We also managed to see Christ the Redeemer when it was lit up, which was nice to see too!
Escadaria Selarón
These colourful steps are the work of Chilean born artist; Jorge Selarón which generated worldwide interest and as a result, people sent him many different tiles. Towards the top, there is a wall decorated as the Brazilian flag. Our guide told us to stop there, as around the corner is a Favela. We really wanted to do a Favela tour, but the last time the tour company took a group to the Favelas, they were stuck in the middle of 2 gangs who were all loaded with machine guns. Luckily, nothing happened but since then, Intrepid no longer takes tourists. You can still visit them with other companies, but apparently, the police no longer regulate the favelas so it is advised not to go anymore.
Sheraton Grand Rio Hotel & Resort
The next few days we spent chilling and relaxing in our lush hotel. It’s a little out of the centre, but taxis are cheap and easy to come by. The views from the hotel are spectacular as it overlooks Leblon Beach. Behind the hotel is also a pretty big favela. On a clear night, you can also see Christ the Redeemer lit up.
Our days were filled chilling by the pool, playing tennis and at the gym.
We are going to Lima now, so see you there!