Forget Me Not: 5 Reasons to Remember Rio de Janeiro

Posted by Jude Buttle on Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Rio is known for its golden sun, samba music and sandy beaches. A place where beautiful people cavort under the watchful eye of the statue of Christ, this city is blessed with urban rainforests, magnificent stadia and nightlife full of vibrancy and passion.

 

1. Carnival

If you want to swing to the beat of Samba Music and revel in the atmosphere of wonderful costumes and decorated floats, then there's only one place to be... the Rio de Janeiro Carnival (Carnaval, in Portuguese).

The Rio Carnival is a fantastic occasion that is deeply rooted in the history of Brazilian music and although there are a number of carnivals up and down the country, it is the one in Rio that Brazil is most synonymous with.

In 1840, the first recognized carnival was celebrated with an extravagant masked ball. As the years passed the carnival evolved into the festival known today, a wild and euphoric four day celebration, which starts 40 days before Easter.

Rio is known as the Carnival Capital of the World, as well as the biggest (foreign visitors alone number around 500,000 per year) and the benchmark to which all other carnivals are measured.

2. Copacabana Beach

The Copacabana beach stretches from Posto Dois (lifeguard watchtower Two) to Posto Seis (lifeguard watchtower Six) and is one of the most famous and popular beaches in the world.

Considered by many as a Brazilian Manhattan, Copacabana beach is lined with hotels, restaurants, bars, night clubs and residential buildings, as well as being a hive of activity both night and day.

Copacabana Beach plays host to millions of revellers during the annual New Year's Eve celebrations and has been the official venue of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup on numerous occasions.

3. Maracanã Stadium

The Estádio do Maracanã (Maracanã Stadium) - once the largest stadium in the world - is scheduled to host the FIFA 2014 World Cup Final.

The stadium was originally opened in 1950 to host the World Cup of the same year. Since then, it has mainly been used for football matches between the major football clubs in Rio de Janeiro, including Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama. It has also hosted a number of concerts and other sporting events.

Although the paid attendance at the final game of the 1950 FIFA World Cup was 199,500, it is estimated that the actual figure was around 210,000.

Originally seating over 200,000 spectators, the stadium's capacity was reduced after an incident in 1992 led to the death of three supporters, with 50 more being injured.

The Maracanã currently seats 95,000 supporters and remains the largest stadium in South America and the eleventh largest in the world.

4. Tijuca Forest

This mountainous rainforest is home to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife, found only in the Atlantic Rainforest and is the world's largest urban forest replanted by man, covering some 3,200 hectares.

Declared a National Park in 1961, the Tijuca Forest attractions include the Cascatinha Waterfall, the Mayrink Chapel, the Excelsior Lookout Point and the Paul and Virginia Grotto.

After the original forest had been destroyed to make way for coffee farms, the replanting of Tijuca was organised by Major Manuel Gomes Archer in the second half of the 19th century, in a successful effort to protect Rio's water supply.

Tijuca Forest also contains the colossal sculpture of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Mountain.

5. Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer (Portuguese - O Cristo Redentor), is a statue of Jesus Christ that stands 38 metres (120 ft) tall and is located at the peak of the 700 metres (2,300 ft) Corcovado Mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. It is the tallest of its kind in the world and is made of reinforced concrete and soapstone.

A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an iconic figure of Brazil as well as Rio and is recognized throughout the world.

The statue was designed by local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and become one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in the summer of 2007, after a number of Brazilian corporate sponsors - including Banco Bradesco and Rede Globo - spent millions of dollars promoting the statue.

Conclusion

Rio is a magical city that once experienced is never forgotten. Beautiful beaches, parks and rainforests make it a natural phenomenon worthy of celebration.

 

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Photo by Mark Scott Johnson

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