Rio de Janeiro State
Brazil Tour Tips
For international tourists or business travelers, Brazil hotels guide Hotel in Site also offers some interesting tour tips. As native Brazilians, we wish to make your stay more enjoyable and also call your attention to places and things in Brazil you may not be aware of. Here you will find tips on Rio de Janeiro city and other cities in the Rio de Janeiro State. To see all the tips we have gathered to date about major attractions, best tourist locations, Brazilian peculiar food and drinks, check the Brazil Tour Tips page.
Rio de Janeiro city
Of course Rio de Janeiro is a must. The ocean at the beach of Ipanema is magnificent turquoise and from the Arpoador there is the marvelous view South on the Dois Irmaos stones. Then there is the Corcovado where the famous statue of the Christ with open arms can be reached by car or better still by tramway passing through natural jungle. And finally the Sugar Loaf with it's panoramic cable cars. During the Carnival extravaganza, you can enjoy the parades and the hypnotizing drum beats of more than 500 drummers in perfect sync and exquisite harmony. During the rest of the year, these same artists are rehearsing every weekend at their clubs, called Samba Schools, and you can enjoy a sample of Carnival on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Be careful not to expose yourself to the petty thieves and holdups. Do not wear your jewelry or expensive wristwatch in the streets or on the beach. They also favor fancy cameras, camcorders and especially laptop computers and cell phones. And most important if you do get stuck-up, do NEVER try to resist. Give them all you have so they will not hurt you. Watch your laptop at the airport, both inside and outside. They will snatch a laptop in the very second when you are not watching.
Rio de Janeiro State
If you do not care to go very far from Rio de Janeiro, there are several wonderful optionsclose by: To the north, by car or bus, crossing the Guanabara bay bridge which is 13 Kms long you will pass the city of Niteroi, and in an hour or so you will arrive at Saquarema, famous for surfing contests. A little further north you get to the lake rigion, with huge salt water lagoons, and the towns of Sao Pedro da Aldeia, Cabo Frio, and finally Buzios which is about 200 Kms from Rio.
Buzios
Buzios is a vacations resort with many beautiful beaches, hotels, boutiques and restaurans. Take a boat trip on a Saveiro boat to see all the sights. Don't forget to see the little beach where Brigitte Bardot stayed with her brazilian boyfriend in the sixties, when Buzios was a tiny fishing village, and became world famous because of her visit.
The natives of Rio de Janeiro are the Cariocas, supposedly meaning "the house of the white men" in the Indian language. In the summer the heat in Rio is almost unbearable (42'C/108"F) so many Cariocas flee to the surrounding mountains. Less than 100Kms from Rio the imperial city of Petropolis was the favorite summer residence of the Emperor Pedro II and his court. You can visit the palace which is now a museum.
Another option of beaches is to go South by car or bus. Passing the small town of Itaguai you will arrive at the village of Mangaratiba which is located on the shore of the bay of Sepetiba. This bay is protected by a narrow and miles long sandbank called the Restinga da Marambaia. In this bay there are several beautiful islands. The largest is Itacurussa, right in front of Mangaratiba. There are nice hotels on the island, and they will get you there by boat. You will feel removed from this world.
Further south there is the magnificent bay of Angra dos Reis (Bay of Kings) which contains as they say 365 islands, one for each day of the year. There are splendid beach houses on these islands and on the beaches, along with all kinds of hotels and resorts, mostly occupied by Brazilians on vacations during the summer holidays or weekends. In the middle of the bay, far from land, there is a large island protecting the entance from the high sea. It is the Ilha Grande, pristine jungle and small beaches, a few hotels, a fishing village, no cars allowed, this is really the paradise.
Paraty
Finally there is the historical city of Paraty, about 200 Kms from Rio, located on the innermost part of the great bay of Angra dos Reis. It dates from the 17th century and was the main port for the export of gold from Brazil to Portugal. The gold at that time was mined in Ouro Preto in the state of Minas Gerais, and traveled by mules and donkeys all the way (about 500 Kms) to Paraty, where the ships from the Royal Fleet would take it to Portugal. When the roads from Minas Gerais to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo were built, the port of Paraty lost it's purpose, and was abandoned. Around 1930 Paraty became synonymous to Brandy.
Local distillers were famous for their exelent sugar cane alcohol which is the brazilian national drink called "cachassa" or "pinga". It is similar to Rum but has a wonderful flavor. Some of the original distilleries are still operating in the vicinity of Paraty, and there are stores in the city where hundreds of different brands can be found. The city remained untouched for more than 300 years, only to be rediscovered by tourism in recent years when the road along the coast was finally asphalted.
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Surrounded by mountains, covered by the Mata Atlantica (Atlantic Jungle), the city is a protected monument, the streets are paved with large rounded stones, and are invaded by the seawater on high tides. There are several good hotels within the historic city, furnished in the original 17th century style.
At the pier there are many types of boats you can charter, at very low prices, to take you to the islands. Some islands have restaurants where you can spend the day. I personally recommend the Kon-Tiki restaurant because it is so close to the shore, only a 10 minute ride. They have a boat ferry that comes and goes all the time from the pier.
Also there are many restaurants in the city, specialized in seafood. Another interesting attraction in Paraty is the puppet theatre. The artists are very good and tell mute stories by manipulating the puppets dressed in black to be invisible. There is music, but not many words are spoken, so there is no language barrier.
If you intend to tour a jungle or an island covered by jungle you must take Autan with you. Autan will protect you against "Borrachudos".
These are particularly vicious tiny mosquitoes which attack in those regions. They will bite in broad daylight and leave a small itchy dot. So if you are not prepared with the repellent Autan (liquid, cream or spray) you will not be able to enjoy the scenery.
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