First 24 hours in Rio De Janeiro

Brazil’s brashest city will sweep you off your feet with its natural beauty, endless beaches and effervescent locals – especially if you share their passion for samba and football. Huw Hennessy helps you join the party

Where? Southern Brazil, on the coast
Why? For urban forests, lush mountains and life-embracing locals
When? Mar-May or Aug-Oct

Before you arrive

Blessed with a gorgeous natural setting and basking in a balmy climate, Rio is a city devoted to enjoyment. With much of their life revolving around the beach, Rio’s residents – Cariocas – make the most of their idyllic surroundings.

Theirs is also a busy working city of seven million inhabitants, and perhaps nowhere else in Brazil illustrates its wealth gap so starkly. As Ipanema’s jet set sips cocktails on roof terraces, lights twinkle across the bay from some of the city’s 800-plus favelas. About 20% of the population lives in these shantytowns, where life is harsh and dominated by drug-fuelled gangs. Most of the time, rich and poor coexist peacefully, but crime is a problem: be alert for pickpockets and bag-snatchers, especially in crowds.

Come to Rio with plenty of energy – the pace of life is demanding 24/7, from early morning hikes in tropical forests to all-night dancing in samba clubs. Just as well, then, that there are gorgeous beaches to relax on the day after. Dress down as the locals do. Learn some Portuguese; just a few words will help you make friends – and possibly avoid unwanted attention. When you plan, allow a day or two to take it easy and acclimatise to the sub-tropics.

Read Ruy Castro’s Rio de Janeiro – Carnaval Under Fire (Bloomsbury) for a Carioca’s witty insights into his beloved city. Rough Guides’ Music of Brazil: Rio de Janeiro is an excellent primer, with selections of samba, bossa nova, choro and carioca funk.

At the airport

Antonio Carlos Jobim International (often called Galeão) Airport is 20km north of the city. There are usually long queues at immigration, giving you time to fill in the entry forms handed out on the plane.

Just before you leave the arrivals lounge there are a couple of bureaux de change/cambios, where you can buy reais with US$ cash, debit or credit cards (UK£ sterling and travellers’ cheques are rarely used).

There is a Riotur info desk; ask for the useful Guia do Rio guide, available in English and Portuguese. Hotel booking agencies also have desks, but you’re better off booking ahead online.

Getting into town

The cheapest option is the Real Auto Bus (R$7/£2.60), which stops in the city centre and at major hotels. There’s a ticket desk in the arrivals lounge; departures are around every 30 minutes, 5am to midnight; journey time is 45 minutes to Flamengo and one hour to Copacabana (longer during rush hours).

Take a taxi if you arrive late at night; buy a pre-paid ticket from the official taxi desk in the arrivals hall for the yellow-and-blue taxis that queue outside. The fare to Copacabana is about R$65 (£25). The trip into town hardly shows off Rio’s scenic highlights: you pass unlovely industrial estates and the docks, though the latter are being targeted for a major facelift for the 2016 Olympics.

Other ways to arrive

Long-distance coaches arrive at the Rodoviária Novo Rio bus station downtown; be very alert with your valuables here, especially after dark. Cruise liners also dock near the city centre, at Pier Mauá; again, this is a dodgy area to wander at night.

First day’s tour

The best way to get around is on the Metrô, Rio’s subway system, which is cheap, efficient and air-conditioned. Single tickets cost around £1.

First, get a bird’s eye view of the city so you can piece together its layout by taking a morning ride up Corcovado, the hunchbacked mountain topped by the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue. A cog railway climbs from Cosme Velho station (R$36/£13 return; www.corcovado.com.br). From up here you can see the city spread out below. To the north is downtown, Santa Teresa and Lapa, the buzzing nightlife district; stretching west along the coast are Copacabana, Ipanema and Barra da Tijuca. Across the bay, linked by a 13km bridge, is the city of Niterói, with its space-age-style modern art museum, MAC.

Walk down from Corcovado through the rainforest to Paineiras station to  catch the train back to Cosme Velho. From here it’s a short taxi ride to one of Rio’s classic tearooms,  Confeitaria Colombo, near the Cinelândia area of the city centre. Lunch in belle époque style among gilt-framed mirrors, chandeliers and polished brasswork.

Relax on the beach after lunch – take the Metrô to Botafogo from Cinelândia station, and then a short taxi ride to Praia Vermelha, an uncrowded little stretch of sand at the foot of Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf, above). From here you can hop on a cable car to the summit and spend a couple of hours soaking up the magnificent views – from the opposite direction to Corcovado on the horizon – then watch as the city lights up at nightfall, one of Rio’s greatest spectacles.

First night's sleep

Copacabana and Ipanema’s many hotels are mostly high-end, while arty Santa Teresa has boutique hotels and B&Bs (www.camaecafe.com.br). The districts of Catete and Flamengo are backpackers’ haunts.

Top end: Fasano (Av Vieira Souto 80) Ipanema’s coolest and most luxurious hotel, designed by Philippe Starck, has spectacular views from its rooftop pool. Doubles from US$520 (£330).
Mid-range: Copa Sul (Avenida NS Copacabana 1284) Modern 16-storey hotel one block from Copacabana beach; colourful rooms and good buffet breakfast. Doubles from US$150 (£95).
Budget: O Veleiro (Rua Mundo Novo 1440 casa, Botafogo) Lovely B&B on a hillside with pool, tropical garden and great breakfast. Welcoming owners also run tours. Doubles from R$165 (£60).

Stay or go?

Stay, no question – for a week if you can. Visit the Oscar Niemeyer-designed MAC Museum of Contemporary Art across the bay at Niterói (go via the bridge, return by ferry); take in a football match at Maracanã (usually Saturday or Sunday afternoon; contact guide Rob Shaw – [email protected]); hike or hang glide in Tijuca National Park (for the latter, contact Paulo Celani – [email protected]). Don’t miss a drink at trendy Baretto-Londra in the Fasano Hotel: owner Rogério is an Anglophile, hence the Beatles album covers as decor.

Rio de Janeiro state has some lovely spots within a few hours’ drive: west along the Costa Verde highway is Paraty, a historic fishing village; east on the Costa do Sol is Búzios, a chic beach resort. About 75km inland is Petrópolis, former summer residence of the Portuguese royals; further inland is the Vale do Café, a lush region of colonial coffee plantations.

Best bargain

Make the most of hotel buffet breakfasts, and eat your main meal at lunchtime – either at por kilo restaurants, where you pay by the weight of your food, or by having the prato feitos/executivo (set lunch), which is much cheaper than choosing á la carte.

Worst scam

Beware of pirate taxis at the international airport; an increasing number of people have been held up by car-jackers on the way into town. Take only the licensed yellow-and-
blue cabs.

Essential info

Population: 7 million
Language: Portuguese
Time: GMT-3 (Oct-Feb GMT-2)
International dialling code: +55 (21)
Visas: Not required by UK nationals; fill out a free immigration entry form on arrival, valid for up to 90 days
Money: Brazilian real (R$), currently around R$2.70 to the UK£
Highest viewpoint:  Pico da Tijuca (1,022m), in Tijuca National Park, is the city’s highest point, but the best view for finding your bearings is from the summit of Corcovado (710m).
Health issues: Tap water is drinkable but heavily treated; bottled water is inexpensive and preferable. Food is generally safe. No vaccinations are required, and Rio is malaria free. There are occasional outbreaks of dengue fever. HIV and AIDS incidence is fairly high; use a camisinha (condom), widely available in pharmacies.
Recommended guidebooks: Rio de Janeiro (Rough Guide, 2009) – best for listings; Rio de Janeiro (Time Out, 2010) – best for background features.
Web resources: www.ipanema.com – best for hotel listings and insider tips; www.rioguiaoficial.com.br – the official guide of tourism authority Riotur is reliable and up to date.
iPhone app: Tripwolf – guide to Rio de Janeiro and region.
Climate: Rio is warm year round. It’s also humid, with rainfall possible any time, particularly October to March. Temperatures can reach mid to high 30s, and the sun is powerful so use high-factor block. The busiest season is from mid-December to late February, and at Carnaval (5-8 Mar 2011). The best time to come is March to May or August to October, when it’s less crowded and temperatures are most comfortable.