Brazil Travel Blog » Destination: Rio

24 hours in Rio de Janeiro

Tony — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:24:45 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2012/02/02/24-hours-in-rio-de-janeiro/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

So here we are back in Rio. Lonely Planet’s A perfect day in Rio de Janeiro, published quite a while ago, contains quite a few ideas for 24 hours in Rio. Mind you, if you were to visit all the places listed on the article you would need much more than just a day. Nonetheless, plenty of excellent ideas from where you can pick and mix. Make sure you compare the information from Lonely Planet’s article with the one given at 48 hours in Rio de Janeiro – what to do, where to go.

Our blog’s main entry on the most visited Brazilian city is destination: Rio de Janeiro. If you’re planning a trip to Brazil we strongly advice you to purchase International Travel Insurance.

carnaval de rua 2012, the Rio carnival on the streets

Tony — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:25:11 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2012/01/27/carnaval-de-rua-2012-the-rio-carnival-on-the-streets/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

Over the last few years the Rio carnaval de rua, the carnival on streets, has experienced booming popularity. Admittedly, the carnival on the street lacks the sumptuous visuals of the Sambadrome parades. But it is no match when it comes to force, energy, espontaneity and popular participation. To take part in the street carnival, after all, no purchase of expensive tickets is required. Actually, you don’t need to purchase any tickets at all.

The official website of the Rio tourism authorities has just launched the official guide to the Carnaval de Rua Rio 2012 where you will find the dates and locations of the street parties. The core of the party are the blocos, carnival groups parading throughout town.

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RELATED POSTS:
destination: Rio de Janeiro
dates of the 2012 carnival in Brazil

Rio de Janeiro as seen by its population

Tony — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:03:39 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2012/01/19/rio-de-janeiro-as-seen-by-its-inhabitants/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

Professor Bayard Boiteaux’s blog released a few months ago the results of a survey where cariocas (inhabitants of Rio) where asked how they see the place where they live from a tourist point of view: Como o carioca percebe o Rio,como produto turístico?

Here’s the translation of some of those findings. In brackets, the percentage of replies for each option.

What is the tourist icon of Rio de Janeiro?

Corcovado Mountain (40%)
Sugar Loaf Mountain (28%)
Maracaná (10%)
Copacabana (8%)
Floresta da Tijuca (6%)
Sambadrome (5%)
Botanic Gardens (3%)

Do you see Rio as being a tourist city?

Yes (70%)
No (30%)

Which tourist sights have you visited?

the beaches (50%)
Quinta da Boa Vista (22%)
Sugar Loaf Mountain (15%)
Corcovado Mountain (12%)

What are the main problems of Rio?

traffic (35%)
dirt (28%)
safety (20%)
rocketing prices (14%)
public transportation (3%)

What are the most positive aspects of Rio?

the joyful nature of its population (30%)
informal character (25%)
natural beauty (20%)
wide range of leisure activities (15%)
football (10%)

Always interesting to learn how the inhabitants of a tourist destination see themselves. Our HQ for all the info regarding Rio de Janeiro is this blog’s entry: destination: Rio de Janeiro.

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New Year’s Eve in Rio de Janeiro 2011 – 2012

Tony — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:37:48 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/12/21/new-years-eve-in-rio-de-janeiro-2011-2012/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

Most of you have probably heard of the big (massive!) party taking place every year at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the New Year. The most famous Brazilian réveillon (as it is known the New Year’s Eve) offers options for all tastes and budgets. From the free open air party at the beach to exclusive and pricey private parties. You will find some details in English at Concerts and fireworks make up New Year’s Eve in Rio; plan to be there and the full line-up at Rio’s official tourism website: Events calendar: réveillon.

Always bear in mind that while partying in Rio during the New Year doesn’t need to be a costly event, finding decent and affordable accommodation for the period is quite a different story.

Our main blog post on Rio de Janeiro is destination: Rio de Janeiro.

Brasil 360° Experience – panoramic videos of Brazil

Tony — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:43:43 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/12/19/brasil-360%c2%b0-experience-panoramic-videos-of-brazil/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

The Brazilian tourism authorities recently launched the website Brasil 360° Experience, with versions in Portuguese, English and Spanish.

While most travelers are familiar with panoramic and 360° photos, 360° videos will be a novelty for many. As the image moves, the viewer can change the angle of vision and point the camera in whichever direction he chooses. It is a technology that produces surprising and fascinating results. Brasil 360° Experience aims at surprising the views with moving images of a handful of Brazilian tourist destinations.

The website contains videos of Rio de Janeiro, Cuiabá and the Pantanal, Curitiba and Foz de Iguazú, Manaos and the Amazon and Salvador de Bahía.

The page contains a link “Know more about…” that takes the reader to the Brazilian Tourism Portal, a true liability for the promotion of Brazil as a tourist destination. At the portal, when the tourist tries to find out more information about, say, tourist attractions in Rio de Janeiro, he or she will find the following screen:

Worry not. If you want more info on the destinations covered by the new website, you can check our very own entries for those destinations:

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a new tourist attraction for Búzios, Rio de Janeiro

Tony — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:39:08 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/12/13/a-new-tourist-attraction-for-buzios-rio-de-janeiro/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

We’ve learned through several unofficial sources that Búzios has just opened the doors of a new tourist attraction, the Centro de Visitantes do Parque Natural dos Corais (the Visitor’s Center for the Coral Natural Park). It seems like a very interesting place, with a central location at Rua das Pedras, 141. It opens from Tuesday to Sunday. From December to March its opening times are 11am till midnight. From April to November it will open from 5pm till 11pm. Tickets cost R$10 and all the income goes to a local environmental project (Projeto Coral Vivo).

I am not surprised to see no mention of the new attraction at the two official tourism websites for Búzios (Destino Búzios and Visite Buzios). It is a pity that a new attraction should be launched right at the beginning of the high season and it should get no proper coverage.

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destination: Búzios

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weekly shot: cruise ships in Brazil

Tony — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:52:56 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/12/09/weekly-shot-cruise-ships-in-brazil/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

Over the last few years, the popularity of cruise ships has increased considerably. It is the choice for the holidays of many Brazilians and a substantial number of foreigners too.

The cruise ship on the photo was shot in Búzios, a very popular port of call for all routes navegating that part of the Brazilian coastline. We have travel info on Búzios at our blog post destination: Búzios. You can see more photos of Búzios at our Flickr album.

institutional videos: Rio de Janeiro

Tony — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:13:23 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/11/02/institutional-videos-rio-de-janeiro/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

This is the ninth on a series of videos produced by the Brazilian tourism authorities. They all have a common theme: those states that will host 2014 World Cup games. During the coming weeks we will present all those videos here in the blog. They are shortish videos, with conventional but beautiful images of the states and its main destinations. Today’s video is a bit different from the other videos on this series. It is devoted exclusively to the city of Rio and not to its state and we haven’t been able to locate and English-language version of the video.

Rio de Janeiro:

We have plenty of information on Rio de Janeiro region here at the Brazil Travel Blog. Check it out at destination: Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, the most expensive 4* hotels in the world

Tony — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:04:55 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/10/26/rio-de-janeiro-and-sao-paulo-the-most-expensive-4-hotels-in-the-world/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

According to an international hotel price index just published, Río de Janeiro has the most expensive 4* hotels in the world. São Paulo comes second on the list. When all hotel categories are taken into account, Rio de Janeiro features in 9th place while São Paulo takes the 21st place.

The top placings of Rio and São Paulo are due to a large extent to the power of the local currency, the real. While hotels in both cities are expensive, an overvalued real makes them even more so, in particular on the eyes of the foreign traveler. If you’re looking for accommodation on any of those two cities and are bewildered by the range of prices you’re finding out, rest assured the problem is not yours. It is the reality of accommodation in the two largest Brazilian cities.

This blog has one main entry devoted to Rio de Janeiro and another one devoted to São Paulo: destination: Rio de Janeiro and destination: São Paulo.

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1746: Rio de Janeiro’s tourist information phone line. In English too!

Tony — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:52:37 +0000

Copyright © 2010 Tony Gálvez. Read the original at http://www.braziltravelblog.com/2011/10/10/1746-rio-de-janeiros-tourist-information-phone-line-in-english-too/. If you find this text at a location other than the Brazil Travel Blog it is an unauthorized use of the blog material.

The Rio de Janeiro local authorities have just launched a new telephone service offering assistance to tourists visiting the city. Attention is provided in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The number is 1746.

The official website makes no mention of the service – in fact, a series of services provided by number 1746 are listed and tourist information doesn’t feature among them. Weird thing. We learned of the existence of the service through Panrotas magazine – Novo atendimento telefônico ao turista é oferecido no Rio.

The service is available 24 hours a day and apparentely it can be reached through apps developed for the most important smartphone systems.

The launch of the service is brilliant news. Finding a tourism professional conversant in Spanish or English is no mean task in Brazil. We don’t know yet how well the service works and what is the reliability of the information provided (we tested a similar service in Salvador and couldn’t help the information we were looking for).