Rio de Janeiro Vacations, Copacabana Palace, Brazil Vacations

Rio is blessed with a wonderful natural setting. The city is situated on a 15-mile strip of land, wedged between the mountains, with contrasting peaks including Sugar Loaf and Corcovado, topped by the famous statue of Christ, and the sea. There are some thirty miles separating downtown Flamengo from far-flung Recreio, bordered on one side by the blue sea, on the other by verdant hills. Between them lies a colorful state of mind called carioca, with almost 8 million locals who samba their way, relaxed and high-spirited, through life.

The cariocas are known for their warmth, beauty and their fun loving attitude to life yet they are also hard-working and competent. This competence has made Rio one of Brazil’s most important cities economically speaking.

Rio Carnaval Fortunately in Rio there’s much more beyond and behind the glitter: historic neighborhoods, compelling architecture, wildlife and nature, dining (fine and not so fine), nightspots, bookshops, cafes, museums, and enclaves of rich and poor. In Rio, the more you explore, the more there is.

Samba:
The music people instantly associate with Brazil is samba. This is the music of carnival in Rio and one of the most popular rhythms. Samba was first performed in the 1917 carnival, although its origins go back much further. Its distinctive drumbeats reflect a strong African influence. The frenzied rhythm of samba is accompanied by distinctive dance steps which, to the uninitiated, seem to defy most of nature’s laws of movement. As well as the famous carnival sambas, this style is present in many other music types and few Brazilian artists have not recorded at least one samba melody.

Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro:
Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro is truly one of the greatest spectacles in the world. For many cariocas (locals from Rio ), this event is the most highly anticipated of the year. In Rio , everything stops for most of a week and everyone lets their hair out and parties. Carnaval typically lasts from sometime Thursday and continues on through Ash Wednesday of the following week. This time is filled with various themed street parades which are so plentiful as to be able to pass almost the whole time in some parade or event. Also during this time are the amazing samba school competitions which take place in the specially built sambadrome. There are two ways to take in the samba school competition. The first is to purchase tickets and go see the show. The competition takes place in the specially built sambadrome. Tickets go on sale in January for all three nights. However, only a small portion of the tickets are sold to the public at the ticket outlets. These typically sell out very quickly. The larger portion of the tickets are sold directly to corporate sponsors and tourist agencies.

Barra da Tijuca:
Located a little out of the way, this popular area and beach deserves a visit. Famous for its enormous shopping center Barrashopping and upper-class residents, Barra has a certain Miami air about it. The visitor can come here to enjoy discotheques, shopping, good restaurants and bars. Probably the best reason to come here, however, is the beach itself. The water is clean, perfect for surfing, windsurfing and body boarding, and it doesn’t get quite as crowded as Copacabana or Ipanema.

Beach Life:
The importance of the beach to Rio de Janeiro should never be underestimated. The city’s 56 miles (90 km) of beaches are an integral part of the Rio lifestyle, some of which - such as Copacabana and Ipanema - are world famous.

Rio de Janeiro is unique in having beaches which run though its very heart. Wherever you are in the city, you are never far from the beach.

Cafe Lamas:
This is one of those historic restaurants where presidents, writers, actors, poets have frequented. It opened its doors in 1874 and has been doing a roaring trade ever since. The decor is simple, traditional and classic—spacious with wooden chairs and tables, and white tablecloths that match the white columns. The menu is traditional, and the steaks are most popular. Try the famous Lamas Steak and the fillet with chips, onion, ham and peas. Another good option is codfish cakes to be savored with cold draught beer.

Copacabana Palace:
1923 palace hotel is set near the beach and convenient for Rio’s nightlife and centers of commerce. The 5 star Copacabana Palace has two restaurants, The Pergula (by the pool) and the Cipriani restaurant (with Northern Italian cuisine). The restaurant and its bar are located on the ground floor of the Annex, overlooking the hotel’s pool. The hotel also has 24-hour room service, outdoor pool, sauna, solarium, and massage. Golf, tennis, health club, beach, and watersports are nearby.
The Copacabana Palace is superbly located: it faces the famous Copacabana Beach and yet is only minutes from the center of Rio.

Most visitors to Brazil start or end their visit in Rio de Janeiro. A wise choice. There may be wider beaches in the north, higher mountains in the south, and larger jungles in the Amazon, but nowhere else on earth is there that wonderful combination of white-hot sand and tall green peaks, with a blaze of urban humanity filling all the spaces in between. Most people stay in the beachfront neighborhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema. They’re great places to soak up the sun and to people-watch.