The Museu do Amanhã, or Museum of Tomorrow, is recognizable by its long, white, cantilevered roof and a design that appears to float above the water of the Guanabara Bay. Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the structure…
Best of Rio de Janeiro
Take in Rio de Janeiro's most iconic monuments, historical structures, and natural landmarks on this sweep from Centro to the scenic southern beaches.
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1. Museu do Amanhã
2. Confeitaria Colombo
Confeitaria Colombo is defined by its towering crystal mirrors, which were imported from Antwerp and framed in intricate jacaranda wood. Founded in eighteen ninety-four by Portuguese immigrants Joaquim Borges de Meireles and Manuel José…
3. Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
The Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro rises above the center of the city with a central dome topped by a large, copper-gilded eagle with wings spread. Inaugurated in nineteen oh nine, it serves as the primary stage for opera, ballet, and…
4. Sugar Loaf cable car
The Sugarloaf cable car is identified by its glass-walled, diamond-shaped cabins that traverse the granite slopes of Rio de Janeiro, connecting the base at Praia Vermelha to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain via the intermediate stop at…
5. Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer stands at the summit of Mount Corcovado, rising thirty-eight meters including its pedestal. You can identify this massive Art Deco figure by its horizontally outstretched arms, which span twenty-eight meters and create…
6. Parque Lage
Parque Lage is recognizable for the mansion at its center, a grand, eclectic Roman-style palace built around a courtyard and swimming pool. Framed by the dense Atlantic Forest at the foot of Corcovado Mountain, this site sits where a…
7. Visitor Center - Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro
The Visitor Center of the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro occupies a historic building that dates back to the sixteenth century. It is located near the main entrance of the garden and serves as the starting point for exploring the…
8. Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon
The Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon is a vast, saltwater basin ringed by a seven-and-a-half-kilometer path that draws thousands of runners and cyclists daily. It sits in a natural bowl within the city, framed by the slopes of the Tijuca massif…
9. Arpoador
Arpoador is a rocky peninsula jutting into the Atlantic, marking the point where the coastline of Ipanema shifts toward the neighboring beach of Praia do Diabo. Its name comes from the Portuguese word for harpooner, a reminder of the…