RIO IN ONE DAY – WHEN YOU ARE IN ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS PLACES IN THE WORLD BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME!!!

Well you are in Brazil and suddenly you do not have much time to visit the most famous city in the country: RIO DE JANEIRO. But you just have one day..so what to do….

First step, you have a guide, it happens to be me, otherwise you would never read this blog, and we can do the following.

Then we would have to decide your priority, which is more important to you seeing the Sugar Loaf or the Christ ????? Or we have to see which of the landmarks are less cloudy or free of clouds..

VERY IMPORTANT: IT IS NOT USE TO GO TO THE CHRIST WHEN THE MOUNTAIN IS COVERED WITH CLOUDS, IT IS A WASTE OF TIME AND A WASTE OF MONEY.

And remember…you have just one day…so let’s try to see as much as we can in one day…First of all we will drive through Ipanema with a little walking in the rocks of Arpoador and heading to Copacabana beach, then a little walk in the famous WAVING SIDE WALK.

Then we will head to the Bay Side and visiting the surroundings of Sugar Loaf mountains to see the first beach where the Portuguese navigators set foot in Rio for the first time, the Praia Vermelha, and a little walk in the Atlantic Forest, we will see many animals and all kind of plants walking in a path where just locals go, the PISTA CLAUDIO COUTINHO.

After that we will understand more of the city and finally realize that Rio is not only a fantastic beach destination, we will see the European Presence in the colonial and barroc constructions in the old part of Rio, and we will see important buildings and very interesting cultural centers like CENTRO CULTURAL BANCO DO BRASIL, THE MAGNIFICENT CHURCH OF CANDELARIA, THE NARROW STREETS OF TELLES, THE PRAÇA QUINZE WITH THE ROYAL PALACE, THE FERRY BOAT STATION, THE STATE CONGRESS AND CARMO CHURCH, THE ONLY PLACE IN LATIN AMERICA WHERE TWO EUROPEAN WERE CROWNED.

We can eat after this fantastic marathon in Rio in a very typical brazilian restaurant, most of the times nice restaurant where only brazilian goes, we will eat with class and style. The tours are never oriented to classic touristic places, only genuine places where you will feel and experience the best of Brazil in just one day, and better, if by chance your only one day in Rio is in the weekend, you will visit a huge market in the suburbs of RIO, an unique experience where you will witness real brazilian parties, creative art craft and the best of our regional food. You will be at FEIRA DO NORDESTE.

Lots of activity using a comfortable and modern car, a Fiat Doblo, good for 4 people, you will be in Rio with a very experienced guide who will be more than a guide, he will be your friend in the city, it will be a 6 or 8 hours tour and if you are just two people the tour will cost 150 american dollars, if you are 3 or 4 people, then the price will be 250 american dollars.

CHECK WITH ME IF YOU WISH A NIGHT TOUR, THERE WILL BE NICE OPTIONS EXCEPT ON SUNDAYS!!!

Feel free to write and get more details, my email is donrafainrio@yahoo.es

TWO DAYS IN RIO...WHAT TO DO...SIMPLE QUESTION, GET A LARGE INTRODUCTION AND GET REASONS TO COME BACK WITH MORE TIME

My mission is to introduce you the best of Rio in two days, as I love challenges I do it for you with lots of pleasure, but I will need your energy and you must be in the mood to be a real part of the city; my mission here is also to make you understand how Carioca lives.

If you do not know, CARIOCA is the name given for a person born and raised in Rio, this word comes from an Indian language and it means CARI = WHITE MEN – OCA = HOUSE. In the very beginning of Rio the Indians saw these white men with heavy clothes who used to live in white houses by the shore, and they call them CARIOCAS.

Back to our two days…RIO IS EASY and you must know it.

And we should start early our first day though I give you 3 options and you have to tell me when you want to start…

8 am, 9 am or 10 am

FIRST DAY
So we will start heading west of the city, going to Barra da Tijuca where we will visit a gorgeous private residential condominium to see a private beach called JOA..beautiful nature and dramatic landscape, it will provide us an idea about the ATLANTIC FOREST, then we will get through Tijuca National Park, visiting waterfalls, lakes and getting very deep inside our thick forest until we get to the Christ.

NOTE THIS TOUR IN THE FOREST IS ONLY POSSIBLE IN WEEK DAYS!!!

After visiting the Christ, a real must see place in Rio we will follow Santa Tereza, the first Portuguese settlement in Rio with its gorgeous big colonial houses, calm streets and thick vegetation everywhere, part of the HISTORY of Rio can be better understood there.

We will continue our day going to Niteroi, a very interesting city located in the other side of Guanabara Bay, we will explore the bay side to have an over view of Rio de Janeiro city from a different perspective, crossing the impressive RIO-NITEROI BRIDGE, also known as Costa e Silva Bridge (13 km long). In Niteroi we will visit BOA VIAGEM PROMENADE and fabulous beaches like Icarai and São Francisco, we will have a quick visit just to see the architecture of the CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM (MAC), the latest construction of our famous architect Oscar Niemeyer, then we will explore part of the VIRAÇAO – Also known as Parque da Cidade - mountain to see such a spectacular view point and you will see the entire city of Niteroi and Rio de Janeiro, our last stop will be in a very typical and pleasant fishermen village of Jururuba where more surprising views will be waiting for us!

We will have lunch in Niteroi in a very local restaurant where you will have the chance to try the best of Brazilian Food, the buffet also includes desert or you will have a second option, a lunch in a real fishermen village, you will have access to many delights of our best see food.

NOTE: LUNCH IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR.

Tour Guide fee will be 150 american dollars for two people or 250 american dollars for more than two people.

COOL HINTS: After the tour, maybe a little walk in the pleasant market of Copacabana located almost in front of OTHON HOTEL, it is also a nice opportunity to walk in the beach just like many locals do every afternoon. If you finish your tour during the afternoon, you must see the sunset in the rocks of Arpoador close to Ipanema.

SECOND DAY

Now you have quite a cool understanding about Rio but there are still nice places to be seen in the city, and the beginning of our day will be filled with nature and spectacular views for our pictures and also just to chill out relaxing with friends, your partner or anyone you like. Again we must start in the morning and we will go the the surroundings of Sugar Loaf Mountain, in Rio, it is best called as PÃO DE AÇUCAR.

SOMETHING VERY ESSENCIAL FOR THIS DAY – BRING A LOT OF BANANAS!!!

We will walk in places where many tourist simply do not have any idea about its existence, places very close to the Sugar Loaf like Praia Vermelha where the Portuguese navigators set foot in 1501 and we will make a little hiking at PISTA CLAUDIO COUTINHO trail where we will be in contact with lots of treesm shady paths and many many birds and animals. It will be a great chance for us to feed our COUSINS…YES WE WILL SEE THE MONKEYS, but please do not be angry with me if you do not see any…but they hardly disappoint me!!!

Our next step will be a visit to the one of the top 10 most complete Botanical Gardens in the World - in Portuguese we say JARDIM BOTANICO - we will walk along pretty beautiful alleys full of giant trees, an amazon little lake full of flowers and fish, we will see lots of mango and jacko trees, and you will see a magnificent collection of orchids and cactus.

In the end of our tour we will have lunch in one of the busy buffets of Rio’s downtown, together with all kind of working people in our financial area. We have two sacred parts of our downtown that we should explore; the Monastery where you will see the best of our Barroc Heritage; then we will walk through the narrow old streets of Rio visiting CULTURAL CENTRES, Portuguese blue tiles in private business and homes. We will see also the Ferry Boat area, the Royal Palace, the Carmo Street – that is the only catholic church in Latin America that crowned two European kings – the State Congress and the area of PRAÇA QUINZE, this is one of the most important historical sites in the State after Paraty.

As a grand finale, we will end our tour at the Fort of Copacabana, an impressive 1905 construction which will give you unique views of Copacabana and Ipanema, and the hidden beach of Diabo.

We will use my car and we will walk a lot.

The full day tour will be 150 american dollars for two people or 250 american dollars for more than two people. (the car is good for 4 people!)

COOL HINTS: When you get back to the hotel, it is a cool chance for you to walk at NOSSA SENHORA DE COPACABANA AVENUE where the best shops are located. Copacabana has a big variety of stores where you can buy anything you need!!! SHOPPING TIME, or visiting RIO SUL SHOPPING CENTER, the main mall we have in the neighborhood.

NIGHT TOUR

No trip to Rio is complete if you do not dive into the World of our funny nights, and we have space for every one. Rio means Carnaval, Rio means cool conversations in each corner of Ipanema, so many bars and beautiful people everywhere. Rio is SAMBA and all music styles like Forro and so many incredible singers. Music shakes the vain of every blood, no matter if you are rich or poor, you will always find fantastic local musician, and me as a real Brazilian, of course I will take you to the most genuine places where our people really have fun at night. Samba Houses, Samba Rehearsals for the great 2 nights of our Carnaval and visits to the most uncommon markets of the city where food, art crafts and lots of music is FULLY GUARANTEED. We will visit Lapa and Santa Tereza, genuine bohemian neighborhoods, and a visit to the v ery unknown PAVILHAO DE SAO CRISTOVAO.

The chance of getting to know the real night of Rio is right now!!!

We generally take about four hours for a night tour, but of course we can go back to the hotel when you decide, but put your feet out of the hotel and find out more about this wonderful people called CARIOCAS.

The tour guide fee is only one, no matter how many people I take, it is 100 american dollars.

Two days tour and one night tour at least will give you two great samples of Rio that certainly will convince you to come back for more!!!

donrafainrio@yahoo.es is my email, please drop me a line if you wish to have more details and also if you want to get some pictures of this tour!!!

RIO EASY IN THREE DAYS – ENOUGH FOR YOU TO FALL IN LOVE WITH RIO!!!

Sure that Rio to be visited properly deserves at least a whole life to explore the city in a way that you will see that you are just in one of the most fascinated cities in the World. Rio is for sure the best door entrance of a wonderful and dear country called Brazil and I am fully grateful that you chose Rio as one of your trip destinations. Again 3 days in Rio will be good enough for you to realize that you must come to Rio often!!! Rio will be now your best HOME OUTSIDE HOME.

First day will be a large introduction of the city, and we can do it easily when you get to your hotel or right in the very first morning of your days in the city!!!

FIRST DAY

From the plane or from the first streets you get when you leave the airport, you will see Jesus Christ with his arms wide open telling you that YOU ARE VERY WELCOME to enjoy the best of Rio de Janeiro, so nothing better than pay a visit to the main hoster of Rio and we will see the Christ on the hill of Corcovado, it is a unique chance to see the city from the top of an impressive view point.

And we are not getting there as regular tourists who just reach the top of Corcovado by train…no way!!!! We will explore the Forest of Tijuca, we will see hidden view points from a different perspective and stop in some points that only a native can show you. If we pick this day in a week day we will be able to get through the forest, visiting the headquater of our national park created in 1961 but even planned in 1880, so you will see the gorgeous waterfall of Cascatinha, the route to the Paineiras and experience the pleasant natural showers of this unique part of this wonderful green corridor.

This day will be a total off the beaten path day visiting places out of touristy spots..we will head west visiting wild beaches and a lot of natural sites. We will see the beaches of Barra da Tijuca, Recreio, Macumba, Prainha and Grumari, these are very unknown beaches with a lot of green, local people and fishermen villages where we can have the best of our see food.

This day you will realize that Copacabana and Ipanema are not the only beaches of Rio and you will be able to see our wilderness, be prepared to see many new and unforgettable places.

The tour fee guide will be 150 american dollars for two people, and 250 american dollars for more than two people.

SECOND DAY

Now you have quite a cool understanding about Rio but there are still nice places to be seen in the city, and the beginning of our day will be filled with nature and spectacular views for our pictures and also just to chill out relaxing with friends, your partner or anyone you like. Again we must start in the morning and we will go the the surroundings of Sugar Loaf Mountain, in Rio, it is best called as PÃO DE AÇUCAR.

SOMETHING VERY ESSENCIAL FOR THIS DAY – BRING A LOT OF BANANAS!!!

We will walk in places where many tourist simply do not have any idea about its existence, places very close to the Sugar Loaf like Praia Vermelha where the Portuguese navigators set foot in 1501 and we will make a little hiking at PISTA CLAUDIO COUTINHO trail where we will be in contact with lots of treesm shady paths and many many birds and animals. It will be a great chance for us to feed our COUSINS…YES WE WILL SEE THE MONKEYS, but please do not be angry with me if you do not see any…but they hardly disappoint me!!!

Our next step will be a visit to the one of the top 10 most complete Botanical Gardens in the World - in Portuguese we say JARDIM BOTANICO - we will walk along pretty beautiful alleys full of giant trees, an amazon little lake full of flowers and fish, we will see lots of mango and jacko trees, and you will see a magnificent collection of orchids and cactus.

In the end of our tour we will have lunch in one of the busy buffets of Rio’s downtown, together with all kind of working people in our financial area. We have two sacred parts of our downtown that we should explore; the Monastery where you will see the best of our Barroc Heritage; then we will walk through the narrow old streets of Rio visiting CULTURAL CENTRES, Portuguese blue tiles in private business and homes. We will see also the Ferry Boat area, the Royal Palace, the Carmo Street – that is the only catholic church in Latin America that crowned two European kings – the State Congress and the area of PRAÇA QUINZE, this is one of the most important historical sites in the State after Paraty.

As a grand finale, we will end our tour at the Fort of Copacabana, an impressive 1905 construction which will give you unique views of Copacabana and Ipanema, and the hidden beach of Diabo.

We will use my car and we will walk a lot.

The full day tour will be 150 american dollars for two people or 250 american dollars for more than two people. (the car is good for 4 people!)

COOL HINTS: When you get back to the hotel, it is a cool chance for you to walk at NOSSA SENHORA DE COPACABANA AVENUE where the best shops are located. Copacabana has a big variety of stores where you can buy anything you need!!! SHOPPING TIME, or visiting RIO SUL SHOPPING CENTER, the main mall we have in the neighborhood.

NIGHT TOUR

No trip to Rio is complete if you do not dive into the World of our funny nights, and we have space for every one. Rio means Carnaval, Rio means cool conversations in each corner of Ipanema, so many bars and beautiful people everywhere. Rio is SAMBA and all music styles like Forro and so many incredible singers. Music shakes the vain of every blood, no matter if you are rich or poor, you will always find fantastic local musician, and me as a real Brazilian, of course I will take you to the most genuine places where our people really have fun at night. Samba Houses, Samba Rehearsals for the great 2 nights of our Carnaval and visits to the most uncommon markets of the city where food, art crafts and lots of music is FULLY GUARANTEED. We will visit Lapa and Santa Tereza, genuine bohemian neighborhoods, and a visit to the v ery unknown PAVILHAO DE SAO CRISTOVAO.

The chance of getting to know the real night of Rio is right now!!!

We generally take about four hours for a night tour, but of course we can go back to the hotel when you decide, but put your feet out of the hotel and find out more about this wonderful people called CARIOCAS.
The tour guide fee is only one, no matter how many people I take, it is 100 american dollars.

THIRD DAY

NITEROI – RIO’S BEST FRIEND

It is the second most important city in the State, Niteroi is just more than the other edge of Guanabara Bay. People think that Niteroi is an island, and there are people who simply ignore Niteroi thinking that this place is just a sleeping city, but it is not. These lands very green that we see from the distance in many places in Rio holds incredible surprises for you.

It is our last day in Rio but we can stay half of the day visiting the basic of Niteroi if you have to leave to the airport, or we can spend the entire day making a complete tour in this fantastic city.

It is good that almost no travel books mention Niteroi, but Niteroi has everything to be the highlight of your trip to Rio.

Basic Niteroi we will cover the Bay Side Walk in Boa Viagem, we will have a quick visit to the Contemporary Art Museum, one of the last construction of our famous architect Oscar Niemeyer, this place give us incredible views of Rio, then we will visit a forest area close to São Francisco beach, this place is called PARQUE DA CIDADE, you will be surprised of so many beautiful things you will see from that simple view point. After that we can go to the fishermen village of Jurujuba, you will experience life in a slow rhythm like our old countryside village NOT FAR FROM BUSY, EXCITING AND CRAZY RIO.

If we have the entire day, then we will cross the mountains and see the ocean side of Niteroi where you will see the most beautiful beaches IN BRAZIL!!!! You will be able to visit the amazing sanctuary of Itacoatiara, our most impressive beach, and you will have the chance to see the sunset in a fishermen village, the dunes and the lagoon of Itaipu.

Going to Niteroi will be a very important plus in your trip to Rio.

Three days in Rio will be fantastic for you to make the best of your trip and I will be honored to give you a lot of assistance.

The tour guide fee will be 150 american dollars for two people, and more than two people the fee will be 250 american dollars.

Write to me if you want to see more pictures and if you want to get informed with more details about this specific tour, my email is donrafa@yahoo.es

PARATY – THE CHARMING OLD CITY

Paraty has more than 300 years of glorious history in Brazil, for a long time the old town used to be a very important port for the Portuguese that once colonized the country; the Gold coming from the mountains of Minas were sent to Europe in order to avoid the pirates and the merchants of Rio, because of that, Paraty became rich, many people from all over the World settled down there, the little village got big colonial houses owned by powerful barons and farmers. The city in that time was a very important trade point in the Colony and its geographic formation provided an excellent natural harbor, also because of its vast fields of Sugar Cane, Paraty became famous for their spectacular Cachaça. Until today Paraty has the best cachaças in the country.

Among famous barroc and colonial destinations in Latin America such as Colonia del Sacramanento in Uruguay; Taxco in Mexico; Antigua in Guatemala; Cuzco in Peru or even the brazilian historical towns such Ouro Preto. Tiradentes, Mariana, and the coast old cities like São Luis and Olinda. Paraty gives the visitor HISTORY, CULTURE, BEACH ACTIVITIES AND ADVENTURE.

Paraty since its beginning had the power to make people fascinated about its spirit, the cobble stone streets, the old corners, the music coming from the bars, the children playing in the main square, the church bells, the pleasant ocean breeze and the slow rhythm of the city, absolutely untouched over the years. And not only for that….

PARATY has green mountains,,delightful mountains with full of natural secrets such as impressive waterfalls in the jungle, very old coffee and sugar cane farms, families who are taking care of these amazing properties over many generations.

Going to Paraty you will be placed in the past of Brazil, you will be surrounded by absolutely gorgeous islands and desert beaches, and you will feel like a nature ranger strolling around greeny paths and you will see the real taste of a native environment away from tourist. The city now is famous world wide but it still holds lots of nice secrets that will make your trip unique.

This fantastic shelter is just 3 hours drive from Rio in the South of the State. At least you will have to spend 2 nights to see this barroc city enterily, one day to see the the historical spots and some of the woods and the other day to explore its fabulous islands!

Coming to Paraty is like having a package of 4.The city itself, the mountains of Serra da Bocaina in Cunha, the wild and ever green beaches of Trindade and the mysterious islands of this spectacular Bay.

TOUR GUIDE FEES: 100 AMERICAN DOLLARS – FULL DAY FOR 2 PEOPLE
160 AMERICAN DOLLARS – FULL DAY FOR 3 AND 4 PEOPLE.

TRANSPORTATION COSTS – 300 AMERICAN DOLLARS – ROUND TRIP