When we visited Rio in 2006 it was notorious for violent robberies. While traveling we usually wander around towns with ease. In Rio we decided to play it safe and do all our sightseeing with tour guides. The two memorable trips we took were to Rochina (a favela) and a day tour called a “Carioca Tour” around Rio.
Our day started with pickup from our hostel and we first stopped at the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. Yes it is as cool as it looks in photos and you can get some great views from up there.
We then stopped at a national park and got a glimpse of a nice little water fall.
Another highlight of the tour is that we got to see the famous Selaron tiles in Rio.
He happened to be working that day and we were able to snap a photo with him. We were supposed send him tiles from Florida to help with his art but we never did. It makes me sad to discover he died in January 2013.
Finally we went to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf mountain) to watch the sunset.
At some point in the tour we stopped a beach. It was July and winter there. A few are playing sports but the beaches are pretty much a ghost town. However if I remember correctly it probably was at least in the 70’s Fahrenheit. Cariocas have low tolerance for cool weather.
We had a safe and memorable visit to Rio.
The hostel we stayed at was Rio Backpackers.
Growing With Leala 