Rio de Janeiro

Guanabara Bay, Brazil Baía da Guanabara is an oceanic bay located in southeastern Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Vladimira Dvorakova / age fotostock;

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As Rio's inhabitants, the Cariocas, say, "God made the world in six days; the seventh he devoted to Rio". The extreme beauty of Rio de Janeiro is mesmerising more for its grandiose natural setting than for its somewhat anarchic architecture. The Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf Mountain), a granite rock 396 metres high overlooking the entrance to Guanabara bay in the south of the city, has become the symbol of Rio and today is as famous as Paris' Eiffel Tower or London's Big Ben. One cable car takes you up to Morro da Urca at an altitude of 220 metres, followed by a second one which goes to the Pão de Açucar proper at 1400 metres, offering a splendid panoramic view over Rio's bay. Make sure you catch a glimpse of the monkeys on the way up! The Morro da Urca has a heliport, a restaurant and an amphitheatre where musical shows are performed. Just as impressive is the Corcovado, a mountain over 710 metres high. A distinctive colourful train takes you up to the top through Tijuca tropical forest, the largest urban forest in the world. At the summit awaits the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the 7 new wonders of the world. Once more, the view out over the bay from the platform is breathtaking! There is an escalator for older visitors or visitors with disabilities to reach the summit, but the walk is well worth the effort for the many viewpoints along the way!

Life in Rio revolves around its beaches: all the most important events, including swimming, talking, work, football, and meetings, are taken care of here, on any of the 23 beaches. Copacabana attracts many visitors to its perfectly curved stretch of sand more than 2.5 miles long. Hundreds of thousands of people descend on it on summer weekends. Ipanema beach, the birthplace of Bossa Nova (a popular Brazilian music movement), is more exclusive and intimate, thanks to its row of palm trees. It borders the chic district of the same name. The 11-mile long Barra beach is a quieter, more natural setting. Surfers come to catch waves on Arpoador beach, while divers indulge in underwater fishing off the islands of Palmas, Cagarras, Comprida and Rasa.

Take one of the distinctive yellow trams up the hillside for a stroll in the charming hillside district of Santa Teresa, often referred to as the 'Montmartre' of Rio. This tranquil hippie-commune will charm you with its quaint rows of colourful houses and lush vegetation. Locals from all over town take refuge here in the scorching summer months due to its fresher temperatures. Having been the fashionable part of town in the 19th century, it was deserted by the rich and famous for the trendier beaches of Copacabana in the 1960's. It is now going through something of a renaissance, with a number of French-run pousadas opening up, like the Pousada Aurea and the Rio Hostel Santa Teresa. For those with more to spend, there is a 'Relais et Châteaux' (a French luxury brand of upmarket manor-hotels usually found dotted around France), the Santa Teresa Hotel.

In the evenings, the place to be is Lapa, a short walk or drive away from Santa Teresa. Lapa is one of Rio's trendiest neighbourhoods, especially during carnival, when you will find the best party blocos. This district, which dates back to the 1930's, is full of cabarets and samba band meetings, and is where young Cariocas come in search of a little authenticity away from the tourist traps of Copacabana.