WORLD DISCOVERY ADDICT

During this stay, we had planned to spend one or two days on Ilha Grande, a small island south of Rio, known for its beautiful beaches and the ban of cars, which gives it a perfectly cool atmosphere and scenery. Unfortunately the weather was too hesitating thios early December and we have renounced. We therefore, replaced this island tour, with another much more modest, but nevertheless in the same region, Itacuruça. Since Rio, our bus led us hundred kilometers south on the Costa Verde, to the Itacuruça village, nestled... [Lire la suite]

From the top of Sugar Loaf, I felt the urge to cross the Guanabara Bay by the 14km bridge which joins Niteroi. Niteroi also has two interesting sites to visit: the Santa Cruz fortress and the museum of contemporary art. With a friendly German guide, Lysa, we take the direction of Flamengo, then the port area before the bridge President Costa e Silva, usually known as Rio-Niteroi bridge. It is obviously impossible to stop and have a shot from the high point overlooking the bay of 70m. Commissioned... [Lire la suite]

After some days in Copacabana tumult we were hoping for more peaceful and more greenery. Despite its size, Rio has the particularity to have said it, the largest urban forest in the world: the Tijuca Forest. After colonization, the Portuguese settlers began to cultivate coffee, and little by little mountainous region of Rio, previously covered by Atlantic forest were cleared and planted with tea and coffee. May be aware of the ecological disaster that is occurring (erosion, drought), Emperor... [Lire la suite]

Coming to Rio without making the round of the beaches having made the reputation of the city would be a sacrilege. In the most central part of the city, are actually 7 main beaches. Flamengo beach along the Guanabara Bay about 1500m long with at its end a marina. Throughout its length it is lined with beautiful parkland "Aterro flamengo" where are planted over 10000 trees. The modern art museum is also located in this park Botafogo beach with 600m long is still part of the large Guanabara Bay and is siding the... [Lire la suite]

The weather is little bit hesitating today and we decide to visit the botanical garden just nearby the Rodrigo de Freitas Lake at the foothills of the Tijuca forest. To access there, the simplest way is to take a taxi (fare: 12Reals from Copacabana) The park covers an area of 140ha and celebrates this year the 200 years Anniversary of its set up. This is in the year 1808, that King John VI of Portugal, during his exile, decides to create it. At the time of our visit late in the morning, out of the week end and... [Lire la suite]

The hotel atrium is bathed in sunlight this morning. The weather is promising. Our today program includes two inescapable visits of Rio: Corcovado and Sugar Loaf. Around 9h a.m., a minibus pick up us; we join the Rodrigo de Freitas Lake and take the tunnel under the Corcovado mountain to join Santa Theresa and the foothills of the rocky peak. Laces go through some favelas and then enter into the Tijuca forest. To access to the huge Christ stands on the peak, it is also possible to take a funicular, or for the most... [Lire la suite]

December, the gloom sets in, and as we often feel an overriding need light and sun. A small trip in a region more conducive to remove the spleen, appears increasingly necessary. It's decided, we target South America, it's spring in Rio, the crowd of the the year end and the carnival have not yet conquered the place, and we can expect a pleasant climate. At 7 p.m. the Air France Airbus land to Rio Airport, we are still resolutely optimistic and we hope to see the sunset on Copacabana. The entry formalities very quickly... [Lire la suite]