The dramatic oceanfront Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) offers its own inspiring views, from the minute you board the aerial tram at the Urca base station until you glide toward the peak, where you’re treated to a superb panorama 1,299 feet above the sea.
Several of Rio’s best hotels are also on the waterfront. One of the newest is the Fasano, a Philippe Starck–designed gem in Ipanema, where the rooftop infinity pool’s vista of the beach just across the street is unforgettable. At Ipanema’s Caesar Park Rio, even the fitness center has floor-to-ceiling ocean views. A few blocks away, in Leblon, the oceanfront Marina All Suites Hotel features chic, modern décor, and its ultrahip restaurant provides both a spectacular beachscape and delicious and innovative Italian cuisine.
The most exciting way to experience Rio’s beach scene is during one of the city’s annual celebrations. The wild and raucous Carnaval (see p. 1012) is the grandest event, but Reveillon, which takes place first, isn’t far behind. Each New Year’s Eve, 2 million revelers dance barefoot on Copacabana Beach to samba bands while fireworks fill the midnight sky. Book a room months in advance at the JW Marriott; the beach party unfolds right across the street. The mysterious and quintessentially Brazilian Festa Iemanjá unfolds on December 29. Iemanjá is the beloved African goddess of the sea, conflated with the Virgin Mary in the Afro-Brazilian Condomblé religion. Thousands of her white-clad followers head to the beach and send their petitions to her for good fortune out to sea in little boats.
CORCOVADO: Tel 55/21-2558-1329; www.corcovado.org.br. CAMINHO AÉREO PÃO DE AÇÚCAR: Tel 55/21-2546-8400; http://bondinho.com.br. HOTEL FASANO: Tel 55/21-3202-4254; www.fasano.com.br. Cost: from $585. CAESAR PARK RIO: Tel 55/21-2525-2525; www.caesar-park.com. Cost: from $320. MARINA ALL SUITES HOTEL: Tel 55/21-2172-1100; www.marinaallsuites.com.br. Cost: from $400. JW MARRIOTT: Tel 55/21-2545-6500; www.marriott.com. Cost: from $490. BEST TIMES: Nov–Mar for nice weather; Feb or Mar for Carnaval; Dec 29 and 31 for Festa Iemanjá and Reveillon.
Goal!
MARACANÃ STADIUM
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
One of Brazil’s biggest passions is soccer, and one of the best places to experience it firsthand is Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro’s enormous shrine to “the beautiful game.” When Rio inaugurated Maracanã in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, it was touted as the finest soccer stadium in the world. Many other great facilities have been built since then, but Rio’s home base for futebol remains an icon. It was here that Brazil suffered a heart-stopping loss during the 1950 World Cup final to Uruguay and where in 1969, more gloriously, Pelé scored his 1,000th goal.
Maracanã seats more than 90,000 for soccer games, and even more people pack in, sitting on the playing field, for concerts and other special events (including a mass led by Pope John Paul II in 1980). The stadium is undergoing an upgrade as it prepares for its high-profile role as part of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The best time to visit Maracanã—or simply “Maraca” in Rio slang—is when rival local teams (Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, or Vasco da Gama) face off there. Crowds arrive hours in advance, enjoying beer and samba before entering the stadium (alcohol isn’t allowed inside). The pregame joviality is only a precursor to the high emotion that swirls around each match; events on the playing field often pale in comparison to the audience reaction—there’s nothing like sitting in a sea of humanity screaming “goooooal!” If you can’t make it for a match, take a guided tour of the stadium including the playing field, locker rooms, and the corridors used by clubs. The on-site sports museum exhibits photographs, uniforms, and other memorabilia, including plaster casts of the feet of the most famous players, and Pelé’s number 10 shirt.
INFO: Tel 55/21-2299-2942; www.suderj.rj.gov.br/maracana.asp. HOW: Most hotel concierges can help procure tickets to games; guided tours are available daily, except when there is a game.
Barefoot Chic in Brazil’s Most Glamorous Beach Town
BÚZIOS
Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
Those looking for the St-Tropez of South America flock to this coastal town’s famously gorgeous beaches, sophisticated inns, and buzzy dining and nocturnal scene. (Those looking for a quieter hideaway head to Paraty; see p. 1017.) A former fishing village, Búzios was launched to stardom when Brigitte Bardot and her Brazilian boyfriend-of-the-moment basked in the sun here in the 1960s. Today the region is a magnet for Rio’s glitterati, many of whom have second homes here. Soccer players and novela (soap opera) stars mingle with well-heeled foreign travelers, who come for the lively nightlife and fill the stylish ocean-front restaurants.
The 5-mile-long peninsula comprises some 20-odd idyllic beaches with something for everyone. Ferradura is a wide, horseshoe-shaped beach with blissfully calm, deep waters perfect for snorkeling. Large, open Geriba is the best pick for surfing and enjoying the scene. The warm, gentle tides of Azeda beach are reached by boat or via a trail from Ossos beach, where small boats dot the water and cafés invite you to sit and watch the world go by. Would-be castaways hop aboard schooners or private water taxis for day trips to various beaches and secluded island hideaways, some of which offer ideal conditions for diving. Nights are filled with a variety of live-music bars, jazz clubs, and open-air cafés that invite lingering until the wee hours, thanks in no small part to the free-flowing cachaça and the DJs spinning a wide variety of beats. The cobbled Rua das Pedras is lined with chic boutiques and casual but excellent restaurants.
One of the best of the town’s Colonial-style inns, or pousadas, is Casas Brancas (White Houses), where guests sleep in cool, airy hilltop rooms—some with balconies and Praia de Armação views—indulge in spa treatments or lounge by the pool, and dine on Brazilian-Mediterranean cuisine in the laid-back terrace restaurant.
WHERE: 105 miles/169 km northeast of Rio de Janeiro. VISITOR INFO: www.buziosonline.com.br. CASAS BRANCAS: Tel 55/22-2623-1458; www.casasbrancas.com.br. Cost: from $210 (off-peak), from $315 (peak); dinner $45. BEST TIMES: Sep–Feb for good weather; Jul for Búzios Jazz e Blues Festival.
A Magical, Verdant Island
ILHA GRANDE
Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
Ashimmering jewel in Brazil’s Costa Verde (Green Coast), Ilha Grande (Big Island) is the largest in a constellation of 360 islands that dot the beautiful Angra dos Reis (Bay of Kings). This rain forest–covered idyll with empty beaches and a do-nothing vibe is a relative newcomer to the tourist scene. It was a pirate hideout during the colonial era, and later a leprosarium and the infamous maximum-security penitentiary Candido Mendes, which closed in 1994. Largely untamed, the island has lately become a favorite for Brazilian sun seekers and a handful of foreign beach cognoscenti.
A ferry from mainland Angra dos Reis whisks visitors to the colorful village of Vila do Abraão, the gateway to Ilha Grande’s tropical seclusion. You’ll find no cars, no neon lights, and no ATMs on the 74-square-mile island; instead there are miles of walking trails that meander through a protected rain forest chock-full of birds, sloths, howler monkeys, and other wildlife. You’ll also find waterfalls—and ruins from the island’s dark past: Along with the pirates, the slave trade was a part of the island’s history. You can catch a boat to untouched beaches, including Caxadaço and Saco do Céu, which are among the finest strands in all of Brazil. Good visibility year-round makes for excellent snorkeling in the Green and Blue lagoons, where warm currents harbor starfish and sea anemones and nearby shipwrecks create dramatic scenery. Forest-lined dirt roads take hikers to several great beaches, such as Lopes Mendes and Dois Rios.
After long days on the sandy shores, travelers can hang their hats at simple but captivating inns such as Pousada Naturália, a shady retreat where suites are graced with polished wood and private balconies with hammocks. Or take a speedboat from Abraão to the elegant Sagú Mini Resort, where the Restaurante Toscanelli Brasil, featuring Brazilian and Italian cuisine, is a major draw.
Fine sand, shallow waters, and few
people make Lopes Mendes Beach one of Ilha Grande’s—and the country’s—best.
WHERE: a 90-minute ferry ride from Angra dos Reis, which is 91 miles/168 km west of Rio de Janeiro. VISITOR INFO: www.ilhagrande.com.br. POUSADA NATURÁLIA: Tel 55/24-3361-5198; www.pousadanaturalia.net. Cost: from $85 (off-peak), from $135 (peak). SAGÚ MINI RESORT: Tel 55/24-3361-5660; www.saguresort.com. Cost: From $190 (off-peak), from $250 (peak); dinner $35. BEST TIMES: Dec–Feb is peak season, although late Feb–Mar is less crowded and less humid.
Colonial and Charismatic on the Lush Costa Verde
PARATY
Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
During the gold rush of the 18th century, Paraty flourished as a port for galleons carrying precious cargo from inland Minas Gerais (see p. 1008) to Rio and on to Portugal’s royal court. Its cobblestone streets are lined with colorful remnants of its colonial past. Paraty’s location on Brazil’s lush Costa Verde (Green Coast) is stunning, with jungle-clad mountains rising behind the town and white sand beaches a short drive or boat ride away. In the historic, car-free center, you can stroll waterfront lanes lined with casually stylish boutiques and elegant restaurants. Admire the fine houses and elaborate churches that wealthy merchants erected for themselves, along with a church built by and for slaves. The Casa da Cultura provides a valuable, multimedia explanation of Paraty’s role in the past and present. One of the area’s biggest draws, however, is its dozens of outlying islands; their deserted beaches are reachable by guided boat trips departing daily.
Paraty has countless inns; one of the first is still among the most charming. Pousada Pardieiro is set among a group of 18th-century former homes, its simple old-world architecture offset by a stylish selection of modern artwork. For lunch, catch a boat for the 10-minute crossing to Kontiki, a seafood restaurant set on a tiny, idyllic island in the bay with views of Paraty.
On the town’s growing list of annual events, the Festival da Pinga is a highlight, a four-day gathering dedicated to locally produced cachaça (also called pinga), a sugarcane-based liquor. This region produces some of the nation’s best, making Paraty an ideal spot to linger in a café for some people-watching over a smooth, sweet caipirinha—the cool, mint-infused drink associated most with Brazil and once called a Paraty.
WHERE: 150 miles/241 km southwest of Rio. VISITOR INFO: www.paraty.com.br. POUSADA PARDIEIRO: Tel 55/243-371-1370; www.pousadapardieiro.com.br. Cost: from $175. KONTIKI RESTAURANTE: Tel 55/243-371-1666; www.ilhakontiki.com.br. Cost: lunch $20. BEST TIMES: Nov–Jun for good weather; Feb–Mar for Carnaval; Jul for Festa Literária.
Beach Buggy Adventure in the North
CRUISING THE SAND DUNES OF NATAL
Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Located in the easternmost region of the South American continent, Natal—the capital of Rio Grande do Norte—is the gateway to an expanse of enormous white sand dunes as well as some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Fifteen miles north of the city is Genipabu, a protected area where ocean swimming, sunset strolls, camel rides, and sand surfing are the pastimes of choice; you can also hire a jangada (balsa wood raft) to visit offshore reefs, or sign up for a roller-coaster-style ride in a four-wheel-drive bugue (buggy). The buggies can also be rented by the intrepid, but no one knows the shifting sands and adrenaline-rushing turns of these hair-raisingly steep dunes—which top 300 feet—like the local professional bugueiros (buggy drivers). They will whisk you away to secluded lagoons, palm-fringed lakes, or a funky beach hut selling grilled shrimp and cold Brahma beer—a well-deserved reward after braving one of their wild rides. Guided four-day journeys trace a sandy route through 500 miles and 85 beaches, from Natal north to Fortaleza.
About an hour north of Natal is Maracajaú, where low tide creates excellent snorkeling conditions among the shallow coral reefs. An hour south of Natal, gorgeous Praia da Pipa is a scenic beach community, known for dolphin-watching and a vibrant nightlife thriving along cobblestone streets, that is often likened to the Búzios (p. 1015) of 20 years ago. This is where you’ll find Toca da Coruja, a collection of bungalows that are rustic yet infused with a refined blend of Brazilian-Victorian style. The pousada is set away from the beach, amid lush gardens where tiny monkeys bound from tree to tree. Nearby, on the pristine beach of Praia de Sibaúma, fishermen are a more common sight than tourists.
WHERE: 184 miles/297 km north of Recife. HOW: Buggy & Cia offers rentals with or without driver. Tel 55/84-9416-2222; www.buggyecia.com.br. TOCA DA CORUJA: Tel 55/84-3246-2226; www.tocadacoruja.com.br. Cost: from $360. BEST TIME: Nov–Apr for balmiest weather.
Creativity on a Grand Scale
SÃO PAULO’S ART SCENE
São Paulo, Brazil
São Paulo, Brazil’s economic engine—a metropolis of more than 19 million—is South America’s biggest city and among the largest on earth. It is a sprawling concrete jungle in some respects, but its reputation for artistry and design shines through in everything from galleries and museums to cuisine and hotels.
One of the city’s most recognizable landmarks is the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP), a glass-and-concrete behemoth perched on four red pillars on the grand Avenida Paulista. In addition to permanent exhibits of 14th- to 20th-century pieces by the likes of Raphael, Matisse, and Dalí, MASP shows work by Brazilian artists. More Brazilian art from the 19th and 20th centuries is set against beautifully simple brick walls in another of São Paulo’s famed art museums, the Pinacoteca do Estado, housed in a building that dates to 1900 and is surrounded by the verdant gardens of Jardim da Luz. Oscar Niemeyer, Brazil’s most famous architect and the force behind the city of Brasília (see p. 1006), created a more modern setting for the Monument to Latin America complex, which contains a small art gallery and an iconic concrete sculpture of a giant hand stained with a bloodred map of Latin America.
In October and November of even-numbered years, São Paulo becomes a stage for one of the most important art expositions in the Americas: the Bienal Internacional de São Paulo, which takes place in a Niemeyer-designed building set in the massive Parque do Ibirapuera. It is the permanent home of the Museu de Arte Contemporânea (MAC), a contemporary art gallery. Also in Ibirapuera Park is the Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM), which displays local and international contemporary art, and the white-domed OCA Pavilion, another stunning Niemeyer creation, which hosts rotating exhibits and music and dance performances.
São Paulo’s boutique hotels are sure to impress design-conscious visitors. Located near Ibirapuera Park is Hotel Unique, easily the city’s most architecturally ambitious hotel. Shaped like a gigantic slice of watermelon, the structure houses 95 sleek white-on-white rooms, two trendy bars, and a popular restaurant-with-a-view. In the heart of the upscale Jardins district is the chic Emiliano, with 19 spacious suites distinguished by original artwork and stylish décor, and the Fasano, an outpost of the local family-owned brand that has expanded from fine dining (see next page) to include sublime, streamlined hotels. Just off busy Avenida Paulista, the 80-room L’Hotel is the most elegant of the city’s boutique options, appealing for its traditional design and its museum-quality antiques.
Niemeyer’s bleeding open hand is the somber centerpiece of the Monument to Latin America.
MASP: Tel 55/11-3251-5644; www.masp.art.br. PINACOTECA DO ESTADO: Tel 55/11-5576-7600; www.pinacoteca.sp.gov.br. MAC: Tel 55/11-3091-3039; www.mac.usp.br. MAM: Tel 55/11-5085-1300; www.mam.org.br. PAVILHÕ DA BIENAL DE ARTE: Tel 55/11-5573-5255; www.fbsp.org.br. HOTEL UNIQUE: Tel 55/11-3055-4710; www.unique.com.br. Cost: from $555. EMILIANO: Tel 55/11-3068-4399; www.emiliano.com.br. Cost: from $690. FASANO: Tel 55/11-3896-4000; www.fasano.com.br. Cost: from $650. L’HOTEL: Tel 55/11-2183-0500; www.lhotel.com.br. Cost: from $295.
Groundbreaking Cuisine from Brazil and Beyond
SÃO PAULO’S FOOD MOMENT
São Paulo, Brazil
Dining is a serious pastime for paulistas, and they stay well informed about the best places to savor the countless cuisines in this diverse metropolis.
To understand firsthand something of the local bounty, start by visiting the Mercado Municipal, which is set in a 1928 neo-Baroque building. More than 300 stalls overflow with fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and other goods. Sample the caju (cashew apple), maracuja (passion fruit), or pitaya (dragon fruit), then stop at the Hocca Bar, where patrons line up for bolinhos de bacalhau (cod-filled croquettes).
There’s a galaxy of superb restaurants in São Paulo, but many gourmands believe that D.O.M. is the best in Brazil. (D.O.M. is an acronym for Domus Optimus Maximus, a Latin phrase asserting that this is the optimum, maximum dining experience.) Here, groundbreaking celebrity chef Alex Atala blends classic French elements with exotic Amazonian ingredients: Foie gras is paired perfectly with crispy wild rice, and breaded oysters are enhanced with tapioca marinade. Atala is also the mastermind behind Dalva e Dito, across the street, a paean to simple Brazilian fare, such as the classic prato feito of rice, beans, and meat.
At Brasil a Gosto, chef Ana Luiza Trajano does a creative take on traditional comfort food from Brazil’s backwaters, while at Mocotó, cow’s-foot soup and other time-honored specialties from northeastern Brazil are prepared with modern panache under the watchful eye of rising chef Rodrigo Oliveira. Celebrities are frequent guests at Maní, claiming seats in either the garden or dining room to sample the panethnic creations of forward-thinking chef Helena Rizzo.
Figueira Rubaiyat is known as much for the gnarled trunk of a magnificent old fig tree that reaches skyward from its front patio as for its cuisine, the highlights of which are meat from the owner’s ranch, as well as a rich, traditional paella and simply prepared fish-of-the-day. The finest choice for Italian cuisine in the city is the elegant, uberfashionable Fasano, in the hotel of the same name (see previous page).
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 160
