In the summer of 2017, I decided to plan a trip to Brazil. Some good friends of mine live in Sao Paulo, so I knew that would be a stop on my South American adventure. However, I really wanted to go to Rio de Janeiro for one reason and one reason alone. I wanted to see Christ the Redeemer. Not for any religious reasons, but solely because it is one of the New7Wonders of the World. In order to make this stopover possible and still have time to see my friends, I had to make this a quick trip. AKA fly in, see everything I wanted to see, then leave. 31 hours later, that is exactly what happened.
For those not familiar with Christ the Redeemer, it is essentially a giant statue of Jesus Christ standing at the summit of Mount Corcovado. Standing only 98 feet tall, it was worth every bit to get to Rio, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me backup a bit. My trip began with a short, one hour evening flight from Sao Paulo. I hopped a cab from the airport and headed toward my hotel on Copacabana Beach. Since I was only going to be in town for a short two nights, I knew I wanted to make it count. Hence, the Copacabana Beach location! This also meant choosing a guided tour as my way to see the city. The full day tour offered by Caricoa Tropical was perfect for me!
The next morning began with, you guessed it, a trip to Mount Corcovado. Even though the day began with heavy fog, so thick, I couldn’t see the beach as I was leaving the hotel, I was excited. This was the first of the New7Wonders of the World I would get to check off my list. There is also something I find really exciting about exploring a new city. Be it the people, food, tourist attractions – getting to experience a new place makes me happy.
Christ the Redeemer, Maracana, and the Sambadrome
There are several different ways for you to reach the top of Corcovado, however, I highly recommend you have your ticket purchased before beginning the journey. We arrived close to opening, but during peak season the lines can get very long. You can walk, take a train or a bus to the summit – we were in a bus. Although you don’t get to see as much if you opt for this option, it was the most convenient for me at the time. By taking the train or walking, you get to see and pass through the forest of Tijuca.
My first glimpse of the Christ the Redeemer was from behind. The statue itself was beautiful and pretty much everything I thought it would be. It definitely looks a lot bigger when you see it in photos or on tv. I think that’s how it is with almost everything though, right? But, there’s a small church you can visit in the back of the pedestal and walking around provided me with beautiful city views, despite the fog. All in all, the first stop in Rio was a success!
From Mount Corcovado, we made our way to Maracana Stadium and then to the Sambadrome. Growing up with a Dutch father, I watched a lot of soccer and still cheer for the Dutch National team every World Cup. So, although I didn’t get a chance to see the inside, the stadium was still impressive.
It may not look like it, but the Sambadrome is almost a half of mile long and can seat 90,000 people. This space was designed specfically as a permanent parade ground for Rio’s famous Carnival. The Samba School is also located here and we had a chance to see the elaborate costumes used during Carnival. Our tour guide even taught us how to samba! Can you imagine what it would be like to samba dance the length of this route? More power to all those that do!
Churches of Rio de Janeiro and Lapa
I love when churches are added to any itinerary. It doesn’t matter whether you are spiritual or not, there is something to be said about their architecture. The two churches could not have been more different, but let me tell you, they also did not disappoint. The Abbey of Our Lady of Monserrat, commonly known as Sao Bento Monastery, had the most exquisite representation of Baroque stylings. While the outside is quite simple in its design, the interior was filled with beautiful and rich engravings. Seriously, my photos really do not do it justice.
One of the most unique churches I’ve seen has to be the Metropolitan Cathedral. The cone-shaped design is based on the Mayan architectural style of the their pyramids. With four floor to ceiling stain glass windows adorning the inside, this is definitely a modern masterpiece.
From the beautiful architecture of these churches, we then made our way to an area of Rio de Janeiro known as Lapa. There is where I got to see the famed Selaron stairs. Jorge Selaron, a Chilean artist, moved to Rio in the 1980s and decided to begin renovating a set of dilapidated steps that where in front of his home. These 215 steps are now covered in tiles from all over the world and the result of his hard work is incredible. Not only are they vibrant in color, the detail of each tiles is amazing. I couldn’t stop looking at the individual tiles and how they came together to make this a unique piece of art!
Sugarloaf Mountain
After a lunch feast at a traditional Brazilian steakhouse, the last stop of the day was to Sugarloaf Mountain. Traveling by cable car, the first stop was at Urca Hill, providing lovely (though foggy) views of Guanabara Bay. From there, one more cable car ride took us to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Standing at 1,299 feet above sea level, you are rewarded with more incredible views of Rio.
After a day like this, you better believe I was ready to call it a day. But, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. The chance to see all of my top sites on a fun and interactive tour was the best. I even came out of it making new friends, which was the icing on the cake for me! Even though, I was only in Rio de Janeiro for a short time, it truly made an impression on me and I know I will be back in the near future!