For many the main postcard of Rio de Janeiro, ahead of any beach landscape, Lagoa Rodrigo de…read moreFreitas, or only the lagoon, is a breathtaking scenery from anywhere around it. There is a shared cycle and walking path which is encrusted with restaurants and also pertain some seats for contemplating the view or just to rest. You also have a pedaloo spot, where you can hire them to have a more inner experience at the venue, literally, and several sports courts, ranging to skating and tennis to basketball and baseball. There are many popular spots where people traditionally organize their own picnics for free. You can have the Corcovado view holding the Christ monument, the Dois irmãos (two brothers) mountains, which are equally beautiful and also the Pedra da Gávea (Gávea rock), a breathtaking huge flat rock where people do paragliding. You can also check my Yelp review on the lagoon complex, where you can find several eating options and a cinema with several exhibiting rooms. The stands for the rowing competitors held at the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas are can also be found at this very complex.

Rodrigo de Freitas is a huge lake that is in the middle of Rio surrounded by Copacabana, Ipanema,…read moreand Leblon. The surrounding paths around the lake are much quieter than the beach areas of the city. It is a good area to go jogging, bike riding, and there are swan pedal boats for rental too. I also noticed a few restaurants and food carts along the lakefront as well. I wouldn't call this place a must see for visitors, but you should pass by in a car to see what it looks like. The lake is also supposedly very polluted however, so it would be advisable to avoid swimming or jumping in.

Yelp Review 2025 #193:…read more Between Copacabana, Botafogo and Ipanema - I still can't decide which neighborhood I like most. Each place has its own character and charm. I started my day on the beach in Copacabana and I took a leisurely walk to Ipanema which took under 45 minutes. What a pleasant walk that was. People watching, sightseeing and just enjoying a beautiful day by the beach. There's a reason why there are songs about Copacabana and Ipanema. They're both beautiful places and the Cariocas are very proud of them. Copacabana has more beach activities: volleyball, pickleball, futebol, surfing, swimming, and any water sport you can think of. Ipanema is more chill with people sunbathing, walking and playing with their dogs. In short, if you want less people and chill vibes, go to Ipanema.

So in rio there are two big famous beaches One is…read moreCopacabana which is the main tourist beach and you see cariocas and vendors hustling And mainly for young folks or singles or partying This one is Ipanema which is next door and this is where all the locals come to and it's packed and more family oriented and relaxed It's a nice vibe

I booked a Jeep tour leaving from Rio to this park in the morning. A lot of locals come here to…read morepicnic, hike, and swim in the lagoons with waterfalls. The tour was really fun with great sights and you really feel like you're in the rainforest even though you're pretty close to Rio. Some highlights: -Mirante das Canoas - Great view at the top of the park above São Conrado beach -Cascatinha Taunay - large waterfall where you can swim in the lagoon below -Mayrink Chapel - a small, pink chapel that is in the middle of the rainforest I would definitely recommend the tour, it was really fun to ride in the Jeep and only requires half a day.

We booked a tour for this rainforest it was a private tour by error but worked out well for us…read more Our guide gave us a nice tour, lots of walking & if u are lucky u get to see some animals, we saw Coati's , a whole family of them very cute. The waterfall was not what I initially thought from looking at pics the waterfall looked like it's something u could enjoy by getting in the water it was not the only area where u could get in the water was like a small looking pond annoying simply because would have been nice to cool off during all the walking. We got to see plenty of nature, trees, caves not terrible overall.

This was our first time here. We took at cab to the park entrance. You go through a small…read moreneighborhood and up a windy road. The park itself is quite big and is very beautiful. You can see a different side of Dois Irmãos. It has a lot of parking, wide open spaces, plenty of shade and grassy area. There are picnic benches and a kids playground. There used to be a museum but it's closed according to the website. They also have a huge lake. It seems like a beautiful place to spend the day with family and friends. It's in the heart of Tijuca forest. We used it as a starting point to a hike up Vista Chinesa. There's a trail that starts on the right side as you walk in (past the parking, children's playground, and rest area). It starts off paved and the road eventually turns into cobble stone and then dirt. As you start getting deep into the forest you'll eventually see some houses in the distance. There's a clearly marked sign for Vista Chinesa trail which turns off and it's clearly defined all the way to the top. Definitely worth the view!