You're coming here strictly for the views/vibe. The food is decent but it's nothing special. If…read moreyou're coming here strictly for the food you'll be disappointed. That's not to say the food is bad, it's alright. But on a Monday morning the wait to get a table was over an hour. It's outdoors so it can get really hot too. Even after we were seated it took FOREVER to get our food. Luckily we were just killing time until our flight. If you have other things to do it could be annoying. I got a burger and it was ok. It was cooked alright but it was a little bland. The fries were also just ok too. It's a nice experience but temper your expectations.

The prettiest brunch! After waiting around 45 minutes we were seated at Parque Lage. It was…read moreabsolutely beautiful and they have a vegetarian friendly menu! I got the coffee shake & the French toast and fruit cup. Everything was fantastic and couldn't possibly be in a more pretty place! There are views of Christ the redeemer from the courtyard! Great for photo! Definitely arrive early if you don't want to wait! Lines get long here!

There isn't much to see in this park except for a few playground equipment and exercise stations…read more The entire park has a solid sand floor which is very uninviting, though a few grassy areas can be had here and there. Seating is plentiful via a low perimeter wall that is shaded in most areas with quite a few trees. Other than that, most people use this park as access onto Ipanema Beach from the main road.

Except for the fact that its on the beach, at first glance it appears like any other park. But if…read moreyou climb the hill you'll find a skate park with amazing views of the city. During carnaval there were fitness dance parties, live music, etc. Good times. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf1luu2BD2E/

This parque is at the end of Leblon. You take the first street off of Albuquerque (toward the…read morebeachside) and head uphill and make a left. This smaller street zigzags up a steep but fairly short hill. But do watch out for cars as there's no clear shoulder. At the top you'll see gates to the park. It says it closes at 5pm but it could be for vehicles. There's usually a gate guard hanging around. The view of Ipanema beach is awesome from here and for such little work. There is a memorial for the flight from Rio to Paris on Air Frances nicely carved out in glass. There's several stairs down to another couple open areas, the last one with another memorial with the names of the people on the plane. If you continue up into the park it has a long and curvy road that culminates to a parking lot with a pretty garden, pond and office. There's a great hike up to the base of Dois Irmãos.

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.

It's not until you're drinking in the view from the top of Corcovado (aka Christ the Redeemer) that…read moreyou take in just how large this lake actually is. From that viewpoint though, you see every step of the 4.5+ miles of flat perimeter trail that surrounds it and you begin to understand how it is that this can be the venue for canoeing and rowing competitions during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Before my trip to Brazil I'd been led to believe that there was danger around every corner but my family walked around this lake late in the day, concluding after dark, without hint of incident. In fact, the scariest thing that happened was suddenly coming upon a giant Capybara mere feet from the footpath. He was not armed. The path around the lake is perfect for walking, jogging or bike riding and is well patrolled by trios of bike-riding police and never for a minute did I fear for my safety. As you make your way around there are numerous opportunities to stop for drinks or food. There's a Cine-plex, a food truck, bars/cafes, and even swan-shaped pedal boats for rent (in the daytime). If you're there in December, the lake sports a giant floating, moving, lit Christmas tree which is quite the attraction. The perimeter path around Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas is well-lit and well-used and is a great place to get in some non beach-based exercise. The water here is supposedly polluted (something that's being worked on) so contain your swimming to the nearby shores of Ipanema.

The monument was incredible - the views from the top were absolutely amazing!…read more The lack of organization and zero crowd control was very frustrating. There were no queues for the train, nor for the entrance into the statue making it a total free for all.

During our visit to Brazil this of course was on our list of something we needed to see…read more We had a tour nice & early, getting in we took the elevator up so it doesn't take long once u are up there it's just simply .. WOW! The views from up here are insane, we had the lovely surprised of seeing monkey which was fun. The worse part is the crowds, we were here early morning like 8am & it was unfortunately crazy jammed packed so many people it's annoying & u pretty much just kinda deal with it. There's a gift shop, bathrooms & area for drinks. This was amazing to see in person, the crist statue, the insane views it really gives u such perspective at the beauty around u. Definitely worth the visit & one of those things that I would say are a must see.

We had a great time hiking Tijuca with this company. We were in a small group of 4 with 1 guide…read morewhich made it alot more personal. We stopped off in a few places to get excellent views & pictures, then did our hike to the top with exceptional views over Rio. Our guide the owner was very personable & pointed out lots of things to us. I can't recommend this tour or company highly enough.

From the owner: Rio Natural Ecotourism is an ecological adventure tourism operator which offers its customers…read moreunforgettable experiences in breath-taking natural scenery, bringing moments of great charm to your holiday and providing a lifetime of memories. Through contact with the stunning natural beauty and cultural riches, the most extraordinary histories and curiosities of the wonderful city and its surroundings are revealed to you. Tours and activities can be tailored to suite the individual needs and interests of our customers, according to their ability. For those seeking more tranquillity, we also offer culturally and ecologically orientated tours of the city. But for those seeking the thrill of adrenaline on their trip, our tours offer a diverse range of adventure tourism activities.

Gorgeous panorama of Rio, with the Christ redeemer in the background. Make sure you get there an…read morehour before sunrise because it fills up quickly. We hired a taxi to stay there because it's close to impossible to call an uber once you're up there. Also check the forecast!! We went on a foggy day so it was hard to fully enjoy the sunrise.

This is the best view in Rio. Its free and accessible by taxi…read more But you must ask your taxi to wait for you, because I this lookout point is located in a quiet neighbourhood up a hill where taxis dont necessarily frequent. You will pay a fee for this. I dont know if its right, but the taxi added 20 Rs during our 25 minute time at the lookout and then asked for a an additional 10rs for the wait. We refused to pay the extra 10rs because 20rs was already added during his wait. Ask your taxi driver his fee for the wait. From this lookout point you get a great view of the bay around sugar loaf, and a nice direct view of the statue of Christ. There is no uphill walk or hike. You can park and walk right over to the lookout. Its beautiful and relaxing. Dont miss this viewpoint in Rio.

Come for the views! Especially with the ciclovia open, it's super easy to get here on foot or bike…read more It's got an amazing view of Ipanema beach and a selection of cool drinks and good eats. I didn't realize their menu was so extensive (on paper at least- you'll have to ask and see if they actually have it). Kinda disappointed that they didn't have coco gelado. There were piles of coconuts lying around but I guess they didn't have enough ice to cook them. This is quintessential for a Carioca sunny afternoon. Plenty of Antartica and Skol though and they were able to make a fresh abacaxi suco (pineapple juice). So there's something to quench your thirst. Prices are a little bit higher than other spots but it could be just the faulty addition skills of our server. Double check your order with the menu prices Hopefully next time we'll be more satisfied with a cold drink and some snacks.

Great pit stop view!!!! Wonderful to stop for a beer or a coconut or a drink....highly recommend…read more They have tables and chairs. Great spot for pictures. They sell refreshments and it's chill very casual.