I have always liked praça Maua, before it was dive bars, hookers and the like, huge improvement…read moreover the past few years, cleaned up and new museums really nice now for the port area

After 4 years of work, Praça Mauá have been reopened with a totally new look. 'Elevado da…read morePerimetral', which was situated at Rio De Janeiro's portuary zone, was demolished to give space to new museums and cultural centres, which have become important touristic points of our awesome city in the last few years. There you can find 'Museu do Amanhã', 'MAR (Museu de Arte do Rio)', and nice food trucks where you can waste a lot of money on (nobody said it would be cheap!). And more: during the Olympic Games 2016, a lot of Countrie's Houses from all over the world were opened, giving tourists and local habitants a whole new experience about different cultures (includind our). Even considering the kilometric queues that you face to get your tickets, the visit is worth your time and patience. Moreover, you have an spectacular view of Baía de Guanabara. Don't forget to take a bottle of water with you, Rio's temperatures are normally high! Hope you enjoy :) TIP: If you want to extend your tour, you can walk about 15 minutes and find 'Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil', which is good and worth the visit as 'Praça Mauá'.

Never quite made it this far out to Leme before but wanted to check out the forte. The gates at the…read moreend of the driving road are pretty easy to spot and there are signs the whole way directing you into the fort and up the cobblestone path to the top of the fort which provides you with excellent. views of Pão de Açúcar, Niterói, and Copacabana. On clear days you can also see Cristo, Dois Irmãos and Pedra da Gávea. Entrance was free and hours are clearly listed on the booth. The guard gave us tickets but no one collected them. Along the way, the school and buildings are to the left while the huge Pedra de Leme towers in front with the beach to your right. There headquarters are carved in the side of the mountain and it looks impressive. The cobblestone path leads steeply up to the top, surrounded by newly restored vegetation which provides a home for many local fauna. Micos (tiny marmosets) make noises and follow you along the electrical wires and branches above, often curious of the human encounter. There's also plenty of cute little birds singing, beautiful butterflies, sneaky lizards and vultures flying overhead. Bring bug spray because the mosquitos are aggressive. There were a series of religious plaques that line the path but many have not been kept up. At the top you are rewarded with excellent panoramic views that provide a perspective that can't be view anywhere else. There's also a couple of old rotating binoculars to look at the scenery but they're a little difficult to maneuver. Inside the fort, there's a couple of videos highlighting the history and attacks that the forte engaged in. Everything is well labeled and translated in both Portuguese and English. There are bathrooms and a water fountain at the far end of the fort. Definitely a great place to get some exercise up the hill (not too strenuous only 1.2km) check out some views and relax.

The entrance to the fort is located on the extreme end of Leme Beach (near Posto 1), and costs R$4…read moreto enter. The fort and surrounding area are owned and operated by the Brazilian Army, so what you have is a natural area that's clean, safe, and beautiful. After entering the complex, follow the signs that say "visitação do forte" and walk up a long (and a bit steep) brick road. Along the way you'll see lots of wildlife, including monkeys, lizards, birds, and butterflies. There are markers along the walkway that explain the history of Leme Hill (Morro do Leme) and the fort. The fort is at the top and is pretty well preserved, with a few art exhibits and views of Pão de Açúcar, the Atlantic Ocean, and Copacabana that can't be beat. It also explains some of the military history of Brazil and the role the fort played in a few of the revolutions. There are howitzers on the top which have been maintained very well, and a scope which is free of charge. Someone has been feeding the monkeys up there, because they are extremely tame and will let you get very close - but be careful, I've heard that they bite. The "hike" up should only take 10 min or so, and the entire visit is definitely worth a trip. Not many people seem to know about the fort, so it seems a bit underutilized and therefore not crowded.