Rio de Janeiro

City Statistics

Location

Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Dialing code

55

Population

6,051,399 (city)

Ethnic mix

70% white, 20% black, 10% other

Religion

75% Catholic, 25% other

Time zone

GMT - 3 (GMT - 2 from third Sunday in October to third Sunday in March)

Electricity

110 volts or 220 volts; two round-pin plugs are standard

Average January temperatures

30°C (86°F)

Average July temperatures

25°C (77°F)

Annual rainfall

1,086mm (42.4 inches)

Rio de Janeiro: Overview

Copacabana Beach

Rio is an awe-inspiring city where impossibly steep granite mountains rise from the ocean between glorious stretches of golden sand. Brash skyscrapers vie for space with impeccable colonial buildings, and lush forests tumble down hillsides into densely populated residential areas.

Its diverse cultures and peoples live in varying degrees of wealth or poverty.  But no matter what their background or economic standing, the Cariocas (Rio's residents) are characterized by a passion and enthusiasm for life.

The cidade maravilhosa (marvelous city) revels in life, with the beach, football, samba and Carnival the principal diversions. High above all this fun and frivolity are Rio's ever-present landmarks - the statue of Christ the Redeemer on the summit of Corcovado (hunchback) mountain and Sugarloaf with its historic cable car.

As well as these twin icons, Rio boasts a wealth of attractions and activities, plus great food, music and entertainment - enough to keep a visitor busy for any length of stay.
 
A natural port of the Baía de Guanabara (Guanabara Bay) in southeast Brazil, the city was founded by the Portugese on January 1, 1502. They named it Rio de Janeiro (River of January), under the mistaken impression that it was an enormous river mouth. Since then, it has grown to a city of over 6 million people, with a further 5 million in the greater metropolitan area.

In Rio's summer (December to February), temperatures regularly reach 40ºC (104ºF) or more. When the heat is on, tourists should follow the Brazilian example and hit the beach rather than rush around.

Rio de Janeiro: Tourist Information

Walking Tours
A number of companies provide specialist guided walks in Rio, available on request. Roteiros Culturais (tel: (21) 9911 3829; website: www.culturalrio.com.br) runs cultural sightseeing tours to Rio’s historic and colonial landmarks. Tours can be tailored to personal preferences and time available. The Downtown Rio Tour crosses the best areas of the oldest neighbourhood in town, from the Opera House District to the oldest and richest Baroque church in the city.

Rio Hiking (tel: (21) 2507 4417 or 9721 0594 (mobile); website: www.riohiking.com.br) provides English language guided walks in Tijuca forest and up Rio’s mountain peaks.

Jeep Tours
Several companies offer jeep tours to out-of-the-way attractions. Rio by Jeep (tel: (21) 2575 8626 or 9693 8800 (mobile); website: www.riobyjeep.com) specializes in in-depth tours of Tijuca National Park and out-of-town beaches. Rio by Jeep offers two ecological tours of Tijuca forest. The ‘National Park Tour’ takes three and a half hours, while the ‘Complete Tour’ is longer, at five and a half hours. Hotel pick-up can be arranged.

Jeep Tour (tel: (21) 2589 0883 (reservations) or 9977 9610 (mobile); website: www.jeeptour.com.br) offers a number of different jeep tours, as well as walking tours, panoramic helicopter tours and combined tours in Rio and further afield. Hotel pick-up can be arranged.

Helicopter Tours
For a bird’s eye view of the city, Helisight (tel: (21) 2511 2141 (week days) or 2542 7895 (weekends and holidays); website: www.helisight.com.br) offers sightseeing flights of various lengths and itineraries. A 15-minute flight covers the city centre, the Sambódromo, Maracanã stadium, Corcovado and the statue of Christ, Pão de Açúcar and Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Departures are from one of three helipads, located at Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, Dona Marta Belvedere (access route to the statue of Christ) and Sugar Loaf (cable car’s first stop). Helipads are open daily 0900–1800 and night flights are also available from the Sugar Loaf and Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon helipads.

Boat Tours
Saveiros Tour (tel: (21) 2224 6990; website: www.saveiros.com.br) operates a cultural boat tour around Guanabara Bay, providing a unique viewpoint of the city and Niterói island. The two-hour trip departs from the Gloria Marina daily at 0930. 

Helicopter Tours

Boat Tours