Rio de Janeiro - "Cidade maravilhosa"

Rio de Janeiro

While we're on the subject of big states, let's also talk about the capital, Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of Karla Evelise Cabral (of Winkler & Cabral), in a very familiar way.

It's a place full of history and world-famous sights.

Founded at the beginning of the 16th century, it is one of the most famous capitals in the world and the second largest metropolis in Brazil. It was first understood by the Portuguese colonizers on one of their expeditions in January as the mouth of a river, which gave rise to its name.

The place is known for its ecological diversity, where you can enjoy the beach, waterfalls, rivers and mountains in close proximity to each other, with different climates and diverse fauna and flora, and has the fourth largest urban green space in Brazil, the Tijuca Forest.

The capital of this beautiful state bears the same name, and its inhabitants have a unique way of welcoming their visitors, a cheerful and welcoming people who love to smile, a good draft beer on a hot day by the sea, a swim after work or a bike ride at dusk, a people who love to be outdoors against the backdrop of its beautiful landscapes.

Unfortunately, as with any celebrity, fame and visibility tend to highlight something that exists all over the world, but because it is in the spotlight, it appears more prominently in the Marvellous City. The violence puts off some potential visitors, not because it's worse than elsewhere, but because it's more famous than most - after all, being famous comes at a price!

Among the many attractions, some are very popular with visitors from all over the world, such as the Christ the Redeemer, which is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and was recognized at a ceremony in Lisbon in 2007.

Funded entirely by the Brazilian people, this statue of such global significance has a very special European touch, as the molds for the head and hands came from France, and the Brazilian design team included two Frenchmen. Construction began in 1922 and lasted nine years. The inauguration took place in October 1931.

The open-mindedness and hospitality of the Cariocas by no means goes unnoticed by visitors to Rio de Janeiro. They are people with fit bodies, sun-tanned skin and sporting habits, known for their easy-going language, so often described by their artists in verse and prose in widely known songs.

The birthplace of bossa nova in the 1950s, traditional in the parades of samba schools, is indeed a very musical place, because who does not know the refrain of the famous song "Samba do Avião" by the singer Tom Jobim or "garota de Ipanema" in collaboration with Vinícius de Moraes, which sings of the love of the Carioca and talks about their beauties and beautiful women.

Rio's coast has 98 beaches, each with its own style, as well as more than 70 islands and two bays that invite people from all over the world for an unforgettable vacation.

Sights

○ Freguesia, Ilha do Governador

(Rio District) Although I (Karla Evelise Cabral) was born in the Bairro da Tijuca neighborhood, very close to Maracanã, I grew up in the charming Freguesia neighborhood of Ilha do Governador, where my maternal grandfather was a city guard and where my mother and her sisters grew up.

I grew up in this incredible place, my son was born and raised there, and now my granddaughter is growing up in the same place.

In this neighborhood, from kindergarten to the old CA, I attended a private school called Colégio Freitas, which no longer exists, but I was able to learn to read and write and finish elementary school at one of the oldest public schools on Ilha do Governador, Escola Rotary.

The director of this school was a lady of a certain age, and Dona Cortês was a true legend at the school.

She made a sound with her mouth that was reminiscent of air escaping from a pressure cooker, and for generations it was not forgotten by any of the students who studied there, and that sound made us shudder.

It's worth remembering that she was a teacher, and then principal, even at the time when my mother was studying there, when I went there she was still principal, so you can get an idea of how she worked there until she reached a very advanced age.

Freguesia was the neighborhood where my parents met, and in my childhood it was one of the most popular beaches in the region for bathing, even by people from neighboring neighborhoods, because of the clear, calm waters of Guanabara Bay, which in my childhood was full of life, such as seahorses, shellfish, crabs, dolphins and colorful little fish.

Since it was the bus company's terminus until the mid-2000s, entire families from all over Rio and the Baixada Fluminense would travel there on weekends to take a refreshing dip in the sea.

Built in the 18th century and listed by the Historical and Cultural Heritage Institute (IPHAN) in 1938, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Help makes Calcutta Square even more beautiful.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the old cemetery of Ilha do Governador operated on its right-hand side, which was transferred to the Cacuia neighborhood in 1904.

In 1950, a larger church was built right behind the Sanctuary, the Church of Our Lady of Help, where the functionality of both buildings has been preserved to this day.

In front of the Shrine and around Calcutta Square, there are several imperial palm trees that frame the place, making the square one of the most pleasant spots on Ilha do Governador.

This square was the venue for the June festivities and the competitions of the "quadrilhas" so famous and eagerly awaited every year. The super colorful chintz dresses, patched pants and "checkered" shirts served as costumes for the participants in the June quadrilhas, and the party took place right there in the square, strategically decorated with colorful flags and full of stalls with typical seasonal treats.

The story of the girl who was going to marry a young man at gunpoint with her father, and when it was time for the wedding, she ran off with someone else, causing quite a stir, was told in a humorous staging by the dancers.

And how can we forget the various carnival parades where we would go with our parents in full costume and the various ball-battling groups that made the children apprehensive and cling to their parents.
The "bate bolas" with their identical costumes, groups of more than 20 people, men and women, with their masks, their colorful dresses and capes, a doll in their mouths and the dreaded plastic ball attached to a rope thrown firmly to the ground, making a noise that gave us goose bumps, but without harming us!

On weekend evenings, the waterfront is home to the many restaurants with live music that marked the 80s generation, where queues of cars jammed the area as they drove slowly past the crowds that flocked to the various kiosks, where flirting was almost everyone's aim, or to swim in the sea at night to cool off on hot summer nights.

On sunny Sunday mornings, the place was very busy, with fishmongers on the pier offering their freshly caught prey, people coming out of Mass, queues at the bakeries for bread for the family breakfast and lots of people at the neighborhood supermarket securing meat and beer for the Sunday barbecue, as well as the many bathers with their buoys arriving for a day of swimming.

Freguesia is truly the best place for a child to grow up, no wonder we've been in this neighborhood for five generations! Which, by the way, is a characteristic of Ilha do Governador, a totally family neighborhood, where the vast majority of people know each other.

○ Igreja do Santíssimo Sacramento da Antiga Sé

The Igreja do Santíssimo Sacramento da Antiga Sé is a Catholic church of historical and artistic importance in the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Its origin dates back to the 16th century, when the Confraternity of the Holy Sacrament was founded next to the city's first mother church, then on the Morro do Castelo, raised to the status of cathedral in 1680. The brotherhood accompanied the cathedral in its successive changes to the churches of São José, Santa Cruz dos Militares and Nossa Senhora do Rosário. However, when the cathedral moved to the Igreja do Carmo in 1808, the brotherhood remained in the Igreja do Rosário.

It was therefore felt that the time had come for the Brotherhood to have its own temple, and in 1816 the Portuguese architect João da Silva Muniz was commissioned to design the project. The main chapel was finished after four years and could receive services. In 1826 the parish of Santíssimo Sacramento was founded, with the still unfinished church taking on the role of mother church. The work lasted until 1859, when a solemn procession transferred to their new home the old paintings from the Sé do Morro do Castelo, deposited in the Carmo church. Four of them still adorn the altarpieces today.

○ BioPark Rio

Zoological Garden

Parque da Quinta da Boa Vista S/N - São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

○ Jardim Botânico

One of the most beautiful and well-preserved green areas in the city of Rio de Janeiro, it is an example of the diversity of Brazilian and foreign flora.

Here you can see around 6,500 species (some endangered), spread over an area of 54 hectares, both outdoors and in greenhouses.

With places available for a snack or picnic with the family, it has always been considered one of the most special places for a beautiful walk in the middle of nature.

The institution is responsible for coordinating the List of Species of the Flora of Brazil and for assessing the risk of extinction of these species.

The Botanical Garden also houses monuments of historical, artistic and archaeological value and the country's most complete library specializing in botany, with more than 32,000 volumes and the largest herbarium in Brazil, which has 600,000 dehydrated samples (2014 figure) with an average of 20,000 new samples added every year.

Inaugurated on June 13, 1808, the Botanical Garden has been enchanting us for 215 years. It is located in the southern zone of Rio de Janeiro in the neighborhood of the same name.

○ Forte de Copacabana

Former military base and now houses a military museum. It offers a magnificent view of Copacabana and Ipanema.

Praça Cel. Eugênio Franco, 1, Posto 6 - Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22070-020, Brasilien

○ Maracanã

(Estádio do Maracanã, Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho)

Soccer stadium

○ AquaRio

The Aquarium is located in the central region of Rio de Janeiro, built on an area of 26,000m² in the Gamboa district, in the center of Rio de Janeiro, very close to the Museum of Tomorrow.

Comprising more than 3,000 animals of 350 different species, divided into 28 tanks with more than 4.5 million liters of salt water, it is the largest aquarium in Brazil and South America.

It was inaugurated in 2016 and the attractions are diverse, including an underwater tunnel that crosses the largest tank, which is 7 meters deep and has 3.5 million liters of salt water, where you can see sharks, rays, large and small fish, and other animals up close.

AquaRio also offers several specific exhibitions, as well as snack bars and restaurants on site.

Tickets can be individual, half or full price, or the so-called "annual passport", which gives access to AquaRio at special visiting hours, as well as free entry for a year.

○ Sunset at Praia do Arpoador

The Arpoador sunset can be considered one of the places in Rio de Janeiro that offer a unique experience!

The late afternoon in this place is unforgettable, a special moment when the colors are incredible.

It's possible to contemplate this wonder all year round, but especially in the summer when the sun sets over the horizon in the open sea, the experience is even better!

The moment the sun touches the water, all the local surfers stand with their boards facing the sun, paying close attention to the moment.

Simultaneously, a crowd gathers on Pedra do Arpoador for this moment every day.

Sitting on the rock, from the beach sand, from the promenade, from the windows of buildings or from their surfboards, everyone watches the spectacle of the sun hitting the water, disappearing over the horizon, and everyone makes a sound as if it's burning, followed by applause!

It's an exciting moment, to say the least, when strangers share the same feeling.

For Carioca and all its visitors, the Pedra do atuador and its beautiful sunset, which attracts people from all over, and who are enchanted by a beauty that looks like a painting.

The crystal-clear waters hitting the rock form a pool where it's almost impossible to resist taking a dip. It's a fantastic place that forms swimming pools, suitable for safe bathing for children and the elderly, who spend the day there with their families, for swimming in the sea during the day or in the evening after sunset.

Restaurant

Praia de Camboinhas

(City / Distance to Rio 21,0 km)

The most beautiful beach in Niterói, far from the city center, in the oceanic region, between Itaipu Beach and Sossego Beach. Around the beach are beautiful houses, hotels and restaurants. For bathers, however, there are several kiosks right on the beach, where wonderful fish dishes are served. Definitely a beach for all ages.

Ilha da Gigóia, Barra da Tijuca

(Sights / Distance to Rio 24,0 km)

Located in the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, between the Marapendi, Tijuca and Jacarepaguá lagoons in an archipelago with around 8 islands and an average of 3,000 residents.

This incredible and very different place is also considered a "point" for Rio's gastronomy. The diversity of cuisine there attracts tourists from all over the planet for this unique experience in the midst of nature and the colors of this place.

At times we even forget that we are in the middle of a metropolis like Rio de Janeiro and it gives us the impression of being in a village in the middle of the forest. The vast vegetation causes a very pleasant humidity and the silence puts us in tune with the forest climate, the birds in the treetops rustling in the leaves complement the sound of peace and quiet of a country town, where you can only walk or cycle, cars are not allowed on site and access is by boat.

Leaving from Barra da Tijuca, very close to the "Jardim Oceânico" subway station, you'll find boats that charge around R$7 reais to cross, but if you want to take a complete tour around Ilha da Gigóia, in the middle of the archipelago with a privileged view of the island to contemplate its wonders that include alligators, monkeys, crustaceans, herons, wild birds and many other beauties, as well as an unforgettable sunset, it costs around R$25.

Around this island you'll find around 7 other islands, all of which are very close to each other, and some restaurants aren't even actually on Gigóia Island, but can be accessed without having to go to the main island.

Some of these islands have no attractions at all, while others have active businesses, others have water sports clubs with swimming pools and day-use restaurants, but almost all of them have bars and restaurants with Instagrammable locations for visitors to take unforgettable photos.

One of the islands became very famous in the 1980s due to the bar and restaurant that operated there and was named after the island, and the Ilha dos Pescadores nightclub became a famous nightspot in Rio during that decade.

The names of the islands are: Ilha da Gigóia, Ilha da Marina, Ilha do Ipê, Ilha dos Pescadores, Ilha das Garças, Ilha Primeira, Ilha São Jorge and Ilha da Pesquisa.

In its narrow streets we find only residential houses, restaurants, bars and inns, amidst lots of greenery, sculptures by local artists, as well as signs with motivational phrases and poetry, walking around Ilha da Gigóia is always a moment that brings us to inner peace, the silence is broken every now and then by the engines of the boats or even a Jet Sky here or there.

A place chosen by many artists as their home, and the main factor behind their choice is precisely the peace and quiet that can be found there, as well as the fact that the island is considered a very peaceful and safe place. During the week, it's so quiet in the interior of the island that we don't even remember that we're right next to Avenida da Américas, one of the busiest avenues in the west of Rio de Janeiro.

Somewhere in Monjolus - São Gonçalo

(City / Distance to Rio 46,5 km)

São Gonçalo is a municipality in Rio de Janeiro, located in the east of the state in the Metropolitan Region, bordering three municipalities: Niterói, Maricá and Itaboraí.
Almost to Itaboraí, in the northern region of São Gonçalo we find a small district called Monjolos, created in 1938, and although it is considered the most developed locality in São Gonçalo, ironically it has the poorest population in the municipality.
Hidden among so many other famous places, we find a little piece of paradise, where ordinary people have privately decided to bring nature into their home.
These people, in search of quality of life, have done a unique job of landscaping, giving the impression that we are in a mountainous region, even though we are in the heart of Monjolos.
With lots of greenery, fruit trees, birds, a tilapia pond and colors, the owners prioritized the best so that they and their children could enjoy a pleasant environment, even if the reality outside was so harsh.
Nature lovers, they brought a little piece of great beauty within the boundaries of their property.

Our rating

Travel preferably from mid-November to February to enjoy the summer in Rio. Rio is and remains a dream vacation for everyone.

So ... don't dream your next vacation, but live this dream ... in Rio de Janeiro ... in beautiful Brazil.

★★★★★

Our star rating

Remark:
Winkler & Cabral & Project Globetrotter are the old labels of the photos, from the beginning of 2024 they will only be labeled "J.Winkler - Art my way". The company Winkler & Cabral, LDA mentioned in the text was dissolved in spring 2024.