Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful and spectacular cities on the planet. Even the most well travelled individuals will love what Rio has to offer. Argueably, the best way to appreciate the setting is by going up Sugar Loaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar), where you'll get a spectacular 360-degree view of Rio and Guanabara Bay. Cariocas (Rio natives) disagree on what view is more spectacular, Sugar Loaf or Christo (Christ the Redeemer). It is well worth experiencing both, and deciding afterwards which view is better. Notice how the natural harbour is surrounded by lush, high mountains that meet the sea in the world-famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema.

Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Mountain gives an even higher perspective, and is the most well known and recognized landmark of Rio. You can either drive or take a tram up to the statuethe best view is on the right-hand side. From up here you can see that Rio is divided by a mountain range into two areas: the Zona Norte (North Zone) and the Zona Sul (South zone). The Zona Sul holds most of the citys sights, including the Sugar Loaf and the famous beaches. Across the bay is Niteroi.

For any true Football Fan, a visit to the Maracana Stadium is more a pilgrimage than anything where you can lay your feet in the imprints of those belonging to the great Pele and many other Brazil Legends.  Currently