Rio de Janeiro is a huge seaside city in Brazil, famed for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, 38m Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado and for Sugarloaf Mountain, a granite peak with cable cars to its summit. The city is also known for its sprawling favelas (shanty towns). Its raucous Carnaval festival, featuring parade floats, flamboyant costumes and samba dancers, is considered the world’s largest.
Sporting pursuits include volleyball on Ipanema Beach, surfing at Arpoador and paragliding from the lofty Pedra Bonita viewpoint. Sandy beaches stretch from Guanabara Bay to Barra in the west, all of them with cycle tracks and kiosks selling coconut water. Tijuca National Park features rainforest- covered mountains filled with waterfalls, hiking trails and toucans. Samba, forró and bossa nova bands