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Day Three
Home » Brazil » Brazil Vacations- A One to Three Day Itinerary » Day ThreeOn your third day, visit the Parque Nacional and Floresta da Tijuca. This beautiful reserve is one of the largest in the world and contains over 46 square miles of tropical rain forest, walking trails, stunning views of the city, waterfalls, creeks, and greenery. If you are a hiker, you can climb to the summit of Pico da Tijuca, which is 3,320 feet high. There is also a 115-foot high waterfall.
Next, continue your day of nature exploration with a visit to Morro da Urca. An excellent place for hiking, this hill is the first one up the Sugar Loaf and offers a spectacular view from the top. Although serious mountain climbers can be found scaling the side of the hill, others can hike the trails from the Praia Vermelha.
Later in the afternoon, if you’re not too tired, head over to Pao de Acucar. Also called Sugar Loaf Mountain, this famous landmark offers a spectacular view of the mountain range and the sea. Be sure to check out the open-air cable car from the 30’s that is on display. If you’re hungry, stop by a street vendor and pick up some coconuts and juice.
Tonight, have dinner at Madame Butterfly. Madame Butterfly is the most sophisticated Japanese restaurant in Rio and was named best in its category by gourmet specialists. Everything here is delicious, but you should try the fish with shimeji mushrooms in ginger and sake sauce and the sushi and rolls.
If you happen to be in town for some of the exciting festivals and events that happen annually in Brazil, you should definitely check them out. Some of the most popular events are as follows.
Sao Sebastiao is a festival celebrating the anniversary of the city, with the main event being a processional carrying the statue of St. Sebastian, the patron saint of Rio, from St. Sebastian church in Tijuca to the Metropolitan Cathedral. When it arrives, there is a festive Mass celebrated with the Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro. This event occurs annually on January 20th and also includes events such as horse racing and a samba show.
Carnaval is one of the largest events in Rio with seating for 70,000 locals and visitors. Venues are scattered throughout the city, but the highlight is the samba school parade, which exhibits 14 groups each day. Each group is dressed in elaborate costumes and dances the samba to the sounds of the drums. There are also several other events, such as street parades and parties that take place during the Carnaval. It is held during Shrove Tuesday week, from the previous Saturday to Ash Wednesday.
Festival do Rio is the largest film festival in South America. Open-air screens are mounted at the Copacabana and show films from all over the world. In the past, as many as 400 films have been shown during the festival. Notable filmmakers also hold workshops and seminars during the festival. The highlight of the festival is the awards presentation, which is held on the final night.
The Yemanja Parade of Boats is an event honoring Yemanja the Umbanda, the water goddess and mother of all saints in the Afro-Brazilian tradition. The event is held annually on February 2. On this day, people come together for a foot procession through the city to the center of the shore. When the group reaches Guanabara Bay, they throw flowers into the water and lead boats with perfume as offerings to the goddess.
References
http://travel.yahoo.com
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