From silver-screen stars like Fred Astaire and Brigitte Bardot to rock-stars like Mick Jagger and Madonna, holidays in Rio have always been de rigeur for the international jetset. The grand art deco hotels of Copacabana have been home to more than their fair share of royalty, financiers, and plain old international playboys over the years. Today, Rio is recapturing some of that glamor and once again becoming a prime international destination and we look at how you can live it up on your own.
Take a yacht tour of Guanabara Bay
You might not have your own ocean-going luxury yacht, at least not yet, but that need not stop you from enjoying the Rio skyline as if you did! Holidays in Rio allow you lots of options for taking boat trips out into Guanabara Bay, including aboard some lovely sailing schooners, so you can relax and enjoy drinks from the bar while you feel that warm tropical breeze and the wind in the sails. You can even stop off at some of the many islands in the bay to enjoy some snorkeling and beach time away from the hoi polloi on Copacabana beach.
Make like Bardot in Buzios
To escape from the paparazzi back in France in the 1960′s, a young Brigitte Bardot took a holiday in Rio and up to the Buzios peninsula just north of the city, where she could enjoy some anonymity whilst sunning herself on the dozen or so world-class beaches that surround the small town of Armaçao de Buzios. Her presence helped turn this small fishing village into one of the most sought after spots on the Brazilian coast, but even today it has retained its charm with small owner-run pousadas providing stylish boutique accommodation to mere mortals like you and me.
The girl from Ipanema
For many years the famous neighbourhood of Copacabana was the trendy spot for holidays in Rio, but these days the more stylish hotels, bars, and restaurants are to be found further west in Ipanema. More laid back than Copacabana, for many Ipanema sums up what is great about Rio: on the same day you can check out the famous Hippie Market, enjoy lunch at one the city’s best restaurants, go jewellery shopping on Ipanema’s famous Diamond Row, and then finish up watching the sun set at the beach with just a can of beer or a caipirinha from a street vendor.
Take tea at the Palace
No, not that palace, although the Queen has been there! The Copacabana Palace is the grand dame of Rio hotels, and the white art deco façade is famous throughout Brazil. Since it first opened its doors in 1923, it has been home to royalty, film stars, and the crème de la crème of international society enjoying their holidays in Brazil. Even if you cannot afford to stay here yourself, it is worth dropping in for afternoon tea on the terrace so that you can enjoy some of the old-world luxury which has kept the Palace at the top of the Brazil holiday tree throughout the decades.
Supper at Satyricon
If you are looking for something a little more substantial than afternoon tea, then we cannot recommend anywhere more highly than Satyricon in Ipanema. This classic Italian seafood restaurant is where Madonna eats when she is in town, and it is also one of Ronaldo’s favorites (and that is a guy who likes to eat!). It is certainly not the cheapest place in town, but for quality it cannot be beat, thus perhaps it is a good place to do a little star-watching on your last night in Rio so you can finish on a high note.
Dan Clarke works for Real Brazil Holidays and cannot wait to get back to Brazil and sink a few caipirinhas at the Azul Marinho while he watches the sun sinking into the ocean.
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