Rio de Janeiro

A place of sun, sports, beaches, dancing and the most famous Carnival in South America, Rio de Janeiro, is a beautiful and interesting city. A good place to start any trip to Rio is a visit up to Sugar Loaf Mountain where you get a 360-degree view of the city. Or even visit Corcovado Mountain and Christ the Redeemer statue for a different view of the city below. You can drive up to the statue or take the tram. From up there you can see the division of the city by a mountain - most of the sights including Sugar Loaf Mountain and the most famous beaches are in the south zone (Zona Sul).

Football fans cannot miss a trip to the Maracana Stadium to step foot on the grounds where the likes of Pele and many other legends played, and even put your feet in their imprints.

The Catedral Metropolitana is an enormous cone shaped cathedral home to many sculptures, murals and other pieces of art. The stained glass windows are magnificent and the Museum of Sacred Art is in the cathedrals basement.

Every year for five days Rio de Janeiro is a party city - Carnival time! Starting on the Friday before Ash Wednesday the Carnival comes to town with dancing, parades, and exquisite head-dresses.

Occasionally Rio does receive some negative press and visitors should always be aware of their surroundings and avoid the favelas (slum areas) at all times. Also avoid carrying large amounts of cash on you and leave all expensive jewellery at home.

Flights to Rio de Janeiro with Taca