We came here to check out the Gastro Beer fest but ended up seeing a couple other things. The Jogos…read moreCarioca was also going on, so they had a small makeshift skatepark and a climbing wall for kids. We saw one kid wearing a metal for winning a jujutsu competition and plenty of kids skateboarding or mountain biking down the steep hills. They also had a music venue, with a large stage step up for live music. It was too hot to be out in the sun, but the hillside provided a bit of shade. The park has the zoo (which is currently closed due to inhumane conditions for the animals) and the national museum which is quite impressive. The food and beer festival had a great space for venue like this. They had quite a variety of food and beer options which made this a great weekend to hang out at the park despite the heat. There's also scenic views of Christo from a distance and a lagoa with scenic Corinthian columns and swan peddle boats for rent. It's also conveniently located right next to the São Cristóvão metro station.

This is the perfect area to watch the sunset along the Rio de Janeiro shore line. You can sit up on…read morethe rocks and watch the sun go down while admiring the waves and sounds of the ocean. You can find this area right in the middle of Ipanema and copacabana beach. Honestly if you're a sunset person Ipanema and Praia so Arpoador is where you need to be because the buildings on copacabana beach will disappoint you. Don't worry about bringing a cooler filled with drinks because you can find sellers up along the rocks. Although, I would recommend bringing a towel to sit on for sure and maybe a radio with tunes of your choice. This could legit be a perfect area to take your date and guess what? It's free! So definitely add this to your itinerary whenever you're in Rio de Janeiro .

This is actually a small beach that is nestled between Copacabana and Ipanema. The people hanging…read moreout there were mostly locals when I was there. As a beach, this spot is nothing special. However, the Arpoador rock formation is the reason to stop by. Climb to the edge of this rock and you will get amazing views of the sunset or sunrise. It's a great place to just sit and relax.

This is a secluded beach passing the barra and recreio beaches. Also even after the prainha…read more People come here to get away offron the regular beach boardwalks and massive amounts of crowds as in Rio if a beach is close for he train or mass transportation of any kind the area will be very busy and sometimes overpopulated. It reminded me a lot of Hawaii this beach. There are mountains and a lot of green all around. You still can see some vendors walking around and you also have the stationary vendors who can rent you chairs and sell you soda. At a price not that bad. We came in a holiday weekend and it was not too bad to find parking. Just be weary of the parking area as the people that care for the parked cars will ask for money. If they are wearing a vest with the city logo then it is fine to pay then as they have permits to care for the parking. This beach was great, we liked it very much and if you have the means to come here do so. Remember no mass transportation come here so get a car and come by. Stay by barraca do netuno, the owner is great and he will take good care of you.

The Rio Water Planet it's an aquatic park with many attractions both for children and adults. So…read moreyou can take your whole family together. If you want to refresh yourself and have fun that's the perfect place. The entrance tickets are very expensive however the service is very good and always has at least one lifeguard in each pool. The food are also very expensive and you can't enter with it in the park because it's prohibited. Despite this it's worth. Try it!