This stop on the journey was really interesting because I speak zero Portuguese and English is very limited here. 😂 Just going to the grocery store was an adventure when I inadvertently stood in a line that was meant only for seniors, pregnant women or people with disabilities…..and had no idea why I was being yelled at to move. 😆 Google translate was a lifesaver here!

I stayed 2 blocks from Copacabana Beach and the streets were packed with a diverse group of people in various stages of undress and wild outfits. 😂 It was great for people watching.😉

Getting to see some of Rio’s iconic landmarks like the beaches, Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf made it a neat visit.

Christ the Redeemer

On the summit of Mount Corcovado, overlooking the city of Rio, is the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer. Commissioned in 1921 by the Roman Catholic archdiocese and completed in 1931, this statue stands 98 feet tall with an arm span of 92 feet. It is built with reinforced concrete and an outer shell of 6 million soapstone tiles.

It was quite foggy when we visited, which actually made for several impressive and dramatic photos of the statue!

Sugar Loaf

This cone like peak in Rio sits at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean. Its name is said to refer to its resemblance of the traditional shape of refined loaf sugar. I took the cable car to the summit (where the first ever cable car sits on display) and enjoyed lovely views of the city.

Pedra do Telegrafo

I signed up for this tour without realizing what I was getting myself into. The description sounded like a nice drive by Rio’s west side beaches, to a forest area with a hike, ending at a neat look out point. I didn’t realize that the hike was to a super popular instagram spot where a rock on the hill sticks out and with the proper angle, it appears like people are falling off a ledge. 😂

The hike was steep and almost entirely uphill, in the 85 degree heat and humidity! 🥵Then, it was actually almost a 2 hour wait for our group to get to take pictures at the rock because of the crowd of people already there🤦🏻‍♀️😂

It was a beautiful overlook point though, and we were transported to the hike in a pink jeep (which definitely got some pointing and waving from people walking by)! We also ended the trip with fresh coconut milk, so that helped make up for the ridiculousness of the extra long wait for pictures. 😉

Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches!

Of course I wanted to check out Rio’s famous beaches while here too. So with “The Girl From Ipanema”, the Bossa nova and jazz song from the 60’s, running through my head, I took several nice walks along both Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, which were very pretty.

My favorite was walking along the beach in the morning. Copacabana has huge waves and is especially nice with a morning mist hanging over it.

This was a quick stop over before meeting with a friend in Aruba! Thanks for following along with me, I hope everyone is doing well!