Rio by Swiss Guide » Sugar Loaf and Historical City Centre

Location: Rio de Janeiro

SUGAR LOAF the most beautiful view in the middle of a big city and a delightful walk through the historical City Centre!

Another 4 or 5 hours tour takes us to the friendly neighborhood of URCA. We switch into a very modern cabin of a Swiss cable car and within few minutes we reach the first hill, Urca Hill, at 220 m above sea level. Even from here we can enjoy a magnificent view of Guanabara Bay and Corcovado Mountain. But only on top of the second rock, the SUGAR LOAF we see the world-famous COPACABANA BEACH from almost 400 m. If you feel like it, you can take a leisurely walk through the lush tropical forest and watch brush-eared monkeys and birds, or enjoy a Caipi in peace and wait for the sunset. Then we drive towards to the City Center, where we find for each one an interesting attraction, depending on the personal wishes. First we visit the modern CATHEDRAL and walk past the main squares, where we descover the State Opera House, National Library and Museum of Fine Arts. These are all historical buildings, from the beginning of century, where Rio was still Brazil’s capital. We can see the magnificent Benedictine Monastery in the port area and go to the elegant coffee shop Confeitaria Colombo, reminiscent of the Belle Époque and that can offer you a coffee or a delicious meal. Next stop is the neighborhood of Lapa, especially known for its many bars and nightclubs. Nowadays, Lapa is one of “Rios highlight of the night life”. We can find there the unique and colorful tiled Stairway from the Chilean artist SELARON. These stairs are one of the three most visited attractions in Rio and leads directly to Santa Teresa, the bohemian quarter. So this tour can also be connected with others tours.