Social Volunteer Work in Brazil “Fundação Vidal Ramos”, based in Florianopolis, is a non-profit organization that works to keep children away from the streets.

Brazil Guide

Rio de Janeiro

Commonly nicknamed "The Marvelous City", Rio de Janeiro is famous for its spectacular natural setting, its Carnival celebrations, samba and other music, hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon and pavements decorated with black and cream swirl pattern mosaics.

Copacabana

Framed by the wavy black and white mosaics of Avenue Atlântica, there are in fact 2 separate beaches here: Leme (one kilometer) and Copacabana, (just over three kilometers). You'll see international beach soccer and volleyball competitions during the summer, and a variety of other exotic cultural events happening all year round.

Corcovado

The Christ the Redeemer statue is one of the most famous sights in all the world. Situated atop Corcovado (In Latin, “Heart where you are going”) hill, it provides you with an amazing lookout over the entire city of Rio de Janeiro.

Ipanema

A visit to Rio would be incomplete without staying at its most well-known beach. Ipanema beach in the summer is the best 5 miles of beach in the world. There you will find fabulous restaurants, beautiful people, great beach culture and stunning scenery. Swim in the crystal clear blue waters, watch gorgeous sunsets and relax in the sun during one of many weekend excursions.

Maracana Stadium

One of the world's largest stadiums, Maracanã was built for the World Cup of Football IV that was held in Rio in 1950. Soccer is the national sport in Brazil, and the stadium is often filled to capacity, with more than 90,000 people, when there is a major match, and the official record is of 183,341 spectators in 1969. This is where Pelé made his 1,000th goal. Maracanã is also used for mega-shows every now and then, and artists like Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones have already performed here.

Museums and Galleries

Rio is a gathering place for some of the most eclectic artists and musicians in the world. From the various displays of street art to the Museum of Modern Art, you'll see some of the most beautiful works of art from all over the world.

Pão de Açucar

This towering 1,300-meter (3900-foot) granite block at the mouth of Baía de Guanabara was originally called pau-nh-acugua (high, pointed peak) by the indigenous Tupi people. To the Portuguese the phrase seemed similar to pão de açúcar, or "sugar loaf"; the rock's shape reminded them of the conical loaves in which refined sugar was sold. Italian-made bubble cars holding 75 passengers each move up the mountain in two stages. The first stop is at Morro da Urca, a smaller, 212-meter (705-foot) mountain; the second is at the summit of Pão de Açúcar itself. From here, you can see a 360 degree view of Rio and the surrounding area.