This is part 3 of our trip to Brazil and it would not be complete without a final list of favorites. Despite the title of this post, locations of these spots are not all in Ipanema, but all are consolidated to the south west part of the city.

Christ the Redeemer— This almost goes unsaid, but seeing one of the seven wonders of the modern world is a must. We took the train up to the top, starting at Cosme Velho with pre-purchased “skip the line” tickets. The train was almost the best part. It went through lush forest and through fog covered greenery, with spontaneous views through the trees to see the height we were gaining!
Parque Lage — Located under and to the south of Christ the Redeemer, the gardens are not to be missed. There is a whole cave with amazing stalagmites and stalactites, plus carved out stairways from the rocks. This is going to be very niche, but it reminds me of Tom Sawyer’s Island at Disneyland. Maybe the cool castle that has since been covered by amazing tropical plants, trees and vines adds to the magic? There’s a cafe in the park that has been taken over by the Instagram influencer, so you can easily look it up
Ipanema Beach— We did a bike ride from our hotel to the far end of the beach the last night in Rio. We just missed the sunset when we got to Ipanema. Apparently the tradition is for the crowds to clap when the sun sets. Next time! Instead, we momentarily parked our bikes, grabbed caipirinhas and watched the colors change to dark navy skies. The next day, our final day in Rio, we had our final meal at Garota de Ipanema, where “The Girl from Ipanema” was written by Antônio Carlos Jobim in 1962. The song is a bossa nova classic.

Girl from Ipanema

Going Green

Santa Teresa