Hi people, I am brazilian and live in RIO .. I had a lot of fun reading the tips and suggestions ... I think you all already had good tips but let me try to help a litlle more

Stay at Ipanema or Leblon..but visit Copacabana ( There is full of life along the beach at night in Copacabana in warm days … but not so much in Ipanema a more sophisticated district)
It´s not worth stay at Botafogo

Don’t miss Cristo Redentor, you will see the most wonderful view in the world

Don´t miss Sugar Loaf, the second most wonderful view in the world ( Walk at Pista Claudio Coutinho before or after )


Go to the Hippie Fair in Ipanema on Sundays

Go to Sao Cristovão fair

Take a walk or ride a bike around Lagoa during the day .. Saturdays and Sundays are more happy days with lots of people biking and running

Go to the bars in Lagoa during the day or at night ( weekends are better )

Take a walk or ride a bike along the beach from Leme to Leblon ( 16 Km ) doing this :
1) Start in rock of Leme to see the guys fishing …
2) Climb the mountain to Leme Fort ( no more than 20 minutes walking slowly, safe place ) to see the wonderful view of Leme and Copacabana beaches and also Niteroi ( it´s open on Saturdays and Sundays and you need to pay a litlle fee to enter )
3)Stop in one of the new stands along the beach ( we now have only 4 new ones in Copacabana in front of Copacabaan Palace Hotel but they are building lot of them )
4) Stop at Copacabana Fort to see another wonderfull view …
5) Stop at Arpoador ( the beginning of Ipanema beach ) that´s my favourite place although it´s very crowded in sunny Sundays You may want to have another wonderfull Caipirinha in the reataurant of the Arpoador Inn hotel
6) Go till the end of Leblon to see the wonderfull view of Leblon and Ipanema beach

I can´t understand you guys talking about PUBs .. we are in Brasil not England .. You should go to one of the wonderful bars we have here as Manoel e Joaquim, Botequim Informal, Devassa , Belmonte …

Don´t miss Buzios ( but stay near the center in Rua das Pedras ) Geribá is the most distant beach ….
Paraty is also a wonderfull place 2 hours from here … beaches, historical center full of restaurants


I would be gald to share some photos of these places or even give some more help ... just email me [email protected]

Hope it Helps !!!

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/trave...945012,00.html

A good article for some more things to do while in Rio.