Rio for 60 year olds
 

I'm going to Rio in September for a conference, and my wife and I will extend the stay for a couple weeks. We're in our mid 60s, like history, art museums, local culture, and similar things. Not big on beaches. We'd be glad to get suggestions on the best way to spend our tme.

You should probably arm yourself with a guidebook as a first step. There's no end of museums and cultural activities to immerse yourself in Rio. Some standouts are the Museu Nacional and the MAC gallery over in Niterói. The items on display at MAC are rarely that exciting but the building is amazing and it's a lovely day trip over by the ferry. If you fancy making a day of it try the fish markets there or have lunch in Jurujuba

With two weeks you could take a small side trip to Paraty, vist Ilha Grande or take a day trip up to Petropolis or visit the fabulous gardens at Sítio Burle Marx near Grumari. Even if you aren't beach people you should check out the beaches nearby, incredibly lovely.

Actually, with two weeks you could probably afford to venture a little further afield. You can get remarkably cheap flights to Salvador, which is an absolute cultural treasure.

Enjoy your trip.

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virtualtourist.com Rio locals to help u with food museums etc.

I would go to Iguazu Falls a do not miss for me.

Truly amazing.

Another vote for the Museum of Contemporary Art at Niterói, it's an amazing building by Oscar Niemeyer. The view back to Rio from the restaurant is stunning.

If you are interested in contemporary art there are a number of very interesting commercial galleries in the historical centre as well as artists run spaces such as A Gentile Carioca. http://www.agentilcarioca.com.br/ There's a very good free art map that lists all the exhibitions.

Other interesting spaces for seeing modern Brazilian art in Rio, are: the Lygia Clark Centre which opened earlier this year http://www.clarkartcenter.com.br/ And I think Projeto Hélio Oiticica has reopened after a fire destroyed a lot of the artist's work.

Other things to do in Rio: visit the Museum of Modern Art and the Cathedral, the Botanical Gardens, take the tram to the district called St Teresa.

The touristy things, like going up the cable car to Pão de Açúcar and to the top of Corcovado, are really worth doing.

Don't miss having coffee and cake at Confeitaria Colombo, chocolate tarts to die for:
http://www.confeitariacolombo.com.br/site/

You might find something useful here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...-to-brazil.cfm