Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -- National Geographic's Ultimate City Guides

Pure magic as seen from Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf): Water, sky, landscape, and lights conspire to take your breath away as day becomes night.

Photograph by André Vallejo/Tyba/BrazilPhotos

“Marvelous city, full of a thousand charms,” sang Aurora Miranda, in a 1934 Carnival hit that’s now Rio de Janeiro’s anthem. To put this song to the test, each year as many people visit Rio as live there—riding cable cars up to Pão de Açúcar, and trams through Santa Teresa; going inside belle epoque palaces at Cinelândia, and pleasure palaces at Copacabana; climbing to the Rocinha favela (shanty town) by minivan, and to “Christ the Redeemer” by train; shouting samba lyrics at the Sambódromo parade grounds, and “gol!” at Maracanã soccer stadium. In any other city, this would be exceptional. In Rio, you still have 992 delights to go.

Rio de Janeiro Photos and Quiz

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