Rio De Janeiro,Brazil- Beach Vacation

This is actually the first mile of the sandy crescent known as Copacabana. Located between the Morro do Leme and Avenida Princesa Isabel, this stretch is less touristy than its more famous cousin. Locals like to bring the family here, to play beach soccer or volleyball and relax under umbrellas while munching away on shrimp and grilled pieces of fish. On the edge of the rocks you can see a horde of fishermen trying to catch the fish of the day. At night, the clubs and discos are usually packed.

The Ducasse Rio Hotel offers moderately priced accommodations one block from the Atlantica Avenue in Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana Beach district. This high-rise hotel puts guests in easy walking distance of the water, businesses, restaurants, and shops. Each morning, guests can prepare for the day ahead with a visit to the complimentary breakfast buffet. Room service is available. For guests' convenience, the hotel's multilingual front desk staff will help with guest requests, including airline confirmations. Rooms have modern amenities and furnishings. Standard amenities include air-conditioning, cable television, in-room safe, minibar, and telephone.

Protected by the widespread arms of the huge Christ the Redeemer statue perched over the city, Rio de Janeiro is known for its beautiful people, beautiful beaches, good dance moves, even better soccer team and thumping carnival.

Copacabana and Ipanema are, by far, the most famous beaches. Those attracted by the much-celebrated  love of Brazilian beauties for minuscule bikinis should note that while itsy-bitsy doesn’t begin to cover it, actually going topless is illegal in Brazil.

Unfortunately, Rio is also known for its gang-riddled slums, or favellas. Obviously, travelers should avoid risky areas and use common sense to stay safe. If you do so, your trip to Rio is likely to be eventful only in the best sense of the term. So book a ticket for the two weeks of carnival, pack your sun block and smallest swimwear, and get ready to get your samba on.

An unmistakable landmark from the top of Corcovado and a breathtaking view as you leave the tunnel, the lake is largely used by local cariocas as a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. Visitors to Rio should take advantage of the wonderful water-side walk and 5 mile bike path or maybe the public tennis and volleyball courts, the baseball diamond and soccer grounds. At night, the many kiosks offer good food and live music—some are informal branches of great restaurants.

The only public marina in Rio, the Marina da Glória is the perfect venue for any nautical event. Inside the beautiful Parque do Flamengo, it offers all the infrastructure for keeping boats and organizing trade shows, with moorage areas, nautical services, restaurants and bars. It also contains a number of shops that sell anything from accessories and supplies for cruisers and sailboats, to boats of all types and sizes. The marina is also the departure point for cruises around the bay and off the coast of Rio.

As famous as the neighborhood, Ipanema, the Beach is a favorite summer hang-out for locals and tourists alike. But with as many recreational options available, it is not surprising to find this place packed at any given time of the year. Come down to surf or sun bathe while gulping unlimited supply of cachaça—a traditional Brazilian drink. Gay-friendly, hep, youthful are some of the common adjectives used to describe this beach. Also popular for picturesque views of Dois Irmãos, this beach is surrounded by a plethora of eateries, shops and flee markets that add up to the long list of reasons that make this place a must-visit.

Bangalô is located directly in front of the beach and offers delicious Portuguese and international cuisine. You find a nice selection of sandwiches, omelets, and seafood dishes. On weekends the Paella is tops the menu. Prepared with shrimp, octopus, squid and mussels, this dish is a house favorite. The bar serves up American style drinks like the Apple Martini and Sex on the Beach, but you'll also find exotic concoctions such as the Caipifruta. Not only great food, but great music too, you'll be able to enjoy live music on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday. It's a mix of American hits and Brazilian jam music, so there's something for everyone. -Agnes Guimarôes

Rio de Janeiro is a huge city and so are its shoing centers. A must see in Rio is the Shoing Cidade Coacabana. With more than 250 stores covering threee floors everybody can find what they're looking for. The majority of the shoing center is comrised of antique shos. There are even eole who live in this shoing center, as it has also more than three different floors of flats. You can never waste a moment here, as it's oen 24 hours. This shoing center will suit all your needs, day and night. It is the main attraction for collectors of international and national art of all kind because of its many art and antique stores. Many tourists frequent the mall and haggle with the store owners to get the best deals. Come and exerience this amazing center. -Yves Schliebener

A large shopping centre, the first of its kind in Rio, located between the beaches and the city centre, near the famous Canecão theatre, with a large parking garage and served by special buses that stop at all the hotels on the beachfront. There is an infinite variety of stores, restaurants, fast-food places, beauty parlours, pharmacies, cinemas and even a complete fitness centre, a foreign currency exchange bureau and a bank. There are some cash dispensers that will issue local currency if you have an international credit card.

Bangalô is located directly in front of the beach and offers delicious Portuguese and international cuisine. You find a nice selection of sandwiches, omelets, and seafood dishes. On weekends the Paella is tops the menu. Prepared with shrimp, octopus, squid and mussels, this dish is a house favorite. The bar serves up American style drinks like the Apple Martini and Sex on the Beach, but you'll also find exotic concoctions such as the Caipifruta. Not only great food, but great music too, you'll be able to enjoy live music on Monday, Thursday, and Sunday. It's a mix of American hits and Brazilian jam music, so there's something for everyone. -Agnes Guimarôes

As famous as the neighborhood, Ipanema, the Beach is a favorite summer hang-out for locals and tourists alike. But with as many recreational options available, it is not surprising to find this place packed at any given time of the year. Come down to surf or sun bathe while gulping unlimited supply of cachaça—a traditional Brazilian drink. Gay-friendly, hep, youthful are some of the common adjectives used to describe this beach. Also popular for picturesque views of Dois Irmãos, this beach is surrounded by a plethora of eateries, shops and flee markets that add up to the long list of reasons that make this place a must-visit.