THE SUPER WEST SIDE TOUR IN RIO DE JANEIRO - THE RIO THAT YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN!!! :)

Rio is a big big big city and the best way to explore everything is going to places where no tourists go. And it is easy for me, I just take my guests to my favorite places and Rio gives us so many options. My Mission here is providing you a good time, specially because I know that you have been planning this trip to Rio with all your wishes, dreams and expectations.

Well, here I am, much more than willing to be a good guide, I want to make sure that I will be your best friend in Rio and just like best friends do, I got lot of secrets to share!!!

The west side of Rio is full of surprises and places that I am sure you had never imagined to explore and here is the plan.

You all know that I am an outdoor person, and I am grateful to my work because it allows me to be in touch with our best attractions almost every day. I always say that I am a mix of INDIANA JONES and JACQUES COUSTEAU, so I will take you to many green places, and a great start is visiting our Botanical Gardens. A place full of stories, 200 years preserving the nature and always keeping Rio as a pleasant city to live. Going to the Botanical Garden is a real experience to get to know our main species and see some animals of our fauna like the Capuchin Monkeys, some parrots, some toucans and lots of other different colorful birds. Also without letting the authorities notice, eating some fresh fruits directly from the tree. The invitation for adventure start now!!!

Then after so much Nature and fresh air we will have some people watching in a real and genuine favela of Rio de Janeiro where pace of life is simple, down to earth and happy...We will see grocery stores that we were used to see when we were young. we will see narrow streets and walk through narrow alleys and little streets. We will see a lively poor community in Rio de Janeiro which richness can found in the bright eyes of a child and the endless innocent smile of the little ones!!!

So what about giving a social profile to your trip to Rio???? What about being part of our simple daily life in a poor community of Rio. Looking with a closer eye the real life of a big part of our population who live in the so called Favela. I am sure you will think it is dangerous, people back home will have a heart attack if they know that you went to the criminal favelas in Rio de Janeiro!!!! OHHHHH MY!!!!!!

No, nothing is going to happen with you...First you will get yourself into the best of our musical culture of Samba because the Favela is the SAMBA BIRTH; then you will find so manuy different people trully smiling at you and trying to talk with you forgetting the idiom bareer. And most important of all, you will be helping a lot of people with just one visit to the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro. We can stop in a grocery store and buy some food and make one family happy in just one visit to the Favela!

Not dangerous and visiting such a community will make you learn much more about our reality, you will see the stuff they buy, the things they cell, you will see a lot of simple business like so many barber shops, so many grocery store and even a MADE IN CHINA MARKET!!!

It is fun, it is informative, it is impressive!!!

Continuing our way to the west we will find secluded beaches where only locals go...we will see beautiful coastal landscape of a beautiful and shining city that we can only find in Rio. We will see way more of a touristic city. we will find out that Rio will always be part of our Resting Places!!! We will have a stroll in the beach of Recreio.

We will walk in the sand and see the Pontal Island which stands beautifully in the wild coast of Recreio!

You will visit the most beautiful beaches in the State of Rio, PRAINHA, you will realize that our city is not only Copacabana or Ipanema even though these are gorgeous beaches, but too much constructions, too much sophistication, and sometimes too much people. Visiting these other beaches you will see that Rio's Nature is simply endless!!!

We will also visit the virgin beach of Grumari, one of the last beaches in our coast, being there is like turning back time to the first Navigators...the enviroment is absolutely preserved and it will give a lot of inspirations for amazing pictures! Places that you will never see in any travel brochure!

After lunch we will visit a very interesting fishing village in Barra de Guaratiba, where pace of life is still very slow and lazy, we can also arrange a boat ride to the wetlands of Baia de Sepetiba and see a lot of wildlife. Also a great opportunity to hike if you feel like and witness one of the most unusual sunsets in the city!!!

This tour will make you feel a real expert of Rio de Janeiro, a real Carioca, one of Rafa's friend.

Much more than guiding you there, I want to place forever Rio in your heart and memory!!!

Write to me and I will give you all the price information, the tours take about 8 hours or more, it will depend of the day light, it will depend on your energy. You decide, all I can guarantee is that you will have a fantastic time!!!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

Always concerned to make Rio your HOUSE!!!!