THE FEBRUARY SUPER TOUR - DAY ONE

The tour is specially created for Cruise Line Travellers but it is also a good itinerary if you want to come to Rio now and experience the unique and genuine Rio de Janeiro, where you will have the taste of our soul, the CARIOCA WAY OF LIFE. But in February, LOADS OF CRUISE SHIPS WILL COME, and I want all our travel fellas to know that when they port in Rio they will have people to trust their great and accurate travel wishes!!! With the help of many friends in USA, Canada, England and Australia, I decided to form GROUPS up to 14 people to explore Rio by the EYES OF A LOCAL We have lots of groups being formed, our cruisers write to me and I organize the group... It will be the two days in RIO... You can do the two, or you can just pick up one of the days and joining the club of independent and smart travellers. This is the first day of our tour that will give you a very rich introduction of Rio, you will see a big portion of our Coast including the very unknown western beaches. OUR ITINERARY: Our first day I will do something that you will have a great idea about Rio, you will drive directly to see the Christ, then after the Christ (it can also be BEFORE) we will explore the charming neighborhood of Santa Tereza and the BIGGEST HUMAN MASTER PIECE IN RIO - THE SELARON STAIRS. Then we will explore all over the Tijuca Forest, you will see incredible views and many water springs and water falls, lots of nature. Then you will see our wetlands at Marapendi Channels, you will see more very local ocean beaches like Barra da Tijuca and Joa, you will also see the unknown beaches of our west side like Recreio, Prainha and Grumari. When you get back to the hotel I will take you to see the rocks of Arpoador and the Fort of Copacabana.

VERY IMPORTANT!!! As for the Christ, there is a possibility that the Christ will be absolutely cloudy, so cloudy that it will be impossible to see the Statue, in this condition, can we skip the Christ??? It is pointless visit the statue when everything is White and we hardly see our own noses and it makes nonsense to spend the ticket money when we have such na awful visibility!!!

I have on you tube some videos that you can have an idea about some of the places we will see this day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2KXe6Jg8KQ&feature=related – One of the days that I was touring at the Christ. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_47ppOeRxrk – One of our tours at the Wetlands of Marapendi when we spot a capyvara, the biggest rodent in the world, and there we can see so many birds! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q13Q6JEk_i0 – The wetlands is also a local neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, and I always stop at Cicero’s bar for some drinks and delicious brazilian snacks.

TIJUCA FOREST - THE BACK YARD OF RIO AND WHAT A GREEN YARD!!! The city has a forest in the middle of its territory, an endless water resource with so many springs and waterfalls, thick greenery with beautiful exotic trees and wild animals. Visiting the Forest will be one fantastic stop in our tours!

MARAPENDI WETLANDS - Well, it is not a touristic place, it is just one neighborhood of Rio where you can witness the delicious and quiet pace of life in the west side of the city, also your chance to see interesting birdlife. IMPORTANT - For us to explore the area we will need a boat that the locals call it as CHALANAS, and you will have to pay the boatmen, he will charge 15 reais per person.

Grumari, Ipanema, Arpoador and Copacabana will be part of our first day!!!

Well, the plan is online now...read everything and write to me in order to guarantee your presence in this local experience, travelling to Rio is also feeling the city and this is what we will do.

Like always, when you come to Rio, you will find real friends!!! More than tour guides we are people who are happy to welcome you like old friends!

Rafael Torres Lopes

Tour Guide and Travel Planner

donrafainrio@yahoo.es