This is the Barra da Tijuca & Western Rio chapter from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janei-ro guidebook.

Barra is where much of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games were held (sadly the stadiums were largely abandoned afterwards and aren’t open to the public). The beach here is the real at-traction, a wide and lovely 15km-long stretch of shoreline.

• hike through tropical rainforest, enjoy memorable views from rocky lookouts and recover beneath cool waterfalls in Parque Nacional da Tijuca
• maps
• spend the day basking on the wide golden sands of one of Rio’s loveliest (and longest) beaches, Praia da Barra da Tijuca
• transport
• explore the lushly decadent gardens of Sítio Burle Marx, while learning about the epony-mous legendary landscape architect
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Botafogo, Humaitá & Urca chapter from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro guidebook.

The traditional, middle-class neighborhood of Botafogo, and neighboring Humaitá, may not have the beaches of their southern neighbors, but they don’t lack for much else, with intriguing museums, movie theaters, quaint bookshops, a shopping center, and festive, open-air bars on tree-lined backstreets.

• glide up to the top of Pão de Açúcar by cable car for the awe-inspiring view of Rio at your feet
• maps
• bask on the sands at one of Rio’s prettiest little beaches, Praia Vermelha, taking in great vistas of the rocky coastline
• transport
• walk between forest and sea on the peaceful, winding Pista Cláudio Coutinho
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Centro & Praça Mauá chapter from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro guidebook.

Rio’s downtown is a wild architectural medley of old and new, with striking baroque churches and narrow colonial streets juxtaposed against looming office towers and wide, traffic-filled boulevards. Centro has some of the city’s best museums and its most intriguing historical sights.

• make your way along the tranquil Boulevard Olímpico and check out the city’s best street art en route
• maps
• take in first-rate installations and rooftop views at the Museu de Arte do Rio, one of Rio’s finest art museums
• transport
• ponder life and the future while browsing interactive exhibits in the architecturally stunning Museu do Amanhã, strategically perched overlooking the bay
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Copacabana & Leme chapter from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro guidebook.

Today’s Copa is a chaotic mix of discount stores and noisy traffic-filled avenues, with a hum-ming red-light district and slightly edgy streets. While paradise it clearly is not, the beach – framed by mountains and deep blue sea – remains beautiful.

• soak up the sunshine on Copacabana Beach, followed by some snacks and drinks at an oceanfront kiosk.
• maps
• learn about Brazil’s colonial history at the Forte de Copacabana and take in the view across the beach.
• transport
• walk to mountaintop heights along a forested trail in Forte Duque de Caxias
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Flamengo & Around chapter from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro guidebook.

The Parque do Flamengo dominates the region. This beach-fronting green space is one of the world’s largest urban parks, and includes a nationally recognized art museum, biking and running trails, sports fields, and thousands of trees and flowering plants.

• take the steep cog train up Corcovado for a panoramic view beneath Rio’s open-armed Christ the Redeemer.
• maps
• explore Rio’s past days of demagogues and political intrigue in the Museu da Repúbli-ca
• transport
• enjoy fine views of the bay over dinner from the Marina da Glória
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Gávea, Jardim Botânico & Lagoa chapter from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janei-ro guidebook.

Rio’s picturesque lake is the focal point of these well-heeled neighborhoods. Joggers and cy-clists zip along the shoreline trail by day, while the lakeside restaurants fill with people enjoying a meal and live music in the open air by night.

• hire a bike and go for a spin around Rio’s most picturesque lake, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
• maps
• take a stroll through the lush and flower-filled Jardim Botânico, complete with towering palms, massive water lilies and an orchid house
• transport
• look for monkeys on the forested paths of Parque Lage
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This is the Ipanema & Leblon chapter from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro guide-book.

The favored address for young, beautiful and wealthy cariocas (residents of Rio), these twin neighborhoods boast magnificent beaches, high-end shopping, and tree-lined streets full of en-ticing open-air cafes, restaurants and bars.

• frolic in the waves, sip refreshing maté and watch people parade along iconic Ipanema Beach.
• maps
• join fishers and couples on rocky Ponta do Arpoador for the nightly spectacle of sunset
• transport
• feast on Bahian snacks and browse artwork and handicrafts at the Zona Sul’s most famous market, Hippie Fair
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This chapter contains the Welcome to Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro’s Top 10, What’s New, Need to Know, First Time Rio de Janeiro, Top Itineraries, If You Like..., Month by Month, With Kids, For Free, Carnaval, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Samba, Shopping, and Sports & Activities chapters from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro guidebook.

Your journey to Rio de Janeiro starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on travel with kids.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about Carnaval
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro’s Top 10, What’s New, Need to Know, First Time Rio de Janeiro, Top Itineraries, If You Like: Activities & Sports, Art & Architecture, Beaches, Historical Sights, Free Stuff, Outdoor Adventures, Parks & Gardens, Month by Month, With Kids, For Free, Carnaval, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Enter-tainment, Samba, Shopping, and Sports & Activities.

This is the Santa Teresa & Lapa chapter from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro guidebook.

Icons of bohemian Rio, Santa Teresa and Lapa are two rough-and-tumble neighborhoods that have contributed considerably to the city’s artistic and musical heritage. On a hill overlooking the city, Santa Teresa has an impressive collection of 19th-century mansions set along winding lanes.

• photograph the mosaic-covered Escadaria Selarón by Chilean-born Jorge Selarón, who made this moving creation his life’s work.
• maps
• ride the tram over the Arcos do Lapa and up to village-like Santa Teresa
• transport
• watch sunlight play through the Catedral Metropolitana’s dazzling stained-glass win-dows
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment, Shopping, Sports & Activities.

This chapter contains the Rio de Janeiro Today, History, The Sounds of Rio, The Beautiful Game, Architecture, Transportation, Directory A–Z, and Language chapters from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, music and football to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and les-bian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on the beautiful game: everything you need to know about football
• info on bossa nova, samba and all the sounds of Rio
• full coverage of the city’s complicated history and its post-Olympic present
• details on Rio’s architecture, from baroque churches to postmodern concert halls

Coverage includes: Rio de Janeiro Today, History, The Sounds of Rio, The Beautiful Game, Architecture, Transportation, Directory A–Z, and Language.

This is the Zona Norte chapter from Lonely Planet’s Rio de Janeiro guide-book.

Vast Zona Norte sprawls many kilometers toward the Baixada Fluminense. It boasts fewer at-tractions than the Zona Sul and Centro, but there are still excellent reasons to visit, including soccer rowdiness at Maracanã, great views from little-visited landmarks and historical intrigue at former palaces.

• hear the roar of the crowds as some of the world’s best players take to the field inside the hallowed Maracanã Football Stadium
• maps
• browse handicrafts, snack on Northeastern dishes and partner-dance to live forró inside the enormous, sprawling Feira Nordestina
• transport
• enjoy a tasty lunch at one of the restaurants at CADEG
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Neighbourhood Top Five, Local Life, Getting There & Away, Sights, Eating, Drinking & Nightlife, Entertainment.