Arriving in a big city can be a daunting experience, and many people come to Rio de Janeiro, scramble their way to Copacabana and go no further, except on an occasional foray by guided tour.

The beaches, though, are only one facet of Rio. The city is divided into three parts - centre, north and south - and the various bairros (neighbourhoods) have retained their individuality and characteristic atmosphere. So, while you'll certainly want to get a good dose of the beaches, you may prefer to put up in a quieter quarter and explore the rich history of the centre as well. Rio's layout is straightforward and the transport system makes it easy to get around - just buy a map ( Planta do Rio) from any city kiosk.

Centro
Centro is the commercial and historic centre of Rio, and, though the elegance of its colonial and Neoclassical architecture has become overshadowed by the towering office buildings, it has by no means yet been swamped more...

Zona Norte
The northernmost part of Rio, the Zona Norte, contains the city's industrial areas and the major working-class residential bairros with little in the way of historic interest or natural beauty more...

Zona Sul
The Zona Sul , the name used to cover everything south of the city centre, though generally taken to mean just the bairros shouldering the coastline, has much more to attract you more...

   Rio de Janeiro guide

  Rio de Janeiro
  Brief history
  State
  Travel details
  Warning
  Orientation: Centro,
    Zona Sul, Zona Norte
  Getting around
Nightlife
  Film
  Rio Gay
  Best of Rio
  Info
 Favelas
 Arrival
 Shopping
 Carnaval
Eating and drinking:
    Churrascarias, vegetarian
For eating in Brazil, read also:
Eating & drinking
     Street foods,
     snacks
     Restaurants
     Vegetarian/natural
     Soft drinks, hot
     drinks 

Zona Sul

 Buzios

Buzios Town and its beaches
Restaurants
Eating options
Getting there
Getting around
Climate and travel info
Buzios Beaches
  Buzios Beaches 2
Buzios Scuba Diving
  Buzios Golf
 Buzios Stones St and
    night life
Ecotourism
Hotels in Buzios