Rio de Janeiro: which types it suits

Rio de Janeiro fits ocean, granite peaks and a packed city into a single frame. The headline sights are unmistakable — Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado, the cable car up Sugarloaf — and the sand at Copacabana and Ipanema stays busy from morning until well after dark. The crowd on the rocks at Arpoador that applauds the sunset tells you most of what you need to know about the city's rhythm.

It suits travellers who draw energy from crowds and find it easy to fall into company on a beach or a street corner. A conversation that starts under a beach umbrella or at a samba bar in Lapa often becomes the night's plan. If you need real solitude, schedule it on purpose: the Botanical Garden around opening time, or a trail in the Tijuca Forest, where the city finally goes quiet.