Elite Traveler March-April 2016

107 elite traveler MAR/APR 2016

With the opening of the Copacabana Palace hotel in 1923, Rio de Janeiro (then the capital of Brazil) arrived – as a glamorous beach destination, a global metropolis, a city of superstars and celebrities. The likes of Rita Hayworth and Gina Lollobrigida, Walt Disney and John Wayne, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers flew down to make movies and enjoy one of the world’s most stunning natural locations. Today, take a helicopter from Sugarloaf Mountain and you can’t help but be blown away by the beauty and drama of the setting. The curves of the famous white sand beaches – Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon – are stunning. The vast Guanabara Bay adds depth. The tropical light beguiles. An amphitheater of granite peaks encircles the man-made. Christ the Redeemer blesses the whole scene. TOTAL GUIDE TO RIODE JANEIRO

Rio has produced art, culture, music and sporting prowess – the gentle sway of bossa nova, naïve painting, the crazy joy of Carnival and the balletic skill of soccer legend Jairzinho. In this Olympic year the glamour is back and the city has been polished and preened for its big sporting showcase (the 2014 FIFAWorld Cup was a warm up). 2016 is an ideal time to drop by and indulge in the food, fashions, beaches, museums and cool clubs that make the lifestyle of the carioca – as Rio residents call themselves – something to envy. Head along Copacabana’s wave mosaic pavements and you’ll feel uplifted, without quite knowing why. The following suggestions of places to stay, dine, drink, hang out and party should help you turn an always splendid city into a memorable and magical experience.

by Chris Moss

Butcher cutting ham at Mercado de San Miguel, Madrid. Left: Metropolis building on the corner of Calle de Alcalá