Long renowned as A Cidade Maravilhosa (The Marvelous City), Rio de Janeiro is blessed with a near overabundance of natural beauty. The powerful ocean and magnificent bay, dazzling beaches, breathtaking mountains, and verdant tropical forests all provide an incredible setting for an unforgettable city.

But Rio de Janeiro isn't just a city - it's also a state. And while the city just might have the highest concentration of natural beauty found anywhere on Earth, surrounding one of the world's liveliest urban centers, the State of Rio de Janeiro boasts an equally impressive array of natural and cultural treasures awaiting the visitor who wants to escape the hectic city pace.

The Zona Sul (South Zone) is the Rio most often found in travel brochures, movie scenes and picture postcards. Here are the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, the Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf), the tallest hotels and the finest shops, with the statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) looking down from atop Corcovado (Hunchback Mountain). But underneath Corcovado passes the Rebouças Tunnel which provides passage to the world além do túnel (beyond the tunnel) as the cariocas (Rio natives) call it.

A Little Bit of History

Discovered on January 1, 1502, Rio de Janeiro (River of January) was named by Portuguese navigators who mistook Baía de Guanabara (Guanabara Bay) for the mouth of a large river. Sixty years later, a settlement was established on January 20, the feast day of Saint Sebastian, and the new town was named Cidade de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (the City of Saint Sebastian on the January River). Saint Sebastian remains the patron saint of the city and January 20 is a holiday, even though the city's name has long since been abbreviated.

Both the French and the Dutch tried to establish settlements in the area, first to exploit the stands of much desired brazilwood, which gave the country its name, and later to establish sugarcane plantations. They were both expelled by the Portuguese by the early 1600's.

In 1763, the capital of Brazil was transferred from Salvador, Bahia, to Rio de Janeiro in acknowledgement of its growing importance as the main port of export for the gold and silver coming out of the Minas Gerais region.

It was the actions of Napoleon Bonaparte on the battlefields of Europe, however, which led to perhaps the most indelible changes upon Rio and its history. In 1808, as the armies of France invaded Portugal, the decision was made to move the Portuguese monarch, Dom João VI, and the royal court to Brazil. A large fleet bearing the royal family and thousands of government officials, court followers and servants sailed from Lisbon under protection of the English Navy.

Rio de Janeiro thus became the seat of empire and Brazil was elevated from a colony to a United Kingdom with Portugal.

Though Napoleon's domination of Europe ended in 1815, Dom João VI elected to stay in Brazil until 1821, when he finally yielded to pressures from politicians at home and returned to Portugal, leaving his son, the Crown Prince, in Rio as Viceroy Regent.

Barely a year later, in September of 1822, the Crown Prince, yielding to the advice of his Brazilian advisors and his distaste for having to answer to his father and Portuguese politicians an ocean away, declared Brazil an independent empire. He was installed as Emperor Pedro I on December 1, 1822.

In 1831, Dom Pedro I abdicated in favor of his minor son so that he could return to Portugal and reclaim the Portuguese crown which had been usurped by his brother, Miguel.

Though the early days of his regency were marked by problems, Dom Pedro II eventually proved to be a temperate, thoughtful ruler whose influence helped the country attain political and cultural maturity. His 58-year reign was marked by the development of competent political and social institutions and the gradual elimination of slavery, which was finally abolished in 1888.

When the Emperor was deposed in 1889, the bloodless transition could in large part be credited to the unity and stability inspired by Dom Pedro II's years of rule.

The 81 years of royal residence in Rio de Janeiro left a rich legacy of Imperial buildings, gardens and parks. From the Botanical Gardens and the Zoological Park to the Museum of National History and the Imperial Palace in Petrópolis, the echos of the years of empire continue to enrich the lives of Rio's residents and visitors.

Some Possible Points of Interest for Personalized Tours

» Corcovado and the statue of Christ the Redeemer

» Pão de Açúcar (Sugar loaf) via Cable Car

» Copacabana and Ipanema beaches

» Barra da Tijuca - fast growing Western section of Rio with upscale malls/restaurants/towering apartment complexes

» Floresta de Tijuca (Tijuca forest) - the largest urban forest in the world

» Banco do Brasil Cultural Center

» Santa Teresa - best approached via the bondinhos (turn of the century street cars)

» National History Museum

» Itatiaia National Park - located 3-hours northwest of the city, this large section of Atlantic coastal tropical forest spreads over many lush valleys and Alpine-like mountains

» Jardim Botânico (Botanical Gardens)

» Petrópolis - the Imperial Museum and the Santos Dummont Museum

» Búzios - Jet Set beach getaway made famous by Brigitte Bardot in the 60's

» Rio nightlife - Samba shows, nightclubs, concerts, dancing and endless more possibilities. Bring your guidebook and let us know where you want to go.