Historical Centre & Lapa & Santa Teresa

This tour starts usually at your place of accomodation and together we will go to the ferryport at  Praça XV in the centre of Rio de Janeiro.

Praça XV was the main square of Rio de Janeiro for over two hundred years,  the Governor's palace was situated there, and 1808 with the arrival of the Royal family from Portugal, the palace was turned into the Imperial Palace. 

We will see the statue of João VI, the fountain of Mestre Valentim, the Imperial Palace, Tiradentes Palace, the old convent of the Carmelite nuns, the churches of the Carmelite order.

Then we walk through the Arch, Arco das Telles, into the historic centre of cobbled streets and 19th century two-story houses called sobrados. This part of the centre has been restored in recent years and is buzy during lunch hours and happy hours when employees from the surrounding offices fill the restaurants and bars. On Saturdays there is usually life music in one of the streets and the Rua do Mercado often has cultural manifestations and celebrations on special dates. 

We will visit the cultural corridor with the Centro Cultural dos Correios, the Casa França Brasil and the Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil. We will visit the Church Candelaria, once cathedral of Rio de Janeiro and then walk along the commercial street of Urugaiana, once called canal street, and the street Gonçalves Dias where the beautiful and most traditional Confeitaria Colombo is situated, one of the few Art Nouveau buildings of Rio.

Arriving at the Carioca Square we can see the churches on top of the hill, of Santo Antonio and São Francisco, and we carry on towards Cinelandia to see the Municipal Theatre and the other buildings build in the first decade of XXth century. We will have a glimpse into the National Library and the Centro Cultural da Justicia Federal before heading towards the cathedral. 

The rest of the tour is identical to the tour Lapa & Santa Teresa, highlights are the arches of Lapa, the stairs of Selaron, the Centro Cultural Parque das Ruinas and its views, and the beautiful architecture and contemplative way of living in Santa Teresa.

Duration: 6 h

Difficulty: easy to moderate 

What do you need: Your camera; we are walking in urban areas so there are possibilities to buy drinks and snacks.