Sandwiched between sweeping sands and monolithic mountains on Brazil’s south-eastern Atlantic coast, few cities can rival Rio’s spectacular setting. In 1502, Portuguese explorers mistook Guanabara – a bay bordering 15 different cities – as the mouth of a large river, earning the city its name, meaning ‘January river’. Around 300 years later, Rio became the de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire. Over the course of its two-century reign as the Brazilian capital from 1763 to 1960, the country gained independence, abolished slavery and toppled its monarchy during the republic revolution of 1889.
Despite its colourful history, the locals, known as cariocas, embrace “Brazilian joie de vivre,” especially on the beach with the sun on their bronzed backs. Beyond its surf-sure shores, but within the city limits, cruisers can rock…
