Exclusive Editor’s Tips:

Beyond its iconic beaches and forested peaks, Rio de Janeiro shelters native mangroves teeming with wildlife – from caimans and toucans to the occasional sloth. The largest and most striking example is Marapendi Park, a 383-acre reserve in Barra da Tijuca. Eco Balsas’ Barra Pantanal Carioca Expedition takes travelers across the park’s lagoons via 20-plus-passenger rafts, with biologists on board to explain the fragile ecosystem and its native vegetation. For a smaller-scale adventure, join Kanaloa Rio for an outrigger canoe session — an active way to get a unique perspective on the city’s wilder side.

Samba may be Rio’s heartbeat, but it was bossa nova that carried the city’s sound around the world. Rio Bossa Experience’s three-hour walking tour through Ipanema and Copacabana traces the genre’s rise, led by a musician-guide who mixes storytelling with live renditions of classics. The route covers 10 sites tied to the movement – from beaches and bars to apartments where iconic songs were composed. Along the way, you’ll hear tales of legends like Tom Jobim and João Gilberto, and listen to timeless hits such as Garota de Ipanema and Chega de Saudade. If inspiration strikes, you can even tack on a guitar lesson to learn the rhythms yourself.

Rio may be famed for its natural landscapes, but its built environment is just as striking. As the onetime capital of Brazil and the Portuguese Empire, the city center brims with colonial facades and Belle Époque grandeur best explored on foot. Modernism also made a bold mark here: Oscar Niemeyer designed landmarks such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói and the Marquês de Sapucaí parade avenue, while the hillside neighborhood of Pedregulho is home to the visionary Conjunto Residencial do Pedregulho. Guided by journalist Rafael Bokor, walking tours step inside many of these sites, with context provided through a translator, to reveal how Rio’s architecture reflects its layered history.