Best! Football Holidays - Best of the Best

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Best! of the Best

Everyone will have their best recommendations for Rio. And we always recommend that you buy a guide book. But for the time being, here’s our own Best! of the Best.

In our opinion the Best! Art Museum is Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio’s museum of modern art as much because of its setting in the beautiful park (Parque do Flamengo) as to the 13,000 odd exhibits. But if you want a museum where the building itself is a piece of dramatic art, head for the Museu de Arte Contemporanea de Niteroi across the bay designed by Oscar Niemeyer. The added bonus here is the spectacular view of the Sugar Loaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer and Rio’s skyline.

For Best! Bar Hopping away from the beach head for Downtown Centro on Friday nights for Happy Hours from 6.00pm. The back streets are brimming over with bars as the office workers start celebrating the weekend. Then head up to Lapa and when suitably fuelled, dance the night away at Rio Scenarium.

Some of the Best! Beer comes from the Devassa micro brewery which serves a number of beers including their Blond, Black, Ale and Indian. There are loads of their bars across town including one in Rua Prudente de Moraes off Ipanema beach and one midway on Copacabana beach. Not forgetting that in General San Martin in Leblon where the locals always hang out. Be warned. ‘Devassa’ means ‘open, easy going and accommodating’ so never use it in the presence of women because it also translates as ‘slut’!

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For our Best! Beach category we’re spoilt for choice as there’s over 25 miles to choose from! Copacabana most certainly must be visited not least so you can tell all your friends! But best stay clear at weekends. Still buzzing but far less frenzied is Ipanema beach. Or head for 12-mile long Barra beach, a ‘resort’ in its own right and the district where much of the 2016 Olympics is going to be held. For Brazilians, as well swimming, sunbathing and sports, beach culture is about meeting up and socialising. Like minded groups and ages congregate around certain sections with Postos lifeguard stations acting as informal ‘dividing’ lines.

Best! Beach BBQ is most certainly the ‘Uruguay’ on Ipanema beach to the left of Posto 9 lifeguard station. Look out for the blue & white flag in the middle of the beach. Run by Milton & Gloria, it shouldn’t strictly be there. But if forced to move, there would be a local riot and no wonder given their mouth watering dishes.

The Best! Beach Football can be watched in Copacabana on Saturdays but in all honesty it’s pretty special everywhere in Rio. As sand is much softer than grass, and groomed every evening, players don’t hold back! There’s plenty of banter amongst the players and avid spectators banging their drums create a wild party like atmosphere. Just pity the ref when decisions are dubious! If you’re invited to play, the obvious big tip is to keep the ball as much as possible in the air.

By Best ‘Beach Huts’ we mean where you can change after a day on Copacabana beach. Under their food & drink kiosks (and coming soon to Ipanema) are toilets, showers and lockers. For just R$4,00 you get a clean towel and soap so you can shower off the sand and head off to your next port of call without needing to go back to your hotel.

The Best! Beach Volleyball is concentrated around Posto 9/10 lifeguard stations on Ipanema beach. It’s highly competitive and taken very seriously. As well as the matches themselves during the evenings when the temperature has fallen, there are regular coaching and practice sessions as this is the sport everyone wants to excel at. Small wonder that the Brazilian men and women’s double teams regularly pick up the gold medals.

Best! Cafe (to people watch!) has got to be Alessandro & Frederico next to Mil Frutas on Garcia D’Avila. They make their own bread here so the sandwiches are even extra special. Highly recommended is washing down a couple of espressos with a pastry while watching the world go by.

There are many but our Best! Church is the baroque São Bento Monastery up the hill in the Port area that dates back to 1690. There’s a service there at 10.00 on Sundays which includes the monks singing Gregorian chants. But get there early if you want a seat. Walk around the small area where Rio was born, in Downtown Centro, Praça Quinze de Novembro and Arco do Teles, and you’ll keep coming across beautiful and historical churches tucked in between the City’s ultra modern landscape.

Many of the Best! Clubs are up from the Arches in Lapa where new bars and clubs are springing up every week. Most certainly the biggest crowd puller is the Rio Scenarium in a renovated warehouse, and a mix of club and antique emporium with close on 10,000 pieces over 3 floors. The club offers great snacks and traditional dishes, over 20 bars and live Brazilian music. Coolest thing of all is that they take your photo and open a tab when you enter and you pay at the end so there’s none of that hassle constantly checking that you hand over the right notes and get the correct change back. Best of all you can pay on plastic!

For the Best! Cocktail in town, save up and head for the world famous Copacabana Palace Hotel where gold dust is sprinkled on the rim of your glass. Or for Brazil’s traditional drink, enjoy a Caipirinha with fresh squeezed lime mixed with a sugar cane spirit called Cachaça. As for an alternative, try a Caipirosca, a mix of crushed fruits of your choice, vodka, ice and sugar. Gorgeous but best you limit yourself in the hot midday sun!

Best! Coffee can be found at the Armazem do Cafe branches with one being on Maria Quiteria in front of Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz in the heart of Ipanema. If you’re in the Downtown Centro/Praça Quinze you must head for the Confeitaria Colombo (coffee &tea house and restaurant) where the breathtaking art nouveau surroundings will also blow you away.

Best! Fish Restaurants would include Madonna’s favourite, the sophisticated and very elegant, Satyricon. For something more casual, try the Sobrenatural in Santa Teresa. And, the Bar da Urca at the bottom of Sugar Loaf Mountain is good value. Wherever you go, make a point of trying muqueca, the local seafood stew made with coconut milk and palm oil with fish, shrimp and lobster varieties.

For its amazing location on Ipanema beachfront itself, the Best! Fitness Gym has to be Muscle Beach by Posto 10 lifeguard station. What’s more, being a public facility, it’s free of charge. But if time is pressing and you still want to work out, there are always the open 24-hours A Bodytech gyms dotted about town. And of course, most hotels have their own gyms, many with spectacular views looking over beaches and out to sea.

For Best! Flip Flops Havaianas is certainly still No.1 but Ipanema is fast catching up. And it’s no wonder given that the gorgeous Brazilian born model, Gisele, is promoting them. Naturally for non-brands you’ll also find a huge variety in markets, supermarkets and general convenience stores. But you can’t beat the real thing. And we’re backing Gisele all the way!

The Best! Football Team (and the one we proudly support) is Flamengo, Rio’s ‘The People’s Team’. The club has recently been reawakened by the return of their prodigal son, Adriano, formerly of Internazionale. Nicknamed the Urubu (Black Vultures) best explains why black paper darts swoop down as matches kick off. Zico who played there before and after his time in Europe is still regarded a god by the fans. Before it’s reconstruction for the FIFA 2014 World Cup, the Maracanã was their stadium for home matches but from now it will be the Engenhão.

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Foot-Volley began here in Rio and you’ll be impressed by the guys and girls who play on the beach using only their heads, chests and feet. The Best! Foot-Volley matches to watch are around Posto 9 lifeguard station on Ipanema beach. Often you’ll find ex-Brazilian football players including local favourite, Renato Gaucho, joining in with friends. And that’s when the crowds gather and the fun really starts!

Best! Garden is certainly the 338 acre Jardim Botanico with its 8,000 odd species of plants and being one of the 10 top botanical gardens in the world and also a Unesco biosphere reserve. One of its many highlights is the orquidário (orchid garden) with around 1,000 species including many that are extremely rare. Well worth pre- booking a tour to the Jardim dos Beija-Flores (Hummingbird Garden) with its 50 plant species to attract these magnificent birds.

For the Best! Ice Cream head for Mil Frutas in Garcia D’Ávila and its amazing variety of over 25 gourmet ice creams including some weird and wonderful flavours. As well as all the usual fruits, don’t be put off the likes of beetroot or sweet potato. Definitely make sure you try graviola, an exotic fruit found in the Amazon.

Best! Irish Pub (and there are many) has got to be Shenanigan’s Irish Pub & Sports Bar, up a couple of blocks from Ipanema beach in Praça General Osório. Three TVs on the wall means that you won’t have to miss crucial matches, and if you’re homesick, there’s both a pool table and dart board. Best of all there’s chilled Guinness on tap and Jameson and a host of Irish whiskeys stocked. Small wonder that their slogan is ‘There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met’!

Best! Jazz can be found bi-weekly in the pretty eclectic surroundings of the Maze Inn up in Santa Teresa. Run by Englishman Bob Nadkarni, it’s unconventional and bohemian with the added chill of Brazil’s laid-back lifestyle. You never know who will be jamming there with Bob on vocals and trumpet. If you are really into cool jazz (and truly spectacular sunsets) this is not to be missed. Evenings begin at 9.00pm and rarely end before 4.00am and a van is laid on for the trip back into town.

With Brazil the world’s biggest producer of gem stones, the Best! Jewellery has to be from H.Stern which ranks just behind Tiffany’s and Cartier. Outlets are quite literally everywhere. Their world headquarters in Rua Garcia D’Ávila in Ipanema includes a factory so you can see stones being graded, cut and set in precious metals. To visit, ask at the H.Stern desk/shop in your hotel and they will even arrange a free transportation there and back. Though you might not be in the market to buy, it’s well worth seeing what’s being worn at red carpet events by the likes of Halle Berry, Katy Perry and Sienna Miller.

One Best! Jogging route is the 5 mile track shared with cyclists on the beach front all the way from Ipanema to Leme. Avoid the hot afternoons and run in the mornings and evenings when the temperature is cooler. For a change of scenery, head out to the lagoa (lagoon) for a 4.5 jog around the salt-water lake surrounded by mountains and tropical forest.

There are literally hundreds, but our Best! Juice Bar is Polis Sucos two blocks up from Ipanema beach’s Posto 9 lifeguard station in Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz. Choose from every variety of fruit and they’ll add ice and mix them up together. And everything goes! Try Acai, a fruit only found in the Amazon, and a natural high energy drink. Back on the beach, numerous kiosks sell chilled and highly refreshing coconut water that you suck straight out of the coconut (with a straw!).

Best! Kilo Restaurants are for those who can’t face up to those eating as much as you want churrasco rodizio restaurants. Here you’ll find the lot, from salads, sushi and meats to delicious desserts. And with just a few exceptions you pay for whatever you eat at the same price by the kilo. So it’s wise to stay off the pasta! One of our favourites is the Frontera with outlets in Ipanema, Jardim Botanico, Copacabana and Barra da Tijuca.

Best! Late Night Snack is Cervantes, a couple blocks from Copacabana beach on Avenida Prado Junior which serves ‘sandwiches’ with more meat than bread. From around R$10,00-R$12,00 the beef steak is mouth watering as is the local favourite pork with both including a generous wedge of pineapple. During the day, every bar and cafe serves up a variety of traditional Brazilian finger foods, our favourites being pastel (savoury and sweet pastries) with a choice different fillings.

The Best! Market is undoubtedly the Hippie Market on Sundays at Praça General Osório, Ipanema with loads of crafts, paintings and sculptures. If you miss it on Sunday, during the evenings there’s a market on Copacabana beach up from the Rio Othon Palace. Good place to buy those replica Brazilian football shirts here. But compare the quality and don’t pay over R$25,00.

For Best! Music is a hard to call as there’s myriad of beats from samba, chôro and jongo to funk, jazz, MPB (Brazilian Popular Music)and electronic. But as you’re in Brazil you have to hear Bossa Nova which has inspired musicians from Sinatra to Sting, so head for Bar Vinicius onViníciusde Morais St. And if you are undecided as to what Brazilian music to take back home, visit Toca do Vinicius where the friendly (and very patient!) staff will help you choose even if they’ve only got your bad humming to work with.

Best! Park is the Parque do Flamengo which was transformed from a land filled project by a famous brazilian landscape architect called Burle Marx in the ‘60s. With a vast array of sporting facilities including an artificial beach, the park overlooks the marina and bay and has a great view of Sugar Loaf Mountain. It’s a lovely place for stroll and picnic though busy Sundays are probably best avoided if it’s peace and tranquillity that you’re after.

Pizza is sold by the bucket full in restaurants, cafes and bars but you’ll surprisingly probably find some of the Best! Pizzas and certainly for the best price in Zona Sul supermarkets! Eat there or takeaway. Freshly made dough is topped with tomato and cheese and then whatever you want before being baked in a wood burning oven. For something classy, try Parma ham & rocket which will set you back under R$30,00 and is enough for two if you aren’t too greedy.

For Best! PublicTransport, taxis may be the most convenient but better avoided if the traffic is snarled up. The Underground metro system is clean, fast and efficient and using just one of the two lines should get you to most places. For retro Rio, just hop onto a tram in Downtown and head up to St Teresa crossing over the Arcos da Lapa 300-yard long aqueduct And, if peddle power’s for you, hire a bike day or night with pick-up and drop-off at various points just as in Paris.

Best! Show depends on whether you think these flamboyant performances put on for the tourists are enlightening or tacky. Probably the best is the Plataforma in Leblon. But between late October and February the best shows by far are in the City of Samba plaza where in large warehouses 12 major league teams prepare for over 6 months for the famous Rio Carnival. Note that these shows are only on Thursdays.

Best! Special Restaurant is one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make and there are guides packed full of them. But if we must, there’s Santa Teresa’s Aprazivel cut into the cliff and set among the tree tops which serves up a fusion of Northern Brazilian and international cuisine. The menu regularly changes but, for starters look out for fresh grilled palm hearts and the peixe tropical main course of grilled fish in an orange sauce, served with coconut rice and baked bananas.

If you get tired being hassled on the beach but are still interested by the goods being sold, the Best! Street Vendors can be found in the Saara district Downtown. With hundreds gathered together in the Camelódromo, there’s anything and everything to buy. And even if to go just to soak up the atmosphere, we guarantee you’ll leave with something!

For the Best! Sunset (between October and March) it’s got to be from the Arpoador rock at the eastern end of Ipanema beach, looking out to sea. As the sun sets, the gathering crowds will clap and applaud one of the greatest shows on earth. When you see what you see, you can’t help but joining in.

Best! Supermarket is Zona Sul found all over town including one large one up from mid way along Ipanema beach. Sells all the usual sorts of groceries but best of all are their pizza, pasta and sushi eateries. And if you’re looking to load up for a picnic on the beach, a litre of fresh fruit juice (ideal to rehydrate after spending time in the sun), sandwich packed to its brim and generous portion of fruit salad will cost under R$15,00.

For Best! Surfing, we’ve narrowed it down to 4 beaches to choose from starting with Arpoador where surfing in Brazil was born, closely followed by the Prainha, Macumba and Grumari. You’ll find the waves as good here as anywhere else in the world, and the Brazilians as friendly on the surf as they are in the beach bars. And if you can’t surf, buy yourself a body board and experience the wave adrenalin rush.

Best! Traditional Dish is feijoada, the black bean stew which commonly cooked by the African slaves in colonial Portuguese times. With pork ribs and loin, jerk beef and sausage added and served with rice and delicious sliced collard greens it’s hearty and filling. Look out for the really traditional version with pig ears, tail and feet which is normally served on Saturdays.

Best! Value Meal has to be at Carretão where for just around R$34,00 on weekdays you can enjoy as much meat as you can devour, from chicken to boar and including over 20 cuts of beef from sirloin to rump brought to your table endlessly on spits right from the ovens. Don’t forget the sushi, traditional Brazilian fish and bean dishes, fresh vegetables and refreshing salads are all included in the fixed price!

Best! View 1 is taking a helicopter trip. There are longer flights but the shortest (7 minutes) and cheapest (around R$150,00) takes off from Sugar Loaf Mountain heliport and offers views quite literally out of this world. From up high you can see how football dominates the cityscape with the Maracana stadium standing proud. Here’s where the FIFA 2014 World Cup Final will be held and where Pele scored his 1000th professional goal 40 years ago.

Our Best! View 2 is from the Christ the Redeemer statue. When the skies are clear and blue you will see how Rio and its beaches wrap around natural bays and estuaries and the tropical forest that engulfs the city. Here you can also see the dramatic Sugar Loaf Mountain, itself a marvellous vantage point for more spectacular views of Rio.

Our Best! View 3 is across the bay in Niteroi looking back onto Rio’s spectacular beaches with their high rise hotels and lush green tropical forests and mountains acting as a dramatic backdrop. One of the best vantage points here is from Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niteroi which is worth a visit in its own right. If you get the chance, head also for the Santa Cruz fortress as the view from here onto Sugar Loaf Mountain and up to Christ the Redeemer is spectacular. A great way to get to Niteroi is on the ferry (20-minute ride) or catamaran (8 minutes) from Prasça Quinze de Novembro.

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