Nay, Rio de Janeiro is not just a beach. This city is the most visited in the Southern Hemisphere. You don't think it is just for its beautiful but over crowded beaches, do you? I mean, what about the carnivals? What about Christ the Redeemer statue? What about attractions such as Sugar Loaf Mountain, Maracana Stadium, Tijuca Forest, the Amazon Basin etc? Rio is much more than its Ipanema and Copacabana Beaches.

Below are a list of things you may not know about Rio, but they are 'as Rio' as the Ipanema beach.

1. Brazil's most famous dance - samba - has its origins from the African slaves that worked in the plantations in the State of Rio de Janeiro.

2. The name 'Rio de Janeiro' is Portuguese for 'River of January' and was given to the city by the captaincy of the Portuguese Empire in 1565, the date the city was established.

3. This I didn't know...Rio has a nickname...Cidade Maravilhosa or 'the marvelous city'.

4. Prostitution is legal in Rio...and the girls here are as beautiful as they come...gosh! I did not just type that...but I am reliably told it is one of the tourist's highlight. Hopefully my mama will not read this.

5. There are more than 200 samba schools in Rio. The city gets more than 3 million international tourists every year.

6. Do you know Rio's most popular natives? Well, here is a list; Ronaldo (soccer player), The Gracie Martial Arts Family, Anderson Silva (MMA Fighter), Tom Jobin (Musician/The Girl from Ipanema), Vinicius de Moraes (Musician/The Girl from Ipanema), and Oscar Niemeyer (architect)...the list can be longer...you just have to type it yourself.

7. Rio's other attractions; Fort Copacabana, Escadaria Selaron, Rio de Janeiro Botanical Gardens, Teatro Municipal, Sambadrome Marques de Sapucai, Candelaria Church and many more

8. Favelas - These are human ecosystems unto their own. Even the government is scared of interfering with the Favelas (read slums).

The list could go on and on. But you get the point. There will be hundreds of holiday activities in Rio other than sunbathing on the beach. If in doubt, you are welcome to visit the city.

By Kennedy Runo on 02/03/2015 in Rio de Janeiro