Thing to do
1. Copacabana Beach
A 4-kilometre curve of white sand along Avenida Atlântica, framed by Roberto Burle Marx's wave-patterned promenade and two historic forts.
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2. Mercado Municipal de São Paulo (Mercadão)
The city's grand 1933 food market, designed by Ramos de Azevedo's office, with stained-glass windows, more than 290 stalls and a mezzanine of restaurants.
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3. Avenida Paulista on a Sunday
Walk the 2.8-kilometre avenue that symbolises modern São Paulo, closed to cars on Sundays and holidays and lined with museums, cultural centres and a small forest park.
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4. Ipanema Beach
A 2.6-kilometre beach between Arpoador and Leblon, celebrated in The Girl from Ipanema and framed by the twin peaks of Dois Irmãos.
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5. Beco do Batman
A car-free alley in Vila Madalena whose walls are covered in constantly changing graffiti, named after a Batman stencil painted there in the 1980s.
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6. Santa Teresa Tram (Bonde de Santa Teresa)
Rio's historic hilltop tramway, opened in 1877, which crosses the Lapa Arches from the centre and climbs through Santa Teresa in replica cars.
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7. Liberdade
São Paulo's Japanese, Chinese and Korean quarter, marked by a red torii on Rua Galvão Bueno and busy at weekends with a craft and food fair on Praça da Liberdade.
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8. Pedra do Arpoador
A rocky point between Ipanema and Copacabana where crowds gather to applaud the sunset over the sea, and one of Rio's best-known surf breaks.
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9. Concert at Sala São Paulo
Hear the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra in a 1,498-seat concert hall built inside the restored Júlio Prestes railway station, known for its adjustable ceiling.
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10. Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
A lagoon in the South Zone ringed by a 7.5-kilometre path for walking and cycling, with food kiosks and an Olympic rowing venue.
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