One of Rio de Janeiro's best-known landmarks, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas is the lagoon you see from Corcovado. There's the Sugarloaf in the distant background, Leme and Copacabana in one great curve to the right of Sugar Loaf, and Ipanema to the right, separated from Copacabana by Arpoador, projecting into the ocean. In the forefront, you see the Jockey Club.
Parque Tom Jobim, a group of three parks around Lagoa, is a leisure area with a roller skate rink (Parque dos Patins), playgrounds, a sculpture garden, workout stations and sports courts. The food kyosks around Lagoa are a popular choice for casual dining in Rio.
Lagoa is a fragile ecosystem, and city growth hasn't helped it. A sum of unfavorable conditions - the fact that it's linked to the ocean by a narrow canal, making renewal of water difficult; illegal sewage dumping; and the excessive growth of algae - have caused fish to die in catastrophic numbers in the past.
Lagoa Limpa (Clean Lagoon), an environmental project initiated by Eike Batista's EBX in a partnership with public institutions, was launched in 2008 and aims to be concluded in September 2010. Read more about Clean Lagoon.
The history of soccer in Rio de Janeiro has its origin in rowing clubs. Two of Brazil's most popular soccer clubs - Flamengo and Botafogo - have rowing headquarters on Lagoa's shores. Flamengo actually has its main headquarters at Lagoa. But when the team plays in Rio, their venue is Maracanã, the city stadium.
For more information about rowing on Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, contact Frerj, the Rio de Janeiro State Rowing Federation.
Lagoa is also home to private clubs such as Monte Líbano, famous for its Carnival balls for adults and for children.
A private initiative that has helped revitalize Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas is the creation of kiosks with restaurants and snack bars around the lagoon. Fine Food's, the company that manages the kiosks, has invested in reforesting the area and provides reinforced security.
In the map of kiosks, you can see how they're grouped. Some of them have live music (música ao vivo).
For travelers, the kiosks are one of the best ways to enjoy Lagoa. Gôndola Café, Café del Lago and Mediterrâneo serve Italian food; Quiosque da Criança is a kids' buffet; you can listen to live Brazilian music and eat arab food at Arab.
A place worth making time for when traveling in Rio is Bar Lagoa, on Epitácio Pessoa, one of the avenues that border the lagoon.
The art-déco bar and restaurant with interiors in Carrara marble was built in 1934, when Ipanema was still an isolated fisherman's beach. The building is a Rio de Janeiro Cultural Heritage Site.
On the bar website, you can view historic photos of Lagoa, from an exhibit held at the bar with images dating back to pioneer photographer Marc Ferrez in 1885. Click on Fotos.
Bar Lagoa has a diverse menu, with pasta, seafood, pizzas and sandwiches. Some entrées are pricey, but there are reasonable options as well.
To view an online menu (with prices in reais), click on Cardápio.
The Eva Klabin Foundation, also on Epitácio Pessoa Avenue, is one of the best places in Rio for art lovers. Eva Klabin (1903-1991) started collecting art while still in her teens and traveled the world in search of items for her impressive collection.
The house she shared with her husband, Paulo Rapaport, for a few years before he passed away was built in 1931. In the 1960s, Eva Klabin embarked on a seven-year renovation project to make room for more works of art and better display them.
Address: Avenida Epitácio Pessoa 2480Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
Rio de Janeiro - RJ
Brazil
Phone: 55-21-3202-8554
The permanent collection on display can only be viewed during guided visits. It comprises more than 1,000 catalogued items, spanning fifty centuries.
Eva's younger sister, Ema, was also an art collector. Her home and collection became the Ema Gordon Klabin Foundation, in São Paulo.
Siblings Ema, Eva and Mina were the daughters of Jewish Lithuanian immigrants Fanny and Hessel Klabin. Together with his brothers, Hessel Klabin was one of the founders of Klabin, the largest producer of paper in Brazil.
Eva moved to Rio de Janeiro while still young and spent most of her life there. She bequeathed her house and collection to the city.
Only Carnival and Reveillon are greater seasonal attractions in Rio than the floating Christmas tree at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Almost three million lights adorn the impressive structure, which has scored Guinness World Records as the largest floating Christmas tree in the world.
Water ballet, fireworks, music shows, and light choreographies add to the beauty of the 27- story high Christimas tree, which draws thousands of tourists every year. It's usually up by late November, and always taken down on January 6.
See a panorama of the 2009 Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas Christmas tree, one of the top images in Rio 360 by Ayrton Camargo.
