The Top 5 Must See Landmarks During the Rio Olympics

1. Sugarloaf MountainLocated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sugarloaf Mountain can only be accessed by riding the cable cars up. There are two stages when making the ascent up the mountain: first is to the top of Urca Hill, traveling 720 feet above sea level from Praia Vermelha and then the cable car goes to the tip top of Sugarloaf Mountain, a whopping 1300 feet (about 8 football fields). Then you have a 360-degree view of the entire city. Be sure to bring your camera! This is a site you want to remember forever!

2. Christ The RedeemerThis statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was created in parts by several different artists. Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski created the Art Deco piece and it was built by Heito da Silva Costa. The face was created by a Romanian artist Gheorghe Leonida and the French engineer Albert Caquot collaborated on it with Gheorghe Leonida. The statue itself stands 98 feet tall and the pedestal it sits on is 26 feet. His arms stretch 92 feet wide. To get a better idea, Christ the Redeemer is about two-thirds the size of the Statue of Liberty.

3. Copacabana BeachKnown as the world’s most famous beach, Copacabana, runs for three miles in front of Rio de Janeiro. Not only is it a beautiful beach, but, a short walk away and you’re at one of the best shopping centers in Rio, including restaurants, movie theaters and nightclubs. And, if you’re going to Rio for this year’s Olympics, this is the place you will be to see the beach volleyball up close and personal.

4. Centro Cultural Banco do BrasilThe Bank of Brazil Cultural Center (in English) or the CCBB is an art museum that opened in Rio in 1989. This building in Rio de Janeiro was designed by Francisco Joaquim Bethencourt da Silva and this art deco building is the largest of the CCBB institutions.

5. Maracanã StadiumThe Maracanã Stadium is a football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup. The stadium is mainly for football games but also hosts a number of concerts and other sporting events. It was renovated in 2010 and was completed in 2013. Get ready to see much more of the Maracanã Stadium as it is the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics.