Rio de Janeiro

Situated along sweeping Atlantic beaches, over granite mountains, around a lagoon, and incorporating a jungle, the cidade maravilhosa (marvellous city) enjoys one of the most superb settings on earth.

Those who call Rio home ('cariocas') are famous for their zest for life and insatiable energy, and if a stay in their spectacular city doesn't leave you breathless with excitement, it might be an idea to check if you are still breathing.

Even for the poor living in the hillside favelas (shantytowns), the cariocas' famed passion for celebration is never more exuberantly indulged than during Carnaval, the over-the-top extravaganza of parades, costumes, music and dancing that, World Cup futebol finals excepted, is the most important event on the Rio calendar.

That said, the festive fires keep burning year-round, in the city's boisterous bars and nightclubs - and on its beaches. Teeming Copacabana and Ipanema are the most famous, fleshy and fashionable of these, but there are miles and miles of golden stretches to choose from, extending well into the west, up to the city limits.

Those near the Centro (historic centre) around Urca are overlooked by one of Rio's most renowned sights, Pão de Açúcar ('Sugarloaf' mountain) whose 394m-high peak can be scaled by cable car or foot for breathtaking views.

Loftier at 710m and even more of a postcard legend is Corcovado Hill, crowned by the 30m-tall statue of Christ the Redeemer whose outstretched arms bless the vast city and bay beneath. Behind it, as if you needed any further enticement to visit, is the Parque Nacional da Tijuca, the largest urban rainforest in the world.