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Photo: renatadihl, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
A large lagoon in the middle of South Zone, with great views to Corcovado and Ipanema and Leblon beaches. You can run, walk, skate or cycle the 7.5 km around this freshwater lake and then retire to your luxurious Ipanema penthouse apartment, or just imagine it! Some have been known to swim in it although pollution levels are very high. Around Lagoa you can rent cycles, swan-shaped pedalos and, on the western side near where the helicopters take off, electric cars for younger kids.
Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon is a lagoon in the district of Lagoa in the Zona Sul area of Rio de Janeiro. The lagoon is connected to the Atlantic Ocean, allowing sea water to enter by a canal along the edge of a park locally known as Jardim de Alah.
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Parque Lage
Public park with walking trails through subtropical forest. A cafe offers drinks and meals. A trail goes up to Corcovado mountain from here. The land was the residence of industrialist Enrique Lage and his wife, singer Gabriella Besanzoni. During the 1920s Lage had the mansion remodeled by Italian architect Mario Vodrel, with interior paintings by Salvador Payols Sabaté. The mansion was notably featured in the 2003 music video for Snoop Dogg's single "Beautiful."
Jardim Botânico
Planted in the 1800s, it is both a park and a scientific laboratory. It contains a huge collection of plants from all over the world, not only tropical ones. If you take the bus note that Jardim Botanico is also the name of a neighborhood and the road on which it is found so make sure you go all the way to the entrance. The gardens are well kept and very lush. Not far from the cafe, you are likely to hear swooshing sounds. Look up and you can see small monkeys swinging from tree to tree.
Praia do Ipanema
The main beach for the middle-class, and specifically the Posto 9 section (watchtower #9) is preferred by left-wingers, intellectuals, artists, journalists and similar beach-goers. You can easily walk into a politician or someone famous here. The area close to the Farme de Amoedo street in Ipanema is known to attract the gay crowd of the city, who show off openly their sexuality.
Praia do Arpoador
There are shows, mainly for kids, in the planetarium on weekends. These are targeted at different age groups so it is essential to check the age the show you plan to attend is for or you may get stuck with one that is totally unsuitable. From Wednesday to Friday the space is also open without shows and there are around 60 hands-on scientific experiments to entertain kids.
The 710 m granite peak of Corcovado, capped by the famous 38-m statue of Jesus known as Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor), has been the vantage point for countless picture postcards and travel posters through the ages. Its peak provides a sweeping panorama, from the interior of Guanabara Bay to the north, to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas (Rodrigo de Freitas' Lagoon) to the south. Access to the mountain as a whole is free, but most of the good views are within the paid area of the Christ statue. You can't enter the statue itself except for a small chapel at the bottom of it.