Well before the pier, Rio introduces itself: Sugarloaf Mountain stands guard at the entrance to Guanabara Bay, Corcovado can be glimpsed through the haze and granite hills rise between the towers. Few metropolises offer such a theatrical arrival. The ship docks at Pier Mauá, right downtown, in a former port area completely redesigned and known to Cariocas as Porto Maravilha.

Around the pier: the new face of the old port

No need to look for a taxi for the first few hours. The Museu do Amanhã, the "Museum of Tomorrow," raises its futuristic white silhouette right next to the terminal; its exhibitions explore the future of the planet with immersive installations that appeal to families and science buffs alike. A few minutes' walk away, the Museu de Arte do Rio brings together collections devoted to the city itself, and the Boulevard Olímpico esplanade lines up huge, colourful murals painted on the former warehouses. You can stroll there among coconut water vendors, with the bay on one side and the business district on the other.

Christ and Sugarloaf, Rio's two balconies

The city's two great panoramas share the day. Atop Corcovado, at 710 metres, the statue of Christ the Redeemer opens its arms above a landscape where sea, forest and neighbourhoods intertwine; a small cog railway climbs through the Tijuca Forest to get there. Facing it, the Sugarloaf cable car rises in two stages from the Urca neighbourhood and reveals the harbour from another angle, with the beaches lined up one after another. On a clear day, either one alone justifies the port call; mornings often offer the best visibility and the shortest lineups.

Copacabana, Ipanema and beach life

The legendary beaches stretch about ten kilometres south of the terminal, a taxi ride of about twenty minutes depending on traffic. On the Copacabana promenade, patterned with black and white waves, joggers, volleyball players and juice kiosks cross paths. Ipanema, a little farther on, cultivates a more bohemian atmosphere facing the silhouette of the Dois Irmãos. Even without a swimsuit, an hour's walk along the Atlantic Ocean gives you the pulse of Carioca life.

The historic centre, on foot from the ship

Between excursions, the old heart is worth lingering over: São Bento Monastery and its gilded Baroque interior, Confeitaria Colombo and its Belle Époque mirrors for a coffee, the white arches of the Lapa Aqueduct, or the Selarón Steps, covered in tiles from all over the world. These spots are concentrated a short distance from Pier Mauá, by taxi or even on foot for the closest ones. The usual big-city precautions apply: keep valuables out of sight, and travel by vehicle after dark.

Planning your hours

1. Morning: Corcovado or Sugarloaf, before the crowds and in clear light.
2. Noon: churrasco or a plate of feijoada in town, or a simple break facing the sea.
3. Afternoon: the beaches of the South Zone, then back via the Boulevard Olímpico and the Museu do Amanhã, steps from the ship.

Leaving the bay

As the ship sets sail, Guanabara Bay unfolds its scenery one last time: Christ tiny atop his mountain, the beaches lighting up, the hills turning blue. Rio can't be summed up in a single port call; it can only be glimpsed, and that's precisely what makes you want to return for longer.