Life of the party: Why the NY Times says Rio is the top 2013 destination

If South America were one giant party, Rio de Janeiro would be the life of it.
Photo from Samuel Leo/Flickr

The New York Times has placed Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro as the top destination to visit this year. According to publication’s 46 Places to Go in 2013, now is the time to visit the city, because in 2014 everyone else will be there.

With the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics perched on the horizon, tickets for a Rio visit are fast-flying off the shelf. The city itself is ramping up with new investment and infrastructure focused on enhancing the cities cultural appeal with things like the Rio Museum of Art, Casa Daros and the City of Arts, which is the new home of the Brazilian symphony.

Dubbed ‘The Marvelous City’, Rio is home to nearly 6.3 million people, and has long offered a range of attractions to visitors ranging from the notorious Carnival festival – the craziest party in the southern hemisphere – to the giant statue, ‘Christ the Redeemer’ that keeps watch over the city.

Other locations on the New York Time’s list of 46 Places to Go in 2013 included Nicaragua, because “it’s eco! And the food is good”, Lithuania, “because it’s ‘an overlooked beer destination in the Baltics”, and the Republic of Congo because it’s “the other Congo, Africa’s newest safari destination.”