Visit Rio’s statue of Christ the Redeemer

Looming over Rio like a watchful guardian, the statue of Christ the Redeemer is one of the most recognisable and evocative icons of Latin America. But it’s really the views that steal the scene: from the statue’s vantage point atop Corcovado mountain, a heavenly panorama stretches out in all directions, revealing the voluptuous contours of the bay’s monolithic granite peaks.

You can ascend the jungle-clad mountain on the impossibly steep cog railway or beat the queues by ascending most of the way in a minibus, taxi or open-top jeep. The journey to the top is spectacular from start to finish as you view up close the succulent tropical fruits and flowers which line the railway track and the sinuous road.