News This Saturday (13 June) is Day of the Tourist in Brazil To mark the event, a selection of Olympic athletes joined forces with cultural experts to draw up a list of the top 16 must-do experiences for the curious visitor in Rio de Janeiro The list highlights the multicultural spirit of the 2016 Olympic Games host city, and with arts, gastronomy, leisure and outdoor sports on the menu, there’s something for everyone Read on to find out what made the short list: 1   Açai on the sea frontPhoto: Alexandre Macieira/Riotur A great way to start the day in Rio de Janeiro is to hire a bike and cycle along the bike path beside the beach, stopping for a bite to eat at one of the kiosks along the way Açai – a Brazilian ice cream-like snack made from the burgundy coloured berries of the açai palm – is a favourite among Rio natives (known as cariocas) As well as being delicious, it is also rumoured to be packed full of nutrients “The best stretch of beach is between Posto Three and Five, where the kiosks have the best juices and snacks,” says double Olympic champion volleyball player, Giovane Gavio: “On weekends the cycle path is more crowded, but to make up for it, you get to see more beautiful people!" 2   Hiking and a swimPhoto: Alexandre Macieira/Riotur Pedra da Gavea and Pedra Bonita are some of the most famous rock formations on Rio’s skyline and both have popular hiking trails to reach the top “The views from up there are breathtaking and it’s a great way to recharge your batteries with nature all around you Whenever I go up there, I find some new viewpoint that I haven’t seen before – it’s enchanting Then after the hike back down, I recommend a dip in the sea at Joatinga Beach," says sailor Kahena Kunze, member of the Brazilian sailing squad and the 2014sailing world champion in the 49FX class  3  A stroll along the boardwalkPhoto: Alexandre Macieira/Riotur Mingle with tourists from around the globe and Brazilians from all walks of life by taking a stroll along Copacabana’s famous beachside boardwalk “It was a very cool experience to see so many different people from all over the world side-by-side in one place Rio really is a melting pot," says Daniel Dias, Brazilian swimming star who won a total of 15 medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and in Beijing in 2008  4   Paddle and a barbecue lunch Photo: Alexandre Macieira/Riotur Stand up paddle boarding is hugely popular in Brazil and Rio’s spectacular shoreline provides the perfect backdrop "I tried stand-up paddle at the beach and fell in love with it It really is an activity for people of all ages and all sizes,” says Anderson Varejão, member of the Brazilian national basketball team: “I am 2 11 metres tall and I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it, but I soon found out that my height wasn’t a problem To refuel after a paddle, I recommend lunch at one of the city’s renowned steakhouses " 5 Sunset and dinner in Santa Teresa Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images Since the late 1960s cariocas have been applauding Rio’s spectacular sunsets from the vantage point of Arpoador, the rock which juts out into the sea where Rio’s coastline swings northwards from Ipanema to Copacabana Santa Teresa is a charming neighbourhood perched on the hillside above the city centre, packed with crumbling colonial-era mansions "The sunset from Arpoador is the most beautiful I have ever seen It is simply indescribable I never miss it when I’m in Rio de Janeiro Then when the sun’s gone down I like to go up to Santa Teresa for its fantastic restaurants and the incredible view," says Brazilian volleyball player, Sheila Castro, who helped win the gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and at London 2012  6   Concert and street cuisinePhoto: Riotur Rio is blessed with a multitude of theatres, music venues and dining options for all tastes and budgets, including some fabulous street food vendors The opulent Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro is well worth a visit, if only to take in the elegant architecture of the century old building "On Sundays you can go to an opera, a concert or the ballet for a very reasonable price and it’s one of the nicest buildings in Rio,” says Carla Camurati, former President of the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro Foundation and now the Director of Culture for Rio 2016 After taking in a show, she recommends trying the traditional Brazilian soups on offer at Caldo da Nega in the neighbourhood of Rio Comprido: “My favorite is the Mexican bean soup and the seafood soup called Leão Velloso ”Another top food tip from Camurati is Tacacá da Rose based in Ilha do Governador for typical food  from the Brazilian northeast  7   Snacks and shopping at the fairPhoto: Marcos Pinto A trip to the Saturday street fair at General Glicério in the residential neighbourhood of Laranjeiras makes for a pleasant way to start the weekend Pastel and bolinhas de bacalhau are traditional, deep-fried Brazilian snacks to sample, the former being codfish patties rolled into balls and the latter being pastry pockets with a variety of filllings “You can find bolinhas de bacalhau at Mazzaropi’s stall or pastel at Bigode’s Bigode has loads of flavours you can choose from, like beef, cheese or shrimp Then to really get the weekend started, you can have a caipirinha made with cachaça or vodka from Luisinho’s stall,” says Sergio Bloch, author of the Carioca Street Food Guide Besides the fair’s culinary delights, there are stalls selling clothes, jewellery and handmade souvenirs There is also live chorinho starting at 1pm –  a kind of samba music typical to Rio de Janeiro  8   Architecture and rare books  One of Rio de Janeiro’s best kept secrets is the Royal Portuguese Reading Room, hidden away behind the João Caetano Theatre in the city centre "It is one of the most beautiful places in Rio – so beautiful, in fact that Caetano Veloso, one of Brazil’s most celebrated popular musicians, made a video there Surprisingly though, few cariocas know about it,” says the architect and set designer Gringo Cardia, who moved to the city from Rio Grande do Sul 40 years ago The Reading Room occupies an imposing Neo-Manueline building and functions as a public library housing more than 350,000 books “I like theatmosphere there, with bookcases lining the walls and stretching up to the height of the ceiling and there are so many amazing, rare books It's all very impressive,” says Cardia  9   Dancing, samba and feijoadaPhoto: Buda Mendes/Getty Images On the second Saturday of every month, one of Rio’s most renowned carnival samba schools, Mangueira, throws open its doors to the public, hosting a huge samba party and traditional feijoada Feijoada is a typical Brazilian stew made in the Rio de Janeiro region with black beans and offcuts of pork and beef, and plenty of salt and garlic "Everyone goes wild when the drums start playing at Mangueira It’s a truly unique experience for people who have never been here before I've taken my family from São Paulo, a French actor, foreign friends everyone is blown away by the energy,” say actor, playwright and director, Gustavo Gasparani, adding: “It’s really an unmissable experience ” 10   Meet the locals at Rio’s street barsPhoto: Alexandre Macieira/Riotur Rio has a vibrant street culture People gather and spill out onto the streets from the ubiquitous open-fronted bars called botecos (or more colloquially, pés sujos - “dirty feet”) "I have traveled across four continents and nowhere have I seen this kind of street culture It happens so spontaneously in Rio de Janeiro,” says choreographer Deborah Colker: “Here, everything happens on the streets – people meet on the street, get chatting and stop to drink a beer standing at the counter of a pé sujo ” Her top tip is Bar Rebouças, on the corner of Rua Maria Angelica and Rua Jardim Botânico “The owner is Portuguese and his wife cooks really well Lunch there is always really good and in the evenings they serve some delicious croquettes Whatever the time of day and night there’s always good food, cold beer and interesting people to chat to,” she says Deborah Colker directed the flash mob that took over Avenida Atlantica in Copacabana in April to mark 500 days until the opening of the Paralympic Games  11   Park with history and artPhoto: Riotur Nestled at the heart of the tree-filled park known as Parque Lage, in the neighbourhood of Jardim Botânico, is an historic palace which now houses Rio’s renowned School of Visual Arts The house and its landscaped gardens are open to the public, offering a peaceful retreat from the city’s crowds and stunning views of the Christ Statue perched on the mountain above "The building is full of history and beauty I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot inside, looking up at the Christ," says the former model turned elite athlete, Fernando Fernandes from São Paulo, “For me, it’s one of the most beautiful and charming places in Rio ”Fernandes has won four world titles and a Paracanoe World Cup and is one of Brazil’s biggest hopes for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games  12   Beaches, fresh fish and musicPhoto: Pedro Kirilos/Riotur Grumari and Prainha are beaches on the city’s western fringe, popular with surfers and with a wilder feel than Rio's more urban stretches of sand "I love to take a dip at Grumari or Prainha and then go to the neighbourhood of Guaratiba for lunch You can find nice fish restaurants there with fresh fish and good caipirinhas,” says Cynthia Howlett, journalist, nutritionist and open-air sports fan, who brought together her favorite places in the city in the bilingual book, Alma do Rio/The Soul of Rio Her top tip for after dark? Chorinho in the neighbourhood of Lapa, the hub of Rio’s nightlife  13 An evening of outsider poetry On the last Tuesday of every month, Rio’s most inspired and radical poets gather at Bar do Tom Zé, in Rio’s Cidade de Deus community, for Poetry on the Corner – an evening of underground poetry “Themes are not limited to racial issues or violence,” says Viviane Sales, poet, cultural promoter and organizer of the event: “Outsider poetry in Rio now includes discussions of pop literature and characters from all walks of life ” 14   Breakfast and a walk to musicPhoto: Riotur/Pedro Kirilos The cafe in Rio’s Botanical Garden is a firm favourite with cariocas for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast, with its freshly baked artisan breads and tasty morning menu "After breakfast I like to walk through the Botanical Gardens with friends I particularly like the orchid house and the Tom Jobim space, and of course, the perfect soundtrack is anything by Tom Jobim, particularly the track Saudades do Brazil," says writer and music producer Nelson Motta, author of Tropical Nights and Vale Tudo - The Sound and the Fury of Tim Maia  15   A taste of Bahia in Rio Photo: Alexandre Macieira/Riotur The northeastern state of Bahia is well known for its unique brand of culture and cuisine, which mixes European influences with a good dose of Africa Acarajé is a typical dish from the region made from peeled black-eyed peas formed into a ball and deep-fried in dendê (palm) oil Paulo Villas Boas, Olympian and former member of the Brazilian national basketball team, says Bahian culture is alive and well in the neighbourhood of Barra da Tijuca "After sunbathing at Barra beach, I just cross the street and right there on the beachfront you can find real acarajé without ever leaving Rio de Janeiro Every Sunday, three or four Bahian women, dressed in traditional Bahian costumes, put up a tent at Posto One and serve acarajé that they make on the spot,” he says “And they’re not Rio or São Paulo Bahians – they’re real Bahians!” he adds  16   Arts cinema and kitsch shoppingPhoto: Cine Joia CineJoia is a cinema inside a shopping precinct in the heart of Copacabana’s main shopping street, which shows a rolling program of alternative and arts films “Apart from the film selection, the audience of older moviegoers and is an attraction in itself It's fun to go just to see how they interact with the screen,” says Brazilian swimming legend Ricardo Prado, won the silver medal at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games and is currently the Sports Manager for Aquatic Sports and Chairman of the Rio 2016 Sports Council “There is also a famous shopping precinct next door with themed shops and unconventional décor and an Arabic restaurant which sells sensational esfihas," he explains To find out more about the sights of Rio de Janeiro visit www rio2016 com/en/rio-de-janeiro/city-attractions