Rio de Janeiro

Host of the 2016 Olympic Games

If you thought you’d seen all there was to see of the “Marvellous City” during the 2014 Brazil World Cup, think again. Rio’s stunning natural landscape should make this the most photogenic Olympics ever. The rowing will be held on the Lagoa, a natural lake ringed by imposing black mountains; the road cycling will speed through the city’s rainforested hills; and the beach volleyball will be on Copacabana beach – also the site of the Olympic fanzone. Away from sport, the new Museum of Tomorrow in the old port district, designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened last month, looks at the need for change if mankind is to avoid climate disaster. The elegant, futuristic building is already being described as one of the city’s must-see sights. Visiting Rio during the Olympics will be expensive, but at any other time your money will go a long way as the value of the real, Brazil’s currency, has fallen sharply over the past year.