A perfect day in Rio de Janeiro

Few people are in a hurry in Rio de Janeiro – after all, it's a city widely known around Brazil for its carefree attitude and beach-centric lifestyle. It's here where the jovial words, 'Boa praia!' ('Have a good beach!') are as commonly heard on a Monday as a Saturday. Usually, tourists like to do as locals do as well - milking the city's sun-soaked atmosphere for all its worth.

If you find yourself with a 24-hour stopover in the cidade maravilhosa, there's no shortage of distractions. So drop your bags at left luggage (guarda-volumes) – your perfect day in Rio starts here.

Morning

Head straight for the Zona Sul, home to many of Rio's upscale neighborhoods and the bulk of its famous beaches, including Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. First order of business: caffeine! Do as Brazilians do and pair a cafezinho (little espresso) with a pão de queijo (cheese bread). There's an excellent café in Leblon called Cafeína to do just that.

Amped and refreshed, it's time to stake your spot on Rio's postcard-perfect sands, but do so carefully. Rio's Zona Sul beaches are lined with lifeguard posts, each known for the specific microclimate it attracts. The best beaches are Ipanema and Leblon. Here posto (post) 9 is where you'll find Rio's mauricinhos and patricinhas (the rich, bronzed and beautiful), with a section in front of Rua Farme de Amoedo that draws the GLBT crowd; and posto 11 is for families. Choose accordingly and let the beach caipirinhas (Brazil's national drink, with cachaça, limes and sugar) commence. Until lunch, it's all sizzle, sun and samba.

Lunch

Once hunger sets in, there are a few don't misses nearby, depending on your mood. A favorite beach day lunch is açaí, the purple, iron-and-antioxidant-rich berry that's usually blended with honey, granola, bananas and guaraná, a natural Amazonian relative of caffeine, into a refreshing, über-Brazilian treat. There's no better than Polis Sucos'. Alternatively, a quick and scenic taxi ride down Av. Atlântica – one of the world's most famous beachfront thoroughfares – lands you at Cervantes, a Copacabana institution famous for its filet mignon, cheese and pineapple sandwiches. Lastly, for those with deeper pockets and bigger appetites, a visit to one of Brazil's all-you-can-eat churascarias (steakhouses) is in order. Here an endless onslaught of perfectly-grilled meats is brought to your table until you cry uncle. Churrascaria Carretão (Rua Visconde de Piraja, 112, Ipanema) is one of the city's best.

Afternoon

Reserve your afternoon for sightseeing, when the sun can become relentless on the beach anyway. Make your way to Cosmo Velho, where the slightly unnerving cog train to the 710m-high peak known as Corcovado ascends through protected Tijuca National Forest to the Cristo Redentor , one of the most impressive monuments and urban views on earth. So impressive in fact, that is was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Afterwards, gauge your mood: feeling edgy or artsy? The former should book a favela tour. No, it's not dangerous. Yes, it's absolutely fascinating. A tour through Rio's notorious shantytowns is both eye-opening and inspiring, leaving you with a far better sense of the intricate socioeconomic struggles of Rio's complicated urban fabric. Marcelo Armstrong's Favela Tours is a pioneer. The latter should book a tour through historic Santa Teresa, Rio's hillside bohemian neighborhood, full of historic mansions, interesting museums and artsy shops and galleries. Viator offers fascinating walking tours.

Evening

They say New York is the city that never sleeps, but Rio doesn't get much shut-eye either. Begin your evening with Brazilian-slanted tapas and creative cocktails at Botofogo hotspot Meza Bar before heading to Lapa, Rio's gritty but excellent nightlife district. A lot of samba clubs have opened here in the last decade, resurrecting a dilapidated district into Rio's most interesting option for cultural nightlife. Both amateur and professional samba bands turn up here nightly, offering hip-shaking samba to a wildly mixed crowd. It's ridiculously good fun. The three best spots are Carioca Da Gema, Clube dos Democráticos and Rio Scenarium. Rio Scenarium is the most touristy but with the biggest wow factor - each of its three cinematic floors is lavishly decorated with some 10,000 movie set props and abundant antique furniture. Go ahead, take a load off on that 18th-century Victorian divan. You need some rest.