You've been to Copacabana, you've seen the girls from Ipanema, taken the funicular to the Corcovado and the cable car to the Sugarloaf, downed a few caipirinhas, and danced the samba till night turned to day. Now you need a little refreshment from the crowds, the noise, the electric buzz of a city that doesn't know when to turn out the night light. Relief is not far away. Among the beauties of a trip to Rio is the variety of places you can see, even with limited time.

Excursion choices in Rio can be broken down into three basic categories: The Serra (the mountainous region that looms invitingly in the distance, including the city of Petrópolis); Região dos Lagos (a beach paradise up the coast from Rio) and The Costa Verde (a delirium of greenery down the coast where hikers will find heavenly terrain to tread, water enthusiasts can enjoy sailing and diving areas, culture buffs can savor the historical town of Parati, and hedonists will of course, stagger happily away).