This year’s edition of the the Paraty Literary Festival, FLIP, in the coastal colonial Rio de Janeiro town of Paraty, will honor the work of Brazilian author Mário de Andrade. Among themes under examination will be poetry, science, family and romantic life, police literature, international politics, travel, music, architecture, cultural policy and Brazilian affairs. The programming will include discussions by 39 authors, 16 of whom are from abroad. The curator for this year’s event is journalist Paulo Werneck.

Pão de Açucar, Urca Mountain

The postcard image of Rio de Janeiro, this 1300 ft mountain is the gateway to the Guanabara bay and is considered a must-see attraction for visitors to the city. This all granite monolith is believed to date back up to 600 million years. It was named by Portuguese explorers in the 1500s, when the city of Rio de Janeiro was first founded at its base. The mountain overlooks the Botafogo harbor and is served by a cable car. The summit is also accessible by several climbing routes. Its sheer rock face is also home to orchids and other lush tropical vegetation.