Sights around Rio de Janeiro

Jiu-Jitsu camp participants Lauren DeVore, left, and Lysset Tapia train at the Nobre Arte gym in Rio’s favela Cantagalo.  (Lynne Friedman / For The Times)

Youngsters enjoy paddle-surfing off Rio’s famed Copacabana beach.   (Vanderlei Almeida / AFP / Getty Images)

Residents check out the colorful Escadaria Selarón stairway in Rio de Janeiro, the work of Chilean-born painter and sculptor Jorge Selarón. The 250-step stairway, which the artist has been working on since 1990, features more than 2,000 tiles collected from around the globe.   ( Yasuyoshi Chiba / AFP / Getty Images)

Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema beach is popular with locals and tourists alike.  (Vanderlei Almeida / AFP / Getty Images)

The sun sets on another day at Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema beach.   (Felipe Dana / Associated Press)

Diffused by cloud cover, morning light illuminates Leme beach in Rio de Janeiro.   (Fernando Quevedo / Getty Images)

A surfer rides the waves off Rio de Janeiro.   (Ian Gavan / Getty Images for Diageo)

Mist rises above one of Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, or shanty towns.   (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

In Rio, Brazilians demonstrate capoeira, a martial art that combines elements of dance and music. It is known for its quick and complex moves.   (Mario Tama / Getty Images)

An idyllic scene is presented through the trees at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.   (Antonio Scorza / AFP / Getty Images)

No trip to Brazil would be complete without trying a caipirinha, the country’s signature drink.   (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)