Are you desperate to soak up the sights and beautiful surroundings of Rio but can’t afford the plane ticket or to take time off work?
Google has the answer. The search engine giant has launched an incredible 360° immersive experience to give wannabe travellers the chance to daydream about wandering down the cobbled streets of the “Marvellous City”.
As Rio de Janeiro prepares to welcome the 2016 Olympics, the wonders of the city and its cultural heritage can be viewed through the interactive images.
Google has joined together with eight of the city’s cultural institutions to bring the world some of the most famous art exhibitions and iconic views.
Using the Street View technology and 3,000 images from archives and exhibits you can immerse yourself in the sights of Rio with virtual reality tours through Google Cardboard.
Walk along Guanabara Bay and explore the Theatro Municipal without setting foot on a plane.
And a must see on anyone’s bucket list is the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, which you can see from every angle with the help of this innovative technology.
It isn’t just the present day you can explore, however; the Google tour includes some of the most amazing pictures of Rio de Janeiro from a different age with archive images. Virtual tourists can also enjoy a guided tour of Ziraldo’s works. This artist and author is a national treasure in Brazil and his comics are embedded in the city’s culture.
It isn’t just the city centre, however, the hillside favelas have also been included in Google’s work. The company teamed up with AfroReggae which is a local NGO to create a map of the whole area as the 1.4 million people living in favelas have no addresses. After two years’ work, 10,000 businesses and 26 favelas are now listed on Google Maps.
This new online collection has already opened its virtual doors at g.co/riodejaneiro on Google Arts & Culture. It is available on the web on mobile, tablet and desktop, and on the Google Arts & Culture app on iOS and Android devices.
So, if you can’t make it to Rio to see the Olympics or just to experience the sights and culture, diving into this treasure trove of stunning images is the next best thing!
