While investments may fill your pockets, it’s adventures that fill your soul. And there’s no need to leave civilization behind to find unique and unexpected experiences. Urban adventures abound in any dynamic city. Here are tips for finding lively fun in three of the greatest cities in the world: Toronto, New York and Rio de Janeiro.
Downtown and Lakeside Adventures in Toronto
Toronto, Canada’s largest metropolis, has a delightfully energetic downtown area, with Fairmont Royal York at its heart. Checking into this stately hotel puts you a short walk from top attractions and gives you easy access to one of the city’s most celebrated dining rooms, REIGN Restaurant + Bar + Bakery.
If you’ve soared up the iconic CN Tower on a previous trip, raise the adrenaline level on your next visit by signing up for EdgeWalk, a hands-free external walkway 116 stories up. Daring visitors are connected by harness as they circle the tower’s main pod.
Sophisticated travelers know that fine dining means scrumptious food, not starched tablecloths. In Toronto, this tip leads you straight to Yonge Street’s World Food Market, where kiosks offer up everything from memorable East Asian delights to gourmet hamburgers.
Next step: hop on a ferry to picturesque, pastoral Toronto Islands, just 15 minutes from the waterfront. This car-free archipelago offers beaches, parks, cycling trails and an amusement park, plus unrivaled views of the city skyline.
Alternatively, head east along the lakeshore to a laid-back neighborhood called The Beaches, where you can take an outdoor dip in an Olympic-size pool or join an illuminated night paddle tour. Be sure to stop in at Ed’s Real Scoop for decadent homemade ice-cream sandwiches.
The Elegant Upper East Side and Central Park, NYC
A stay at The Plaza in Manhattan constitutes an amazing adventure in and of itself. This famed castle on Central Park South has hosted movie stars, crowned heads and the world’s movers and shakers in its hundred-plus years on Fifth Avenue. Elegance and style are the calling cards of The Plaza, but its prestigious address also happens to be a great jumping-off point for adventures in the lively Big Apple.
Bustling and decidedly cosmopolitan, New York is as urban as a city can be. Begin your Manhattan indulgence by exploring the storied Upper East Side, home to Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Housed in Andrew Carnegie’s landmark mansion, this museum showcases thousands of design objects spanning 30 centuries. You can pick up books, cool kitchenware and limited-edition pieces by contemporary designers in the shop, then enjoy a game of ping-pong in the shaded garden.
Grab a hot brew and chocolate cake afterwards from Ralph’s Coffee, a chic cafe in the flagship Ralph Lauren store on Madison Avenue. Luxe boutiques line the surrounding blocks, from Prada and Oscar de la Renta to New York-based perfume brand Le Labo.
But don’t neglect Central Park, oh-so-close to The Plaza. The question is not whether adventures await you here, but which adventures will find you. Within the park, there are countless treasures, including dozens of monuments, fountains and sculptures as well as restaurants, jogging paths and a quaint zoo. Themed walking tours take in hidden highlights of the north end and spots made famous in movies and music.
All-Year Fun and Sun in Copacabana, Rio
It would be hard to find a more glorious site than that of Fairmont Rio de Janeiro Copacabana, a luxury retreat with its toes in the white sand of its namesake beach. Many call a visit to this long, lovely beach the city’s top adventure. While a plunge and a sunbath are always a pleasure here, the real adventure is enjoying the parade of activity around you: pickup soccer games, beach vendors, gorgeous tanned bodies, impromptu samba circles and stands selling sugary caipirinhas.
Rio de Janeiro’s vibrant mix of beach, jungle and lively urbanity offers numerous other adventure possibilities. Copacabana is guarded by the imposing peak of Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar in Portuguese). Ride a cable car to the summit, nearly 1,300 feet above the city, with Copacabana extending southward. Aim for sunset on a clear day. Or, for the ultimate thrill, hang glide over the scene to get a bird’s-eye perspective.
Another day, another Rio adventure. This time head for the open-armed Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado mountain, which rises above sprawling, forested Tijuca National Park. You can climb up the mountain’s 2,329 feet, but it’s also exciting to catch the narrow-gauge train that takes 20 minutes to reach the top.
Finish up your day with creative cocktails, delicious tapas and an unforgettable view of Sugarloaf from the hotel’s Spirit Copa Bar.
Wherever your wanderlust takes you, Experience Fairmont Moments that make for an unforgettable trip.