Side trips from Rio
 

I'm spending January and February in Rio. I have class on Monday and Wednesday nights, so I can pack in some nice extended weekend trips. Any suggestions? I've already heard about Buzios and Ilha Grande. I know it's a long distance and two flights away, but has anyone been to Fernando de Noronha?

My one trip to Brazil was in February, and we were in a lovely beach resort
area a couple hours south of Rio called Angra dos Rios.

If you like nature, we spent a day inland at a National Park called Itatiaia;
just off the highway in the mountains. It was a poor road up into the
mountains, but we loved the hotel we stayed at, called Vista Linda.

Good luck.

When in Rio we did a great day trip to the Sítio Roberto Burle Marx in Barra de Guaratiba. Highly recommended.