Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Tomorrow, part of a renewal project for the city’s old port area, opened in 2015 and was designed by architect Santiago Calatrava to use 40 percent less energy than a traditional building. Inside, one can view installations, exhibitions, and films dedicated to imagining the future in a world of global climate transformation. In front of the museum you can find new restaurants, shops, and long waterfront paths from which to take in the museum’s soaring, wing-like construction.

Rio de Janeiro’s flagship art museum comprises two buildings, one modern and one historic, conjoined by a floating canopy with a modern, wavy form. From the museum’s rooftop terrace visitors can view Rio’s renewed port, the Calatrava-designed Museum of Tomorrow, and the surrounding city. The museum features exhibitions of both historic and contemporary art, including a projected piece called “River of Images” that lets the viewer traverse Rio de Janeiro’s main avenue as it appeared in the past. The museum is free to visit on Tuesdays.

This Benedectine Abbey, established in the 1590s, is perched on a hill near Rio de Janeiro’s old port, a short walk from the Museum of Tomorrow. The facade of the monastery’s church is built in the Mannerist style of the 17th century, and in contrast with its austere exterior, has a surprisingly Baroque interior covered in gold and elaborate carved wood.

A stroll along the avenue Rua Primeiro de Março will bring you past many of Rio de Janeiro’s historic churches. Just off the avenue, on the bay side, are several galleries in historic 19th-century buildings, among them the Centro Correios Cultural, the Banco do Brasil, and the Casa França-Brasil. At Casa Franca Brasil, which occupies a neo-classical building, you can read in the design library and sip an Aperol spritz at the cafe in a courtyard that feels like a tropical Paris.

On the first Saturday of the month, the flea market at Praça XV de Novembro sells everything from vintage telephones to clothing to fine modern furniture. When you're done shopping, you can duck into the Old-Europe-style alleys next to the plaza and dine at one of the cafe tables that fill the narrow streets.

Attention, fans of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, contemporary art, or neo-futurism: Visit the town of Niterói to check out the Contemporary Art Museum, which rises on an elegant pedestal from Guanabara Bay like an earth-bound spaceport. The museum’s winding, sculptural entry ramp is often the scene of international fashion shows and other cultural events. The beaches near the museum offer excellent vantage points to view Rio de Janeiro from across the bay.

Fans of 1970s Brutalist architecture will appreciate Rio’s Centro neighborhood, which includes the monumental Metropolitan Cathedral and the Petrobras Headquarters. The Cathedral is designed as a heavy concrete take on a Mayan temple, and the Petrobras headquarters is an imposing stack of square forms that makes interesting use of columns and space. There are wide, cobblestone pathways around the buildings that make for a nice stroll, too.

Rio’s best nightclubs are located in the Lapa district, near the arches of Lapa’s iconic Roman-inspired 18th-century aqueduct. In Lapa, Cariocas and tourists dance samba all night to live bands, or drink and dance on club rooftops to modern DJs. At night people spill out of the clubs onto the streets, and you can always find interesting varieties of street food served from bike carts near the clubs.

Long delayed, Rio’s Image and Sound Museum is set to open in 2019 on Copacabana’s Avenida Atlântica. Already, the postmodern building designed by New York’s Diller Scofidio + Renfro establishes itself as a new Rio icon. According to the museum’s website, the building is a “reproduction of the famous Copacabana sidewalk folded into a vertical boulevard.” When opened, the museum will house exhibitions celebrating the music and art of Rio de Janeiro.

Founded in 1750, Santa Teresa is one of Rio’s oldest neighborhoods and the site of some of its most beautiful historic residential architecture, with lovely villas lining steep cobblestoned streets. The neighborhood’s bohemian character is apparent in its cafes and galleries, particularly around Largo dos Guimarães. One can ride the Santa Teresa tram from Carioca station up to Largo dos Guimarães, passing over Rio’s 18th-century aqueduct and enjoy fantastic views of the city.

The Sugarloaf, named for its distinctive shape, offers 360-degree views of the Cidade Maravilhosa and its surrounding islands. Rock climbers can scale many different routes up the mountain, but if you want to simply relax atop the mountain and take in the gorgeousness of Rio, a tram will whisk you up to the top.

Rio's iconic, 100-foot-tall Christ the Redeemer statue was built in the Art Deco style in 1922 and is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It looks striking from any angle in Rio, but is particularly sublime when viewed from the platform where it stands atop Corcovado Mountain. From here, the large scale of the sculpture is made even more impressive by the thousand-foot drop to the green mountains, city, and ocean below.

Fans of tropical plants and succulents visit the Jardim Botânico for its vast array of flora. It’s also a destination for people looking to relax away from the bustle and noise of the city. In some areas you can even spot monkeys and other tropical forest animals.

The sweeping curve of Copacabana Beach is the site of several miles of beach kiosks, volleyball courts, joggers, and beachgoers tanning, swimming, and enjoying the sun. On any given weekend it can seem like much of the city is here. All along the water, stands providing beach chairs, umbrellas, drinks, and snacks will set you up with everything you need for the day; just bring friends and a swimsuit. The rippling black-and-white pattern of the mosaic boardwalk, designed by modernist landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, is its own landmark.

Whether or not Army history is your thing, a visit to the Fort Copacabana can be a fun time. The fort, built in 1914, provides not only exhibitions of the history of the Brazilian army, but also unbeatable views of Copacabana beach, which you can enjoy while seated at tables in the fort’s several outdoor cafes. The fort also features a branch of the Rio de Janeiro pastry institution Confeitaria Colombo, which was first established in downtown Rio in 1894.

The 1951 modernist home of Ambassador Walther Moreira Salles was converted in 1999 into an institute featuring photography, art, films, and concerts. Along with the institute’s art collections, the home itself is worth visiting, as it features many hallmarks of Rio de Janeiro modern architecture such as undulating canopies, custom brises soleil, and gardens designed by Roberto Burle Marx.

The City of Arts complex, designed by French architect Christian de Portzamparc, is notable for the sheer scale of its modern architecture, which rises seven stories and the length of an athletic field from a park in Rio’s Barra da Tijuca suburb. Despite its size and concrete construction the building is remarkably buoyant in appearance. The building houses the largest musical theater in South America, and there are several exhibitions of work by Brazilian artists on display in the building’s galleries.

For Cariocas looking for a beach day away from the city, Prainha Beach is part of a protected ecological area and offers a more natural experience. It is known as one of the best surfing beaches in the Rio area, as well as a place for families to spend the day swimming, fishing, and grilling. It takes about an hour to get there from the center of Rio, so Prainha is best for day trips.

Landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx designed the gardens and paths that surround many of Oscar Niemeyer’s and other Brazilian architects’ modernist buildings, as well as Copacabana’s famous mosaic boardwalk. Sitio Burle Marx was the designer’s Rio de Janeiro home, and has been converted into a museum dedicated to his work. At the museum, you can enjoy and be inspired by Burle Marx’s garden designs in a relaxing and intimate setting.