Madrid to Rio de Janeiro

The image of Cristo Redentor, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, on top of Corcovado Mountain overlooking Rio is one of the city's most famous views.

1892 - A city plan of Rio de Janeiro. Notice how the large granite morros which dominate the city's skyline are clearly oultined and mapped in brown, without development.

The Jabuticaba tree, also known as the Brazilian Grape Tree, with its large, distinctive fruits, is one of the many local species growing within Tijuca Forest.

A view from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain over Rio and the Tijuca National Park - the striking dense green vegetation coating the morres outcrops rises up through the city.

The Tijuca Forest was established in 1861 by King Don Pedro II to prevent erosion from intensive farming around the city and preserve Rio's valuable supply of drinking water.

The lush flora of the Tijuca National Park is a man-made reserve for the species found in the Atlantic Rainforest ecosystem, indigenous vegetation which once stretched along the coast.

Sugarloaf Mountain is one of the most prominent and easily recognisable of the many rocky granite and quartz outcrops over the city, rising 842 metres above the crashing sea below.

This satellite view of Rio de Janerio highlights its dense urban core, with the white sandy beaches and green of the replanted forests of Tijcua National Park visible across the bottom right.

The delicate flowers of a banana plant join the lush variety of flowers and fruit plants within the Tijuca National Park.

Cristo Redentor, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, watches over Rio de Janeiro from within the Tijuca National Park and provides an iconic view of the city.

1931 - An aerial view of the beaches and morros of Rio de Janeiro, showing the vast green spaces of the Tijuca forest enveloping the city's edges.

The lush, thick forests of the Tijuca National Park preserve species of the Atlantic Rainforest, a now endangered ecosystem with diverse flora and fauna.

One of the larger of the 30 waterfalls found within Tijuca Park, where streams are harnessed for drinking water, one of the main motivators behind the park's development.

The Queen of the Drums, the main dancer and leader for the Samba School, leads the float and dancers through the parade and acts as a mascot for each Samba School.

The incredible costumes and pageantry of the samba school GRES Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel's float parading at the Rio Carnival.

1920s - A beautiful moonlight night looking over Rio de Janeiro, with the lights of the many bars and nighclubs bright against the sky and the outline of Sugarloaf Mountain.

A view across the world famous Copacabana Beach from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. The white sand of the beach stretches along the coast of Rio for four kilometres.

Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, home to 60,000 people, is built on the steep land resting up against the Two Brothers Hill, overlooking Ipanema and Copacabana beaches.

Sunset at Ipanema beach, with the Vidigal favela in the background, resting up against the distinctive silhouette of Two Brothers Hill.

Beach parties and concerts draw hundreds of thousands of people to Rio's beaches every year. A Rolling Stones concert on Copacabana beach in in 2006 had an audience of 1.5 million.

The famous colonial Portuguese style pavement which makes up the Copacabana promenade remains in the same 1930s geometric wave pattern as when initially constructed.

Elaborate jewelled headdresses for male and female dancers, with feathers, wings and adornments are common and traditional parts of Carnival costumes.

A typical view of Ipanema Beach during the busy summer months, packed with Cariocas (local residents of Rio) enjoying the sun, sand and sea.

A Baroque themed float passes by with heavy and ornate costumes for the dancers, who perform through the night in sweltering conditions.

Tribal influences dominate the costumes of this Samba School, whose costumes extend far beyond the bodies of the dancers to create an even larger impact on the judges.

An aerial view of the world famous Copacabana Beach, stretching over four kilometres of white sand and warm sea, which acts as a centre for sports and the social life of Cariocas from across Rio.

Dancers often look like peacocks in their bright colours and co-ordinating costumes, as hundreds of dancers for each Samba School move in formation along the streets.

Huge throngs of dancers, musicians, floats and millions of spectators line the Sambódromo and the streets of Rio during the Carnival parade, which runs through the night.

Carnival Samba Schools are judged on their themes, costumes, music and dancing and so the elaborate themes such as this classical garden give room for extravagant interpretation.

Floats and dancers parade through the Sambódromo, a permanent set of grandstands erected to allow some of the two million spectators a day to view the Carnival.

Locals enjoying a game of beach football on Copacabana Beach. Watching and playing football is a favourite hobby of many Cariocas, and there are always games on the go on the beaches.

FIFA's International Fan Fest on Copacabana Beach for the Brazil vs. Chile match in 2010 shows some of the passion and enthusiasm Cariocas display for football.

The closing ceremony of the 2007 Pan Olympic Games. Hosting events such as this has given Rio the valuable experience it needed to win the 2016 Olympic Games.

The Brazilian women's national football team celebrating their gold medal at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio, during the 2007 Pan American Games.

The Maracanã Stadium (seen here during the opening ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games) will also be used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympics.

The João Havelange Olympic Stadium, already used for major athletics and football events, will host the Athletic competitions of the 2016 Olympic Games.

The beautiful Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, in the heart of Rio, will be used for the rowing and canoeing events of the 2016 Olympic Games.

The Maracanã Stadium in Rio, named after a famous local sports journalist, was originally built for the 1950 World Cup but houses a range of sports complexes still in use today.

Athletes Sandra Pires and Gustavo Borges lift the Pan American torch, on the first leg of its journey to Rio de Janeiro, which hosted the Games (centred on Copacabana Beach) in 2007.

Beach volleyball is another very popular game in Rio, here being played on Ipanema Beach, with Brazil leading the world at a professional and Olympic level.

Teams from Brazil and the USA fight out a closely contested match of beach volleyball on Copacabana Beach during the 5th CISM Military World Games in 2011.

Informal games of beach football on Copacabana Beach occur on a daily if not hourly basis, as a key part of Rio's laid-back and sporting culture.

The Brazilian flag over the Maracanã Stadium during a football match held as part of the 2007 Pan American Games. Like other Brazilians, Cariocas are passionate about football.