Rio's unusual Casa do Pontal is home to the Brazilian folk art collection amassed by Frenchman Jacques Van de Beuque. Over 3500 wooden and ceramic figures, ranging from a few centimetres tall to life-size, depict every aspect of daily life.
Many of the figures spring to life at the flick of a switch, blinking, singing or playing musical instruments. Also worth a visit are the gardens of the nearby Sitio Burle Marx, with a collection of around 4500 exotic trees, ferns and bromeliads.