Pao de Acucar
Scenarium bar, or design your own pub crawl around the suburb’s dozens of bars and nightclubs – but go easy on the caipirinhas (Brazil’s national cocktail)! Sugarloaf Mountain, as it’s known to foreigners, is the best central vantage point for a view across Rio – from the Niteroi bridge to the north of the city, down the bays to Praia Vermelha, a quiet beach that’s ideal for families, and a popular spot for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. Catch the bondinho (cable car) all the way up from Urca, or take an easy half-hour bushwalk up the first hill, the Morro da Urca, then ride to the top (be warned: you need to buy a ticket on the ground first).
Santa Teresa
This bohemian hillside suburb is a trip into vintage Rio, with its villas and winding cobblestone streets still popular with artists and musicians. Catch the bondinho across the Arcos da Lapa and make your first stop at Cultivar Brasil for the best pao de queijo (baked cheese roll) in town, before strolling around the historic buildings, gift shops, and panoramic views of the city below. For one of the best meals in Rio, head to Espirito Santa restaurant for authentic Brazilian fare and local craft brews.
Off the beaten path Parque Lage
If you’re a Snoop Dogg fan, you’ll instantly recognise Parque Lage. For everyone else, the colonialstyle mansion with an atrium pool is a must-visit, thanks to the architecture, regular art exhibits, the sprawling gardens and grounds, trees full of monkeys, and paths leading to bushwalks of waterfalls and native wildlife. Team a visit with the nearby Jardim Botanico, where you’ll be impressed by the landscaping, exceptionally tall palm trees, and the sheer number of pregnancy photo shoots on any given day.
Dancefloors
It wouldn’t be a trip to Rio without a taste of live music, whether it’s samba and bossa nova, forro (a style of music from northeastern Brazil), or baile funk (a mix of bass and African-style music). You’ll find all styles at Gafieira Estudantina in Centro, depending on the day of the week. You could head to Feira de Sao Cristovao in Rio’s north zone on a Friday or Saturday night for drinking and dancing to live acts inside a giant fair, where you can also shop at the market for northeastern food and trinkets, sample Bahian fare or impress karaoke fans with your knowledge of English lyrics! If you’ve got rhythm, you can join a samba school for the worldfamous Carnaval – Rio’s biggest favela Rocinha is a popular choice for foreigners.
Hike the Dois Irmaos
The Dois Irmaos (Two Brothers) mountain is a challenging but doable bushwalk and it’s worth the epic view across Leblon, Ipanema, Lagoa and the wider south zone. Take a mototaxi or van to the top of Vidigal favela to find the trail, then walk your way back down. Vidigal’s one of the most touristfriendly favela communities in Rio, and it’s worth stopping at one of the pe sujos (literally ‘‘dirty foot’’) bars on the way back down to meet the locals and cool off with a tall bottle of Brazil’s popular Antarctica beer.
Rio’s best bites
There are three Brazilian staples you must try while in town: ac¸ai (a purple superfood berry pureed with syrup into a soft-serve), bacalhau (salted codfish), and cachaca (sugar cane rum). For the best acai, head to Tacaca do Norte. Find Rio’s best bacalhau balls at Pavao Azul in Copacabana, best paired with lots of frothy chopp (draught beer). And while you can find cachaca literally anywhere in Rio, it’s not all created equally. Try the mixed caipirinha at Kiosque do Portugues in Lagoa – it’s the adult equivalent of a fruit-filled Traffic Light – or encounter 100 different cachac¸as at Academia da Cachaca in nearby Leblon.
Joatinga and Recreio beaches
Seeking a tranquil day at the beach? Head west along the waterfront towards Barra da Tijuca, and stop at Joa, a tiny beach where sunseekers in the know go to escape the madness of the south zone beaches. Keep going past Barra, and you’ll arrive at Recreio, renowned as Rio’s best surf beach – where beginners can also catch a lesson.