Centro, Lapa and Santa Teresa
Centro. At the heart of Guanabara Bay, Centro is the city's historic district, home to the main historical, architectural and cultural landmarks (Cathedral, Municipal Theater, Tiradentes Palace, Fine Arts Museum, Arco de Teles...). This former historical and residential heart of the city is now home to the metropolis' business center, with its many skyscrapers, stores and markets such as Uruguaiana. Today, the downtown area accounts for over 50% of Rio's economic activity. Several of the Centro's streets are well worth a visit: the lively Ouvidor, Uruguaiana, Buenos Aires and Senhor dos Passos, which border the SAARA shopping district. On Calle Carioca, dating from the early 20th century, you'll find a music publisher, instrument stores, second-hand bookshops and an old cinema, all set against gaunt colonial facades. A walk is a must! The streets are often narrow and crowded, but it's in the middle of this maze that you'll get a real feel for the Cariocas' everyday working life. The magnificent Confeitaria Colombo is a must for gourmet aesthetes.
Empty at weekends and evenings, and therefore potentially dangerous, walks in the Centro are not recommended. The night-time Rio of Lapa and the bohemian Rio of Santa Teresa, on the other hand, are very lively at night and quite safe... if you stay in the heart of the lively areas.
Lapa has a special place in Rio, especially in Carioca nights. This very popular district, close to the eponymous arches, still contains some of the soul of the Rio of yesteryear. Weekend evenings are bound to be lively here, as local clubs such as Scenarium, Carioca da Gema and Democrático play host to excellent samba bands, some of whose fame extends far beyond Rio's borders. If you follow the safety instructions, Lapa is synonymous with a successful evening. Today, many samba clubs are home to electro music.
Santa Teresa is Carioca's Montmartre, with its bohemian spirit firmly anchored to its worn cobblestones, and much freer and less touristy than Parisian Montmartre. Beautiful bourgeois mansions bear witness to the district's glorious past. Santa Teresa is undergoing a renaissance and has once again become a must-see for locals and tourists alike. Bobos are reclaiming the district, which is adorned in the trappings of an improbable Harlequin coat thanks to street art frescoes on the dilapidated walls of magnificent colonial houses. More or less bohemian bourgeois, artists and busy, hard-working employees rub shoulders in a mix that only Rio can offer. Everything seems to take on an artistic dimension. The bondinho, the local tramway, partly rehabilitated since 2015, trundles up the hill during the week as in the good old days. At the top of the hill, the climb up to Largo de Guimarães offers a view of the historic center, the city's business district and the entire Zona Norte as far as the Maracanã stadium, while the Parque das Ruínas(Ruins Park), adjacent to the beautiful Chácara do Céu museum, offers a magnificent view of Guanabará Bay and Sugarloaf further south.
ZonaNorte. This is the city's most extensive zone, stretching from the north of Centro and the traditional neighborhoods of São Cristóvão or Tijuca to the city limits. This is the deprived, working-class Rio, which you cross on your way to the international airport or to the Tijuca forest and its national park, at an altitude of over 700 metres. Apart from a visit to the Luiz Gonzaga cultural space or the Maracanã stadium, tourists rarely go here.
Zona Sul, sea side
Here you'll find Rio de Janeiro's best-known and most exclusive neighborhoods: Copacabana, Ipanema, Leme, Leblon, Urca, Flamengo, Botafogo and Glória.
Flamengo, Botafogo and Urca don't have the prestige of Ipanema. Yet they offer magnificent views of the Pão de Açucar and Guanabara Bay. The large Flamengo park, built on the seafront Aterro in the 1950s, is ideal for strolls, morning jogs or soccer matches on the countless soccer fields squeezed between the main avenues. The beaches of Flamengo and Botafogo are beautiful, but unfortunately the water is very polluted. These two fairly safe districts are nonetheless interesting options for stays in Rio: well located between the historic Centro and the beaches of the Zona Sul, and less expensive than hotels in the chic Copacabana, Ipanema or Leblon. Last but not least, Flamengo has become one of the trendiest districts at night. São Salvador square is its image: festive, tolerant, progressive, a "reduto esquerdista"! Urca is a magical "village" at the foot of the Sugar Loaf.
Glória bridges the gap between Centro and Zona Sul. This up-and-coming district takes its name from the small Baroque church overlooking it. Less well known than its neighbors, it is nonetheless home to some of the city's most important sites and monuments (Parque do Flamengo, Museum of Modern Art, Manchete building). Attractive Art Deco buildings and the yacht club complete the offer of a pleasant district to get to know. The transformation of the legendary Hotel Glória into a luxury residence has breathed new life into the area.
Copacabana is undoubtedly Rio's best-known beach. The rich bourgeoisie used to have a beach house here! With the densification of Copacabana, Rio changed completely, becoming a capital by the sea. The construction of Copacabana Palace and the waterfront in the 1920s helped forge Rio's image and identity around the world. The sea-bathing craze was to establish the city's reputation once and for all. Today, somewhat abandoned by young Cariocas, the district remains a magical, cosmopolitan place par excellence, but much more popular than the posh Ipanema district. Copacabana lives to the rhythm of crowded buses, shopping and employees, tourists and strollers. Some may miss the Copacabana of the 1960s, less dense and less disfigured than today by buildings that are not always aesthetically pleasing, but this district continues to convey a certain timeless magic. At weekends, the beach is crowded with thousands of Cariocas, and the tanga show (low-cut swimsuits) begins in a good-natured atmosphere and ends in the evening on the terraces of the many botequim set up on the mythical Avenida Atlântica. On Sundays, as in Ipanema, the avenue is closed to cars, and there's an interesting tourist market where you'll find some of the city's cheapest T-shirts, pareos and swimwear. Beware of avenues that are deserted at night and far from the beach... The crisis has made them unsafe!
Leme. The mythical bay of Copacabana runs for almost 4 km, and ends with the district and beach of Leme towards the Sugar Loaf. A quieter place, Leme is alive to the rhythm of its many street markets and boasts a number of interesting restaurants. The beach, very extensive and pleasant, ends at the morro du fort de Leme overlooking the district.
Ipanema and Leblon are the hype districts of the Fluminense capital. The writer Jean d'Ormesson loved to take long rides on these deserted pre-war beaches. In the 1950s, the densification of Copacabana moved the "chic" Rio to the beaches of Ipanema and then Leblon. Barely 2 km long and 500 m wide, it brings together the posh, artistic population and many tourists passing through. This is where you'll find the most boutiques, restaurants and coolest bars in the whole Zona Sul. The district is definitely younger than Copacabana and Leblon. It's a veritable HQ for Carioca's golden youth. Leblon emerged in the 1970s as an extension of Ipanema, but without its glitz and soul. It's a pleasant residential area with restaurants, but not much to visit.
Zona Sul, green side
This zone includes the very different neighborhoods of Catete, Laranjeiras, Cosme Velho, Lagoa, Jardim Botânico and Gávea.
Lagoa and Jardim Botânico. Lagoa lies on the other side of the Ipanema and Leblon districts, towards the Corcovado mountain, which overlooks Rio and is reflected in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. The tall buildings and expressways that line it do not manage to break its tranquil, restful appearance. The Jardim Botânico, wedged between the lagoon and the Dois Irmãos mountain, owes its development to the avant-garde ecological aims of Emperor Dom João VI in 1808. It is bordered by the Jockey Club grounds. The district abounds in small, steep, discreet streets winding along the Corcovado mountain, hemmed in between the Lagoa and the beginning of the Tijuca forest, where some marvellous residences are hidden. You can lose yourself in the immense and unmissable Parque Lage, at the foot of Corcovado. Many artists' studios open their doors for a weekend in June.
Laranjeiras and Cosme Velho are smaller, less-frequented neighborhoods, as they are only residential, but full of charm and, above all, very quiet, making them pleasant places to stay for those looking for guest-houses. Laranjeiras is above Catete and Flamengo, while Cosme Velho is above Laranjeiras, at the foot of the Tijuca forest and Christ the Redeemer .
Catete developed strongly at the end of the last century, becoming one of the city's first middle-class+ residential districts. The creation of the presidential palace (now the Museu da República) on rua do Catete gave the whole area a major boost and initiated the long process of development towards the Zona Sul. Today, this relatively non-touristy district retains an old-fashioned charm, with many old buildings preserved amidst a forest of buildings. There are also some decent hotels here, such as the Regina le Flamengo, which are cheaper than those in the Zona Sul.
East zone
It's a predominantly residential area in the Oeste zone, made up of two neighborhoods, São Conrado and Barra de Tijuca.
São Conrado. This district lies between the Zona Sul and the Zona Oeste, bordered by a beautiful beach camouflaged between two morros (behind the Dois Irmãos overlooking Ipanema beach). Like Barra da Tijuca, it is characterized by tall buildings on the waterfront. Pleasant to live in, it doesn't offer much to visit, and many will find this district, like Barra, soulless... Except for paragliding and hang-gliding enthusiasts, who can jump from the morro São Conrado.
Barra da Tijuca: a vast, upscale, off-center district that began to develop in the 1980s. A new, affluent emerging class settled here, further and further from the city center. Today, this district, with its large gated residences, highways and expressways, and American-style shopping centers, bears little resemblance to the traditional Rio. Barra boasts Rio's largest beach, with 20 km of fine sand stretching along the Pepê, Barra and Recreio " spots ", whose waters are almost always clean. Many Cariocas now go there at weekends, for the many restaurants, bars and clubs...but there's nothing really interesting to see, apart from the secluded and beautiful beaches!
