Guide to Rio de Janeiro

[BigAl]

I though I would do a write up for any of you are thinking about heading to Rio for vacation, to give you a heads up about the city, which is a great place to party/have fun/etc. You can read about the tourist sights in a book, so I will exclude them unless there are questions. I'm going to also include pronunciation so you don't get blank stares from cab drivers.

The City

Rio is situated in a rain forest barely inside the tropics. It is backed by mountains to the north, and runs into the sea in the south. I have a hard time believing there is a more beautiful metropolitan area in the world. The people, the scenery and the lifestyle are all stunning. You could spend all your time on the beach, or in clubs and bars, or both. It's what you make of it.

Neighborhoods

You're going to spend all of your time in the Zona Sul (zoh-Na SUHL) which is the rich are of Rio, as well as home to most of the tourist stuff. This is where the richest one percent spend their time.

Ipanema (ee-pah-NIH-mah)

Rich Brazilians, amazing beach. Lots of good resturants and clubs.

Leblon (leh-BLON)

Even richer Brazilians, more upscale shopping and resturants. Has a little bit more of a residential feel to it.

Copacabana (co-pa-cah-BAN-ah)

What most people think of when they think of Rio. Yes the beach is beautiful, but you should not spend much time here. In the last 50 years, Copa has become the home to mainly old people, the working class, and prostitutes and has one of the highest population denisties in the world. With few exceptions you should stay away, especialy at night when it becomes dangerous, especialy for tourists.

Lapa (LAH-pa)

Great street parties on friday night. Don't be here during the day or on non-weekend nights.

These are the important neighborhoods that you will spend your time in as a tourist.

Cabs

Cabs are pretty reasonable in Rio, especialy because you will be working off of dollars or euros. To hail one, Brazilians put up their finger, then point downward without moving thier arm. It's a good idea to have the address of where you are going if you don't speak Portuguese so you don't end up lost. Try not to pick them up on the beach, they will normaly have busted meters and be looking to rip off tourists. Walk one street away from the beach and get one there.

Buses

This is how most people in Rio get around. It's dirt cheap (about a dollar), but you should check out maps before you go. I wouldn't advise getting on them at night if you don't speak Portuguese and are dressed up. Robbery happens frequently on buses.

The Beach

Everyone has their own opinions, but if you are looking for attractive people and a good time Posto 9 (pos-toh NOH-vi) in Ipanema is the best place to go. There are big lifeguard stations every kilometer along the beach, and the hot women seem to congregate here. In between Posto 9 and Posto 8 is the gay area if you are looking for that. Go see Copacabana beach during the day, the scenery is beautiful, but don't stay into the evening.

Shopping

Unfourtunately, there are two things going against you: the outrageous taxes on designer clothes in Brazil and the fact that you are competing against the richest people in the country. You will not find deals, but there are some good places to check out.

Fashion Mall in São Conrado (SOWN con-RAH-doo) - This is where the big names are, Diesel, Gucci, Prada etc. More than likely you won't buy anything because of the prices (500$ for Diesel jeans), but if you're looking for it this is where it is.

Riosul (HEE-oh SUL) - This houses a ton of Brazilian designers. Check it out for a more Brazilian look.

Visconde de Pirajá and Atulfo de Paivo - These are the two main drags in Ipanema and Leblon respectively. They are acutualy the same street. Tons of cool resturants and high priced designer goods in Leblon, a little more affordab

[TRDK]

thanx... it helped alot... im travelling to rio for 3 weeks this summer... im already excited...

[erl1580]

great post. I've always wanted to go to Brazil and think i'm gonna plan to go within the next few months.

Any idea what its like down there during march-may? weather-wise, and whether or not it will still be jumpin. I think that summer is over around march so I'm just wondering if it will be relatively quiet or still bumpin. Probably gonna hit up Rio and Floripa.

[BigAl]

Quote:

great post. I've always wanted to go to Brazil and think i'm gonna plan to go within the next few months.

Any idea what its like down there during march-may? weather-wise, and whether or not it will still be jumpin. I think that summer is over around march so I'm just wondering if it will be relatively quiet or still bumpin. Probably gonna hit up Rio and Floripa.

--- Original message by erl1580 on Feb 28, 2006 10:29 AM

Yeah it's still summer, March is fucking hot. I will be down there in the next couple of weeks. March-may is probably a good time to go because the rush from Carnaval is dying down. Really, anytime is good to go down there.

[TRDK]

im travelling from july to august... should i be worried about the weather???

[BigAl]

Quote:

im travelling from july to august... should i be worried about the weather???

--- Original message by TRDK on Mar 2, 2006 06:53 AM

July and August can be a little cold for the beach, but I wouldn't worry about it. The beaches are much less crowded, and even if it's too cold, there are a ton of things to do in the city.

[Tisswat]

Great post BigAl! Highly appreciated.

(adding to favorites)

Reporter: "What do you think about western civilization?"

Gandhi: "I think it would be a good idea."

[bigdud73]

BigAl,

Nice post, I just got back from Rio 2 days ago and I miss it already.

I will be back before the summer is out.