So you missed Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro last week. No worries. Many residents, known as ariocas, missed it as well, fleeing the tourist onslaught for vacation homes and more intimate arnavals around Brazil. But the party never stops. With the Pan-American Games coming in July, streets are being spruced up and the beaches swept. Clean public restrooms at Copacabana beach — who would have thought it? Good thing, too, since the city is glued to its sandy shoreline. When the sun fails to appear, Cariocas can become flustered and confused — sort of like ants whose hill was just destroyed by an 8-year-old.
Where are your favorite spots in Rio de Janeiro?
Friday
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
Throw anti-cliché caution to the wind and take the cog railway to the top of Corcovado (Rua Cosme Velho 513; 55-21-2558-1329; 36 Brazilian reais or about $17 at 2.16 reais to the dollar). That is where the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer presides over Rio. You can see the famous Sugarloaf Mountain, the island-pocked Guanabara Bay and the beaches outlining the coast like links of white sausages. Even better, you can make fun of the inevitable sightseer aping the statue's outstretched arms for a photo. “Turistas chatos” means “annoying tourists” in Portuguese, should that phrase come to mind.
Throw anti-cliché caution to the wind and take the cog railway to the top of Corcovado (Rua Cosme Velho 513; 55-21-2558-1329; 36 Brazilian reais or about $17 at 2.16 reais to the dollar). That is where the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer presides over Rio. You can see the famous Sugarloaf Mountain, the island-pocked Guanabara Bay and the beaches outlining the coast like links of white sausages. Even better, you can make fun of the inevitable sightseer aping the statue's outstretched arms for a photo. “Turistas chatos” means “annoying tourists” in Portuguese, should that phrase come to mind.
CAIPIRINHA LESSONS
The caipirinha, a cocktail of muddled lime, sugar, ice and the sugar cane liquor known as cachaça, has become a global bar standard. Try it on its home turf, at the Academia da Cachaça (Rua Conde Bernadotte 26; 55-21-2529-2680: www.academiadacachaca.com.br) in the upscale neighborhood of Leblon. You can choose among hundreds of artisanal brands, including Lua Cheia, a fruity, intense cachaça aged for two years (4.20 reais). After a couple of caipirinhas, you might want to turn to the place's Brazilian dinner menu; an escondidinho (16.80 reais), a traditional dish of dried beef served under cheesy mashed yuca, makes for a good appetizer if you cannot wait for dinner.
The caipirinha, a cocktail of muddled lime, sugar, ice and the sugar cane liquor known as cachaça, has become a global bar standard. Try it on its home turf, at the Academia da Cachaça (Rua Conde Bernadotte 26; 55-21-2529-2680: www.academiadacachaca.com.br) in the upscale neighborhood of Leblon. You can choose among hundreds of artisanal brands, including Lua Cheia, a fruity, intense cachaça aged for two years (4.20 reais). After a couple of caipirinhas, you might want to turn to the place's Brazilian dinner menu; an escondidinho (16.80 reais), a traditional dish of dried beef served under cheesy mashed yuca, makes for a good appetizer if you cannot wait for dinner.
DESIGNER SALADS
All-you-can-eat churrascarias, or steakhouses, are a dime a dozen, but lighter alternatives also appeal to the bikini-clad set, for obvious reasons. Doce Delícia (Rua Dias Ferreira 48; 55-21-2249-2970), a colorful and modern restaurant in Leblon (with another branch in Ipanema, at Rua Anibal de Mendonca 55) serves dishes like salmon in soy and ginger sauce (29.50 reais), design-your-own salads (15.50 reais with ingredients like palm hearts and papaya) and tempting desserts like a chocolate mousse cake (7 reais).
All-you-can-eat churrascarias, or steakhouses, are a dime a dozen, but lighter alternatives also appeal to the bikini-clad set, for obvious reasons. Doce Delícia (Rua Dias Ferreira 48; 55-21-2249-2970), a colorful and modern restaurant in Leblon (with another branch in Ipanema, at Rua Anibal de Mendonca 55) serves dishes like salmon in soy and ginger sauce (29.50 reais), design-your-own salads (15.50 reais with ingredients like palm hearts and papaya) and tempting desserts like a chocolate mousse cake (7 reais).
A LOCAL DRAFT
You could head to one of Leblon's chic and expensive clubs, but save the party for tomorrow and try a more traditional Rio setting: the ultra-social, old-fashioned bars known as botequins, where locals young and old gather for conversation and drinks. The beverage of choice is the Brazilian style of draft beer known as chopp (SHOW-pee), and that usually means a Brahma Pilsener. For a bit more variety, head to Botequim Informal (Rua Humberto de Campos 646, Leblon; 55-21-2259-6967; and other locations) which serves darker chopp as well (3.80 reais).
You could head to one of Leblon's chic and expensive clubs, but save the party for tomorrow and try a more traditional Rio setting: the ultra-social, old-fashioned bars known as botequins, where locals young and old gather for conversation and drinks. The beverage of choice is the Brazilian style of draft beer known as chopp (SHOW-pee), and that usually means a Brahma Pilsener. For a bit more variety, head to Botequim Informal (Rua Humberto de Campos 646, Leblon; 55-21-2259-6967; and other locations) which serves darker chopp as well (3.80 reais).
Saturday
JUICING UP
Juice stands are a way of life in Rio, and they offer a dizzying Portuguese menu of fruits like caqui (persimmon) and graviola (soursop) for about 3 reais. You can't go wrong with tangerine juice and a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich at Polis Sucos, a popular chain that has a stand in the middle of the Ipanema neighborhood (Rua Maria Quitéria 70A; Ipanema; 55-21-2247-2518). For a supposedly healthier, if more caloric start, order a shake made from açaí (ah-sigh-EE), a high-energy purple palm fruit from the Amazon, often mixed with bananas and topped with granola (about 5 reais).
Juice stands are a way of life in Rio, and they offer a dizzying Portuguese menu of fruits like caqui (persimmon) and graviola (soursop) for about 3 reais. You can't go wrong with tangerine juice and a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich at Polis Sucos, a popular chain that has a stand in the middle of the Ipanema neighborhood (Rua Maria Quitéria 70A; Ipanema; 55-21-2247-2518). For a supposedly healthier, if more caloric start, order a shake made from açaí (ah-sigh-EE), a high-energy purple palm fruit from the Amazon, often mixed with bananas and topped with granola (about 5 reais).
A SAHARA STROLL
Rio is more than just its beautiful coastline. Explore its less touristy center, in the pedestrian-friendly shopping area known as Saara (Portuguese for Sahara), named in part for its Lebanese shops. This is where working-class Cariocas shop for everyday items like bargain clothes and patriotic green-and-yellow party streamers. The people-watching is great, but so is the mannequin-watching: the Brazilian ideal of beauty is reflected in the generously proportioned backsides. Off-beat souvenirs abound, like a Rio public school T-shirt (about 4 reais) at Paraíso das Crianças (Rua de Alfândega 364; 55-21-2242-6577). There are also several churches in the area, including the São Jorge Church (Rua de Alfândega 382) with its odd display of wax body parts.
Rio is more than just its beautiful coastline. Explore its less touristy center, in the pedestrian-friendly shopping area known as Saara (Portuguese for Sahara), named in part for its Lebanese shops. This is where working-class Cariocas shop for everyday items like bargain clothes and patriotic green-and-yellow party streamers. The people-watching is great, but so is the mannequin-watching: the Brazilian ideal of beauty is reflected in the generously proportioned backsides. Off-beat souvenirs abound, like a Rio public school T-shirt (about 4 reais) at Paraíso das Crianças (Rua de Alfândega 364; 55-21-2242-6577). There are also several churches in the area, including the São Jorge Church (Rua de Alfândega 382) with its odd display of wax body parts.
ANTI-RIO RIO
Climb up most hills in Rio and you end up in a favela, one of the city's squatter slums notorious for poverty and violence. Santa Teresa is the picturesque exception, a hilltop neighborhood that is considered Rio's artsy anti-beach. Arrive on an ancient tram called a bonde and stroll its twisting streets, filled with great little restaurants and unusual gift shops like La Vereda (Rua Almirante Alexandrino 428; 55-21-2507-0317). Instead of the typical yellow soccer shirts and Havaiana flip-flops, in this shop you'll find paintings by local artists (100 to 1,200 reais), soapstone carvings from Minas Gerais, and cardboard models of favelas.
Climb up most hills in Rio and you end up in a favela, one of the city's squatter slums notorious for poverty and violence. Santa Teresa is the picturesque exception, a hilltop neighborhood that is considered Rio's artsy anti-beach. Arrive on an ancient tram called a bonde and stroll its twisting streets, filled with great little restaurants and unusual gift shops like La Vereda (Rua Almirante Alexandrino 428; 55-21-2507-0317). Instead of the typical yellow soccer shirts and Havaiana flip-flops, in this shop you'll find paintings by local artists (100 to 1,200 reais), soapstone carvings from Minas Gerais, and cardboard models of favelas.
OLD BOOKS, MODERNIST HOME
With its charming garden and three floors filled with art and furniture, the Chácara do Céu Museum (Rua Murtinho Nobre 93; 55-21-2507-1932, www.museuscastromaya.com.br/chacara.htm,) feels like someone's house. And, in fact, it is. The name means Country House in the Sky, and the building. a Modernist structure, is the former home of the French-born industrialist Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya, who was an avid collector of Brazilian, European and Asian art. Equally fascinating is his impressive library of old Portuguese and French titles. Admission is 2 reais.
With its charming garden and three floors filled with art and furniture, the Chácara do Céu Museum (Rua Murtinho Nobre 93; 55-21-2507-1932, www.museuscastromaya.com.br/chacara.htm,) feels like someone's house. And, in fact, it is. The name means Country House in the Sky, and the building. a Modernist structure, is the former home of the French-born industrialist Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya, who was an avid collector of Brazilian, European and Asian art. Equally fascinating is his impressive library of old Portuguese and French titles. Admission is 2 reais.
TASTE THE AMAZON
Amazonian cuisine is a mystery, even to most Brazilians, so the appearance of a romantic hilltop spot like Espírito Santa in Santa Teresa (Rua Almirante Alexandrino 264; 55-21-2508-7095; www.espiritosanta.com.br), which opened two years ago, has exposed the locals to new flavors. They are found in dishes like piranha soup, steamed tambaqui (an Amazonian fish) and tacacá, a soupy stew made with mandioca root, shrimp and a dark green leaf known as jambu, which causes a slight numbing sensation in the mouth. Dinner is about 40 reais.
Amazonian cuisine is a mystery, even to most Brazilians, so the appearance of a romantic hilltop spot like Espírito Santa in Santa Teresa (Rua Almirante Alexandrino 264; 55-21-2508-7095; www.espiritosanta.com.br), which opened two years ago, has exposed the locals to new flavors. They are found in dishes like piranha soup, steamed tambaqui (an Amazonian fish) and tacacá, a soupy stew made with mandioca root, shrimp and a dark green leaf known as jambu, which causes a slight numbing sensation in the mouth. Dinner is about 40 reais.
DANCE TO THE MUSIC
Dancing the night away in Rio can be done in many settings, from the chic and pricey clubs of Leblon to the sweaty open-air dance floors in São Cristóvão, a neighborhood in northern Rio. But if you're looking for traditional Brazilian rhythms, head to the nightclub-filled district of Lapa, a seedy but pleasant area with dollar beers and friendly crowds. For a mellower atmosphere among the clubs there, try a spot like Sacrilégio (Avenida Mem de Sá 81; 55-21-3970-1461, cover 18 reais) where an easy-going crowd dances to live Brazilian music.
Dancing the night away in Rio can be done in many settings, from the chic and pricey clubs of Leblon to the sweaty open-air dance floors in São Cristóvão, a neighborhood in northern Rio. But if you're looking for traditional Brazilian rhythms, head to the nightclub-filled district of Lapa, a seedy but pleasant area with dollar beers and friendly crowds. For a mellower atmosphere among the clubs there, try a spot like Sacrilégio (Avenida Mem de Sá 81; 55-21-3970-1461, cover 18 reais) where an easy-going crowd dances to live Brazilian music.
Sunday
THE U.F.O. ACROSS THE BAY
Get up early and take a 20-minute ferry ride across Guanabara Bay to the Niterói Museum of Contemporary Art, also known as the MAC (Mirante de Boa Viagem; 55-21-2620-2400; www.macniteroi.com.br; 4 reais), designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. It resembles a flying saucer, and offers excellent views of the bay and Rio. On exhibition through March 17 is “Greek Gods in Contemporary Temples,” with sculptures on loan from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin; contemporary works from the collection of João Sattamini; and statues of orixás (Yoruba spirits) from the Casa do Pontal Museum in Rio. Barcas S/A runs the ferries every 30 minutes on weekends, leaving from the downtown Praça XV de Novembro (55-21-4004-3113; 2.10 reais).
Get up early and take a 20-minute ferry ride across Guanabara Bay to the Niterói Museum of Contemporary Art, also known as the MAC (Mirante de Boa Viagem; 55-21-2620-2400; www.macniteroi.com.br; 4 reais), designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. It resembles a flying saucer, and offers excellent views of the bay and Rio. On exhibition through March 17 is “Greek Gods in Contemporary Temples,” with sculptures on loan from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin; contemporary works from the collection of João Sattamini; and statues of orixás (Yoruba spirits) from the Casa do Pontal Museum in Rio. Barcas S/A runs the ferries every 30 minutes on weekends, leaving from the downtown Praça XV de Novembro (55-21-4004-3113; 2.10 reais).
PALMS AND CIRCUMSTANCE
In Rio, your station in life is pretty much defined by which beach you to for a suntan. Unless you're looking for young prostitutes and their balding admirers, skip Copacabana Beach. Instead, go to Ipanema Beach, its equally famous neighbor one cove over. The beach is delineated by lifeguard stations, or postos, and anywhere near Posto 9 makes for good beautiful-people-watching. Settle into a rented beach chair, buy a bag of the crunchy snacks called Biscoitos Globo, and catch a bit of the amazing hybrid of soccer and volleyball known as futevolei.
In Rio, your station in life is pretty much defined by which beach you to for a suntan. Unless you're looking for young prostitutes and their balding admirers, skip Copacabana Beach. Instead, go to Ipanema Beach, its equally famous neighbor one cove over. The beach is delineated by lifeguard stations, or postos, and anywhere near Posto 9 makes for good beautiful-people-watching. Settle into a rented beach chair, buy a bag of the crunchy snacks called Biscoitos Globo, and catch a bit of the amazing hybrid of soccer and volleyball known as futevolei.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Flights to Rio from the New York area require a layover in Miami or São Paulo; they start about $980 on American Airlines from Kennedy Airport. Cheaper flights, some on the Brazilian airline TAM can sometimes be found through BACC Travel in New York (800-222-2746). A taxi from Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport to Ipanema is about 60 reais, about $27 at 2.16 reais to the dollar.
If you want to stay near the beach, Ipanema is cleaner and safer bet over Copacabana. On the higher end is the Caesar Park Hotel (Avenida Vieira Souto 460; 55-21-2525-2525; www.caesarpark.com.br), a 222-room hotel centrally situated on the beach. Rooms from $285 (it prices in U.S. dollars) a night.
On the lower end is Casa 6 (Rua Barão de Torre 175; 55-21-2247-1384; www.casa6ipanema.com), a small and clean hostel with several private rooms, with shared (120 reais for two) or private baths (150 reais). It's on a charming street with other hostels and boarding houses, and an easy walk to the beach.
To blend in with the locals, try Cama e Café (literally bed-and-breakfast), a booking service that matches travelers with hosts in the historic Santa Teresa neighborhood (from 95 to 190 reais; 55-21-2224-5689; www.camaecafe.com.br).
Flights to Rio from the New York area require a layover in Miami or São Paulo; they start about $980 on American Airlines from Kennedy Airport. Cheaper flights, some on the Brazilian airline TAM can sometimes be found through BACC Travel in New York (800-222-2746). A taxi from Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport to Ipanema is about 60 reais, about $27 at 2.16 reais to the dollar.
If you want to stay near the beach, Ipanema is cleaner and safer bet over Copacabana. On the higher end is the Caesar Park Hotel (Avenida Vieira Souto 460; 55-21-2525-2525; www.caesarpark.com.br), a 222-room hotel centrally situated on the beach. Rooms from $285 (it prices in U.S. dollars) a night.
On the lower end is Casa 6 (Rua Barão de Torre 175; 55-21-2247-1384; www.casa6ipanema.com), a small and clean hostel with several private rooms, with shared (120 reais for two) or private baths (150 reais). It's on a charming street with other hostels and boarding houses, and an easy walk to the beach.
To blend in with the locals, try Cama e Café (literally bed-and-breakfast), a booking service that matches travelers with hosts in the historic Santa Teresa neighborhood (from 95 to 190 reais; 55-21-2224-5689; www.camaecafe.com.br).
