• Introduction
• Reviews(0)
• Reports (3)
• Useful information

  Know before you go

  Practical A to Z

  Transport

  Leisure activities

• History and culture

  Rio de Janeiro today

  History

  Art and Culture

  Nature

• Going out for a drink
• Sport
• Excursions
• Beaches

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Going out for a drink

You don’t have to book ahead to have a good time in Rio: meet up in the centre at the beginning of the evening, for example, at Arco do Teles, Praça XV, where the bars along the Travessa do Comércio are invariably packed, particularly on Fridays, when the office employees drop in at happy hour for a drink after work. The young artists and intellectuals generally congregate in the Santa Teresa district, particularly in the Largo do Guimarães and adjacent streets.

Samba bars and clubs line Avenida Mem de Sá and Rua do Lavradio in Lapa. The best nights are Friday and Saturday. On Monday and Sunday evenings, the meeting point is Praça Santos Dumont, in Gávea, and the surrounding bars.

If you prefer something quieter, the bars around Lagoa and Leblon are a good alternative and if you feel peckish, Rua ias Ferreira is home to some good restaurants.

Ipanema is popular with the town’s gay population on Rua Farme de Amoedo and particularly on the beach in the afternoon. Between Rua Farme de Amoedo and Rua Vinícius de Moraes, the clientele is more mixed.

On Avenida Atlântica in Copacabana, there are bars and nightclubs for all tastes, but those at the lifeguard watchtowers 2, 4 and 6 are the most popular.

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Sport

After football, volleyball is the Cariocas favourite sport. Rio is also the birthplace of beach volley.

With its mountains and huge blocks of granite, Rio is also home to countless climbing sites with fantastic views.

The town has three golf courses (all in the South and West Zones) and a few tennis courts (in clubs and some large hotels).

Outside Rio, particularly along the Costa do Sol and Costa Verde, water sports (sailing, surfing and windsurfing) and scuba diving are very widespread.

The tourist office will be able to provide you with more information.

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Excursions

Formerly the capital of Brazil, Rio’s cultural and artistic heritage is rich and varied. The town is home to many museums and art galleries; most of the museums are housed in handsome modern or colonial edifices located in interesting neighbourhoods.

Most museums and galleries are closed on Monday, but most of the main tourist sites such as Pão de Açúcar and Corcovado, are open 7 days a week (as are the main churches).

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Beaches

The inhabitants of Rio, rich and poor alike, flock to the city’s beaches. Loungers and parasols can be rented for around R$4 a day, while the wide pavements along the main beaches are popular with joggers and cyclists.