Rio de Janeiro, nicknamed Cidade Maravilhosa, was formerly the capital of Brazil until 1960 with a population of about 6.7 million people and around 13.5 million people in the greater metropolitan area making it the second largest city in the country. People born in Rio are called Cariocas.

Rio is one of the most beautiful and energetic cities in the world and truly a place for living the good life. It has everything – unique landscapes, amazing beaches, top notch nightlife, vibey and distinct neighborhoods, countless scenic viewpoints, great food, friendly people, an infinite amount of things to do, and so many beautiful women it’s out of control. I could write a whole blog post about the woman alone, but I’ll spare the audience. This city is a magical place that you have to see and feel for yourself to get the full experience. There’s a certain energy in the air that just can’t be described by words. It is truly one of my favorite cities (possibly favorite?) in the world. Rio embodies everything that is amazing about Brazil.

I was stoked for Rio because everyone I met talked about how amazing it was, but I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have a little anxiety about security. I had heard some horror stories about pickpockets and muggers. In the end nothing bad happened and I never even felt unsafe. It’s just like any big city where extra caution should be taken. Act like you belong. Don’t look like a lost tourist constantly holding your phone out looking at your maps. I carried my phone in a shoulder bag across my chest rather than in my pocket and only took it out briefly for photos. I would call Ubers from inside the bar or restaurant when possible and if doing so in the streets was diligent to look around first. When going out at night, certain neighborhoods like Santa Teresa and Lapa we would always get an Uber between locations but other neighborhoods like Copacabana and Leblon it was fine to walk around. After six weeks in Brazil, my takeaway about safety is sometimes you have shit luck but just be smart and you will be fine. 

I ended up spending nine days in Rio in total with a second trip to Ilha Grande sandwiched in between. My good friend Matt from Denver came to visit me for eight days – four in Rio, three in Ilha Grande, and a final day back in Rio. After he left I spent my final four nights in Rio to cap off an amazing six week stint in Brazil. 

Matt and I were drinking a lot so our pace during the days was slower but we still accomplished the things we wanted to. We would always at least do one thing each day. I was at the end of my Brazil trip too so I was fine going slow. It was nice not rushing. Plus I had a few extra days on the tail end to explore some of the attractions we didn’t get around to. It’s really hard for me to describe all the things that happened in Rio but I will do my best to give an overview of the highlight attractions and top neighborhoods.

I spent 3.5 weeks in the north of Brazil working my way all the way up the coast from Salvador to São Luis (plus detour to Chapada Diamantina) with lots of long buses. I couldn’t be more happy with my itinerary because I got to see so much of the northeastern coast but it was a lot of time spent traveling between destinations. However in the south I really settled into each place spending 16 days only doing Rio and Ilha Grande.

Getting In

The first time I came into Rio was one of the easiest travel days of my trip. I took the 1pm ferry from Ilha Grande to the mainland where a mini bus was already waiting to pick us up. It was just me and one other woman so the drop off in the city went quickly. 

The second time when I came back in with Matt was not as lucky. Ilha Grande was a lot more crowded that time because of the sunny weather and we had a van full of people. That and the fact that we hit really bad traffic on the way back made me miss the island life with no vehicles. I was really feeling the city claustrophobia and wondering why we ever left the island. Luckily it didn’t take the charm of Rio long to win me back over.

Lodging 

I stayed in three locations during my nine nights in Rio to get the vibe of different neighborhoods. I spent my first four nights in a hotel in Larenjairas with Matt (he arrived on the second morning), three nights in a hostel in Santa Teresa, and my last two nights in a hotel in Copacabana.

Food

Being a big city, Rio has food from all over the country and really all over the world. The highlight for me was the picanha steak which is similar to a top sirloin cut. It was always a go to and I ended up eating it at least four times. You could get a massive portion of steak with sides for $20-25. It felt expensive at the time but then I returned to the U.S. and that was still cheaper than a regular entree. 

I also ate a lot of delicious fresh seafood and went to my final pay by the kilo buffet.

Neighborhoods and Nightlife

Rio is all about the diversity of neighborhoods which are separated by the giant hills and each one has a unique look and feel.

Copacabana Beach

On my first day in Rio after dropping off my bag, I walked along the promenade of Copacabana Beach and immediately knew I was going to love this city. The most iconic beach in the city is about 2.6 miles long with incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean, city skyscrapers, and the surrounding mountains; soft white sand; huge crashing waves; hundreds of volleyball courts; lined with restaurants and beach bars with live samba music; countless vendors selling 2 for 20 caipirinhas, food, and souvenirs. The beach is buzzing with energy all day no matter what day of the week it is. 

One of my favorite Brazilian songs that got introduced to me is called Pé Na Areia by Diogo Nogueira where the lyrics talk about having your feet in the sand drinking a cold one on the beach and it perfect exemplifies sitting on Copacabana Beach. The chorus is: Pé na areia, a caipirinha, água de coco, a cervejinha which translates to Feet in the sand, a caipirinha, coconut water, a little beer. I found a tote bag with this saying on it and immediately bought it.

On Matt’s first day we spent hours sitting on Copacabana Beach being the typical gringo tourist targets for the caipirinha vendors always buying another round. We were having a good time soaking in the sun, getting sloshed on the beach, and catching up on life stories. But you do have to be extra careful here when using card. After we left the beach, Matt’s card got declined every place we went that evening. Upon double checking his statement, one of the vendors charged him $1,800. It was a quick bait and switch scam on the machine. The guy was greedy to charge such an absurd amount and Matt was able to easily dispute it with his credit card company. Note to self, only use cash with the beach vendors from now on. 

Besides the beach, the neighborhood of Copacabana has countless restaurants and bars and is very safe for tourists. I stayed at a hotel in Copacabana my last two nights and would walk to dinner with zero concerns.

Ipanema Beach

Ipanema Beach is equally as impressive of a beach as Copacabana and just as lively. It has less volleyball courts but more surfers. If you continue along the promenade from Copacabana passing Pedra do Arpoador then you hit Ipanema. The neighborhood itself is a little more upscale and fashionable than Copacabana. The beach spans 1.25 miles long until it turns into Leblon beach and has incredible views of Dois Irmãos. Anyone who knows jazz knows the bossa nova classic song Girl from Ipanema. I spent an afternoon on Ipanema Beach listening to tunes and soaking in the sun. 

Santa Teresa and Lapa

These two neighborhoods sit right next to each other with Santa Teresa sitting on a hill overlooking central Rio and Lapa at the bottom of the hill. Matt and I spent our second day walking around the narrow, winding, hilly streets of Santa Teresa. We went to the famous Escaderia Selarón staircase which has thousands of colorful tiles and was cool to see, but a bit too crowded for my liking. 

Then we walked up to Parque das Ruinas which has some nice views of the city. 

Afterwards we walked down to Largo dos Guimarães the main square of the Santa Teresa. We wanted to hop on the tram that goes through the neighborhood but you can only buy at the main station lower down the hill so instead we are a delicious seafood rice lunch in the square.

We ended up getting a hostel in Santa Teresa after Ilha Grande. At first we were let down being back in a busy neighborhood city in a dingy hostel after being in paradise, but the night turned for the best and we ended up having a great time. We walked down into Lapa and had beers and multiple caçasa shots from a popping local outdoor bar with a samba band playing. Bars in this neighborhood are cheap and where the locals hangout (versus the more expensive Ipanema and Leblon). We ended up getting pretty drunk while out and came back to the hostel where the party was still going. We made friends with a Mexican girl who lived in Austin and her Colombian husband. I ended up watching the World Cup finals with them a few days later.

Laranjeiras

This quiet residential neighborhood was a nice spot for Matt and my first hotel because it was very centrally located to all the other neighborhoods and attractions in the city. Within 15-20 minutes we could be anywhere in the city…well depending on traffic. Rio has horrible traffic and you don’t want to be caught driving around during rush hour. On Matt’s first night in town after our all day drinking affair in Copacabana, we went to a neighborhood bar on the street of our hotel and watched the Futbol match drinking Brahma beers and taking shots of caçasa.

Centro

The only time we went to Centro was to go to the famous Monday night samba party Pedra do Sal where people gather around the rock to dance in the streets. This is a much different experience than going to a night club. Wedged between the alleyways, vendors sell very cheap and very strong caipirinhas while people are packed in the streets dancing the night away to samba. 

Botafogo

We went to this Botafogo in search of a record store that we could never find so instead we got lunch an authentic restaurant for cheap. We never actually went out here at night but the neighborhood was lined with bars and restaurants.

Leblon

On Matt’s second night we went out on Rua Dias Ferreira in Leblon which is a street lined with upscale bars. We had two amazing cocktails at Liz Cocktail and Wine before heading to Boteco Belmonte where we had the best picanha of any that I tried in Rio. This bar was the spot to be on a Monday night and was packed with beautiful people socializing and drinking the night away. 

Viewpoints 

Rio is full of incredible viewpoints and you could spend weeks in the city and still find new ones. 

Pedra do Arpoador

This is a famous rock formation that sits between Copacabana Beach and Ipanema Beach where hundreds of people go to watch the sunset. If you look west you see Ipanema Beach with the Dois Irmãos mountains behind it; looking east is the open Atlantic Ocean; and northwest is Copacabana and Leme.

You have to work your way through the crowd hopping along slanted rocks to find a spot. The place is an absolute party and the best way to transition from day to night. It feels like a scene out of a movie. There are vendors walking around selling caipirinhas and beers, music blasting from multiple speakers, and the constant chatter of conversations all around. 

I ended up coming here three times to watch the sunset and the energy was always electric. Not to mention the insanely beautiful colors in the sky with the city lights coming up from the hills and the surfers riding the waves on Ipanema beach until it gets dark. When the sun goes behind the mountains everyone claps. 

Christ the Redeemer

The world renowned Christ the Redeemer is one of the new seven wonders of the world. While neither Matt or I were dying to see a giant Jesus statue, it seemed like something you have to do when going to Rio; and in the end it was pretty cool. We were pleasantly surprised with the lack of crowds on the day we went (it was a bit cloudy). We booked our ticket in advance for the train on the Corcovado railway and didn’t have to wait in any lines at all. It was a beautiful 20 minute ride through the urban rainforest of Tijuca National Park. The 360 views of the city from the top were with the trip alone. You can see Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, Ipanema, Lagoa, and downtown Rio.

And obviously we had to get a picture in front of the 30 meter tall Christ the Redeemer himself. If it were a nicer day we might have stayed up for a beer, but after about 20 minutes we got the gist and took the train back down. 

Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar)

Now this was worth the hype! Once again we got lucky with the lack of crowds. We didn’t book our ticket in advance but the line wasn’t very long. I think it’s because we went around lunchtime and most people try to go for sunrise or sunset. First you take the gondola up to Morro da Urca (you can actually hike this first section but we were hungover and feeling lazy) which has some nice city views and lots of shops and restaurants to keep you hanging around. 

Then you take a second gondola (this one had a longer line but it moved fast; probably took 15 minutes) to the very top of Sugarloaf Mountain where you are treated with incredible views of the city – Copacabana and Ipanema, Christ the Redeemer, Botafogo Bay, downtown Rio, Guanabara Bay, and the surrounding mountains. 

The views give you a greater appreciation for the unique geology and landscape of Rio. We spent awhile up here walking all around the top and enjoying each vantage point. We even ran into a few monkey friends. Afterwards we headed back down to Morro do Urca and weren’t ready to call it quits so we got a bite to eat at a restaurant with a view.

Hike Pedra Bonita (2.85 miles; 1,322 feet elevation gain)

Once Matt left, I got back into my hiking mode and decided to summit some of the big hills around Rio. The first one I did was Pedra Bonita. I got dropped off by an Uber and was going to have wing getting home because there was no service in that area (although I read the restaurant at the base has WiFi). The terrain of the hike reminded me of Ilha Grande with steep hardened mud through lush green Atlantic rainforest trees. 

On the way up I ran into a monkey and a coati (long snouted animal in the raccoon family). The coati was trying to get the monkey’s food but the monkey wasn’t having any of it. I also saw a toucan hidden in the trees!

The views from the summit were spectacular and might have been the best yet. And since Pedra Bonita is a little further southeast, it provided a new vantage point of the city. It was a very clear day and I could see most of the Rio coastline, Pedra da Gávea, São Conrado beach, and Barra da Tijuca. The views were even more rewarding because I had to hike up top the top rather than arriving by train or gondola.

There was a French guy who was setting up to paraglide off the top and we all assumed that he knew what he was doing, but when he jumped off his wings didn’t open and he nose dived straight down. It was a bit scary. We started yelling down toward him and got no response. There were a couple of Brazilians that were cursing the French people who always think they can come here and do what they want. One of them started calling the firefighters to let them know what happened when we finally got a response from the French guy saying he was okay. I’m not entirely sure what happened because I left soon after but I’m guessing he got stuck in a tree and had to cut himself out. 

I got back down the hill and ate a nice lunch at the restaurant where I ended up having a good Spanish convo with a group of women from Uruguay. They were surprised I had been to their country and able to name drop some of the beaches I went to. The WiFi wasn’t working at the restaurant but the waitress told me there was a bus I could catch down the hill. Once I got down I waited at the stop for about 15 minutes before a paragliding instructor came by and asked if I wanted a ride. Sure! Although of course it had a price, but he drove me down to a metro stop and I ended up taking the metro for the first time. It was much better than dealing with Rio traffic. I should have been doing this the whole time!

Hike Morro Dois Irmãos (1.87 miles; 663 feet elevation gain)

On my last day I decided to hike the famous Morro Dois Irmãos because I had been staring at them daily since arriving in Rio. Getting to this trail is an adventure in and of itself. First I  had to Uber to Vidigal, which is a favela, but known to be a safe one as long as you go during daylight. Once in Vidigal square there’s a group of guys on motorbikes who drove me up the steep windy streets of the favela to the trailhead for a small price. It was actually a very well oiled machine and way less sketchy than I thought it would be. The ride up took about 7 minutes and gave me an opportunity to get a look at the inside of a favela. 

The trail up to Dois Irmãos is short but steep. It started out with steps and then turned into the usual steep hardened mud with tree branches.

I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but once again the summit had incredible panoramic views of Rio. It was a fitting way to spend my last morning in Brazil. I’ll let the pictures do the talking. 

I spent about 30 minutes at the top enjoying the views before heading down. Once I got back to the soccer field where the motorbike dropped me off, it took all of 15 seconds before someone showed up to take me back down through the favela and to Vidigal Square. I then walked 20 minutes along the sidewalk to Leblon beach enjoying the coastal views and looking back at Morro Dois Irmãos.

Markets 

On the weekends, Rio has a number of weekly street markets that are lively and worth a visit:

Feira do Lavradio – Saturday street market in Lapa that sells custom goods, art, clothing, hats, food, and all sorts of other cool stuff. Matt was having a heyday buying souvenirs. He got some great shit that was all very unique. He liked it so much we went back a second time in the same day after we did Sugarloaf Mountain. The market was way more popping in the evening. There were a lot more people walking the street and a live samba band was playing.

Feira da Gloria – more of a food market but also had artesanal goods and clothing. It was the place to be on a Sunday morning where locals were shopping for their weekly groceries. I went with the Mexican/American girl and her Colombian husband. 

Feira Hippie de Ipanema – Brazilian arts, crafts, jewelry, leather goods and paintings; smaller but lots of nice stuff. I came here by myself to check it out before hitting Ipanema Beach.

Ilha Grande Take 2

I went to Ilha Grande before Matt came to visit me so that I could spend time with my Colombian friend Sara and not feel like I was juggling seeing her and hanging out with Matt. Also she doesn’t speak much English so I didn’t want Matt to be stuck hanging out with us while we spoke Spanish, or visa versa her stuck with us while we spoke English. 

Matt and I were originally going to go the colonial seaside town Paraty for a few days just to escape the city and so he could see a little more than just Rio during his stay in Brazil, but once I told him how amazing the island was he said he would prefer going there over Paraty; and I was totally okay with island take two. The weather was much sunnier and nicer on my second trip so it made the island even more of a paradise. Plus I could see Sara again without the pressure of spending too much time together, as well as see my new Argentinian friend Manu. Between the two trips I ended up spending eight nights in Ilha Grande and felt like I got to know it intimately and even started developing my own little community there. 

We did a lot of the same things that I did the first time on the island, but it was nice to share those experiences with Matt and to act as the local tour guide. The first day I took him to Praia do Abraãozinho and we ended up going to the beach bar Bonito Bar e Restaurante which I didn’t do the time before. We were loving sitting on the beach chairs with our feet in the sand drinking a caipirinha and enjoying lunch. 

The next day we hiked to Praia Lopes Mendes and Matt was in awe at how incredible of a beach it was. I could do this hike and go to Lopes Mendes every week the rest of my life and die a happy man.

We ended up doing the speed boat back rather than hiking and that was a wild experience. The driver was going so fast crashing over the waves that it felt like we were on a rollercoaster. Matt ended up falling down and spilling his beer everywhere. They told us we could bring on beers…after that we were holding on for dear life. We got back to Abraão in time to watch the Argentina versus England match and see the Argentinians go crazy when they won the game.

That night we met up with Sara for drinks. Matt got to see how laid back of a person she is; even if he couldn’t speak in Spanish with her. He went home early and her and I ended up chatting on the beach for a while. She told me about what life was like on the island during the pandemic when there was no tourists. While it was tough times for earning money; it also meant the locals had the entire island to themselves. Everything in perspective. 

On the third day we had a slow start to our morning then hung out on Praia de Galego for a few hours soaking in the sun. We got Matt’s first Brazilian all you can eat buffet for lunch and he was a big fan. Then we walked around and did some shopping on the island. That night we went to my Argentinian friend Manu’s restaurant and shot the shit with him for a solid hour. That guy loves to talk! I was glad I got to show Matt my island people.

On the last morning, Sara and I woke up at 5am (Matt opted to sleep in) to catch sunrise from Praia Preta. She had been hyping it up to me, and even though I didn’t want to wake up at the crack of dawn, I figured I had to do it on my last day of the island. It lived up to the hype and then some! It was one of the best sunrises I’ve ever seen. The colors were astounding and the evolution from night to day last for 45+ minutes! It was definitely worth the early wake up. 

Afterwards Sara and I grabbed breakfast together and said our goodbyes to each other for the second time in less than a week. She had become one of my best friends on the trip and I hope we remain in contact in the future (we said we would but it’s always easier said than done). Between her and Manu, I know that I have my people in Ilha Grande and would love to go back one day. 

Matt and I sat on the beach one last time then we got some really strong cocktails before taking the 1pm ferry back to Rio.

Brazil was truly a gem of a country with a culture and energy that can’t even put be into words, it has to be felt. The warmth and friendliness of the people was on a whole new level. I barely scratched the surface of this massive country during my six week stay but I’m glad I started scratching. I hope to come back sooner than later.