Article and photos, courtesy REUTERS

REUTERS: Our chief correspondent’s guide to the city of samba and sandy beaches.
By Manuela Andreoni
March 8, 202510:00 PM GMT+11

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I always joke with my friends that if it wasn’t for the crime, inequality and dysfunctional economy, it would be the best place on the planet, full stop.

Those may not sound like problems anyone would normally brush aside to praise a city. But we can talk after you take in the view of Rio’s uniquely shaped mountains framing the emerald green waters of its bay, while sipping an ice-cold drink on a perfectly sunny day.

I am a proud Carioca, as people from Rio are called, and lived in the city most of my life. My role as chief correspondent for Reuters in Brazil has since taken me to São Paulo, the beating heart of the country’s economy, but I still visit my hometown often. It’s a window into a side of Brazil that has long captivated people from around the world for its ability to paint hardship in colors so bright you can’t help but smile.

Here’s how I enjoy the city, the Carioca way:

Where to go: The most scenic part of Rio is the section nestled between the mountainous, tropical forest of Tijuca National Park and the Atlantic Ocean, overseen by the open arms of the Christ the Redeemer statue on top of Corcovado Mountain. But cultural roots in Rio, Brazil’s former capital, stretch much wider into the North Zone and its suburbs, where Black communities created and nurtured samba, funk and other music styles that form the bedrock of Brazilian identity.

“Cariocas like to call the city Hell de Janeiro, because the heat of summer and the flexibility of what is considered civil behavior often mix in a chaotic symphony.”

Getting around: It’s easy to get around on the subway, rented bikes or with Ubers and taxis, which in Rio are quite cheap. Most of my friends in the city don’t own cars, and you won’t need one for most things. Wherever you venture, though, you should always be careful with your cellphone and camera on the streets. Go into a shop or check your surroundings before you take them out. But don’t let preconceptions about street crime stop you from experiencing this stunning city.

Street parties: Cariocas like to call the city Hell de Janeiro, because the heat of summer and the flexibility of what is considered civil behavior often mix in a chaotic symphony. But we may also get a bit emotional when hundreds of strangers erupt from the chaos to sing an old samba song together at one of the many street parties that frequently take over the city.

You’ll find these parties most days of the week. On Sunday afternoons, check out how people dance and sing along to songs at samba parties on the streets at Feira da Glória, a street market in the Glória neighborhood. On Friday evening, the party is at Pedra do Sal in the old neighborhood of Saúde, a street corner that is known as one of the birthplaces of samba.

Banca do André, in the Cinelândia area downtown, typically hosts street samba parties on Thursdays. You will sweat more than you thought possible going to the samba parties at Vaca Atolada from Tuesdays to Saturdays, in the bohemian neighborhood of Lapa, while Samba do Trabalhador gathers hundreds of people every Monday evening in the Andaraí neighborhood.

People take part in the “Cordao de Boitata” block party during a pre-Carnival parade. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares

The most famous street parties of all are found at the annual Carnival festival, where you’ll see Rio at its busiest. Known as “blocos,” these street parties – hundreds of them – take over the city. At the official parade, which Cariocas like to call “the best show on earth,” a dozen samba schools compete in the Sambódromo for a yearly title.

More music: To go beyond samba, check out the beautiful concert venue Circo Voador and its lovely palm trees, or head to Capiberibe 27, a newer venue in Morro do Pinto. After a day at Leme beach, you can grab a bite to eat and listen to some live music at the Ginga kiosk, one of the few on the beach that cater to locals more than tourists.

Chorinho, a type of instrumental music from Rio, can be heard on Sunday mornings at Praça São Salvador and on Saturdays at Praça General Glicério in the Laranjeiras neighborhood.

Musicians gather at the Bip Bip bar, a hole-in-the-wall just off Copacabana beach, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays to play samba, chorinho and bossa nova, which blends samba with jazz. But don’t talk too loudly, unless you know the words of the song, or you will be shushed.

People visit Praia Vermelha beach. REUTERS/ Pilar Olivares

Nature: Rio is synonymous with the famed beaches (praias) of Copacabana and Ipanema. But you shouldn’t stop there. One of my favorite things to do is to go all the way to Praia de Guaratiba, deep into Rio’s West Zone, and hike an hour to get to the wild beaches of Praia do Meio and Praia do Perigoso. You can stop for a photo op at the picturesque Pedra do Telégrafo, or the Telegraph Stone, which will be an absolute hit on Instagram. You can then have lunch at Restaurante do Bira in Guaratiba or at Point de Grumari, where you can dine with amazing views of the Restinga de Marambaia, a huge white sand bank that stretches for 26 miles (42 kilometers) along the coast.

Daring visitors can try rock-climbing some of the city’s most inviting summits, such as Morro do Cantagalo and Pão de Açúcar, or hang-gliding from Pedra Bonita to the Praia de São Conrado beach. One of my favorite hikes is to walk from the idyllic Parque Lage park, in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood, all the way to the Christ the Redeemer statue through the Tijuca forest.

Don’t forget to look out for the wildlife lurking all over Rio. Walking around the Aterro do Flamengo, a park by Flamengo beach, you are likely to see green turtles swimming close to your feet. Check out the marmoset monkeys walking on power lines all over the city, or try to spot a capybara at the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas as you walk around the lagoon. If you’re lucky, you may also spot toucans and howler monkeys.

“Have a cold beer and some barbecued maminha or picanha, my favorite beef cuts, at Braseiro da Gávea in the Gávea neighborhood, or Galeto Sat’s in Copacabana or Botafogo.”

Food and drink: Rio boasts some incredible restaurants, including Zazá Bistrô in Ipanema and the tiny Trégua in Laranjeiras. But what the city does best is bars.

Have a cold beer and some barbecued maminha or picanha, my favorite beef cuts, at Braseiro da Gávea in the Gávea neighborhood, or Galeto Sat’s in Copacabana or Botafogo. Bar hop at Rua Barão de Iguatemi near the Maracanã stadium, sipping sugarcane spirit cachaça at Bar da Dida and eating a feijoada fritter (made of a traditional black bean stew) at Bar da Frente. In the hilltop Santa Teresa neighborhood, you can enjoy fritters of all kinds at Armazém São Thiago or Afro-Brazilian delicacies at Agô. The bars around Rua Arnaldo Quintela in Botafogo are a hit with 20 and 30-somethings.

People enjoy Mureta da Urca in the Urca neighborhood. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares

DATA POINTS
Price to rent an umbrella at the beach: 15-20 reais ($3-$4)

Number of registered blocos at Carnival 2025: 482

Souvenir for the kids: chocolates from Dengo, 60 reais ($10)

Great place to see a sunset: Mureta da Urca, a wall overlooking Guanabara Bay, ideally with a cocktail in hand from Bar Urca

Largest university: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Popular vehicle: Volkswagen Beetle, made in Brazil up until the 1990s.

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Editing by Yasmeen Serhan and Rosalba O’Brien

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