Copacabana is one of the best known nieghbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro. It is located in the south area of the city and boasts a beautiful half moon shaped beach called “Princesita del Mar”.

Bohemian, glamour, wealth are the neighbourhood’s most outstanding features. Many music compositions, books, paintings and photographs originated here, becoming a tourist reference in Brazil.  

After the 1960s, the neighbourhood had to undergo considerable changes since widespread fame attracted more inhabitants than what it could hold. Therefore, Copacabana suffered from property speculation and became crammed with high buildings with small apartments. 

Copacabana became then a Brazilian microcosm, where families from different social classes were close in contact, in a small area between the sea and mountain. Nowadays, fine restaurants, cinemas, banks, synagogues, varied stores and theatres can be enjoyed there.

Ipanema, founded in the year 1894, is one of Rio de Janeiro’s most famous neighbourhoods over and above being one of the most luxurious ones. It is located in the south area of the city and its beautiful coast is one of the neighbourhood’s features.

Ipanema’s beach, together with Copacabana’s, are one of the city’s best known ones and most admired. Ipanema is one of the main tourist spots in Rio, for foreign tourists as well as for Brazilian ones.  

All the year long tourist visit the beaches and the rest of this elegant and modern neighbourhood, where a broad variety of cafes, restaurants, boutiques and the city’s best dance clubs can be found. 

Moreover, Ipanema is very popular among the gay community, being an important meeting point.

What is more, there is a beach in Ipanema intended for this, internationally known as a gay-friendly destination. According to “Discovery Travel & Living” Ipanema’s beach is the second best in the world and the sexiest of all.

Rocinha is in fact the greatest “favela” (shantytown) in Rio de Janeiro, where more than 60,000 inhabitants live. Indeed it is extra officially believed that there are more than 200,000 inhabitants here.

The best part of these inhabitants came from the north east area of Brazil looking for better opportunities. Today, the influx of immigrants is still quite large.

Hence, in order to organise this growth, the city’s authorities launched a new building project in the year 2001.

Today, Rocinha boasts a commercial centre located in the “favela” where fast-food chains, lan houses, banks and tourist offices offering guided tours of the “favela” can be found.

Other “favelas” in Rio de Janeiro are Ciudad de Dios, Babilonia, Vidigal and Villa Canoa. Some of them became well known after appearing in the big screen. 

Botafogo is the community of the Brazilian aristocracy. This neighbourhood links the centre with the south are of Rio de Janeiro City.  

Luckily huge houses dating from the nineteenth century still stand at this neighbourhood nowadays. Such buildings are definitely well worth a visit.

Furthermore, the famous bars from the Hortomercado Cobal are also a must for tourists visiting Botafogo neighbourhood. 

Urca is located at the foot of the hill that leads to the Pāo de Açúcar. Visiting the casino and the Guanabara Bay is highly recommended in this area.