Rio De Janeiro is one of the most fun, chaotic, beautiful and bucket-list worthy travel destinations out there. I’ve had the privilege and pleasure to go there for a conference, and since I’ve received a lot of requests for advice about it, here’s my guide to Rio as a solo travelling, pole dancing woman.
Why a pole dancer’s guide? Because, like my previous guides (for example, to San Francisco and Reykjavik), this includes a combo of sightseeing, nightlife that includes dancing and/or cabaret, and of course pole studios.
Still, it’s worth saying that this blog post has many a disclaimer. First of all, this is not a comprehensive, local’s guide to Rio De Janeiro. I’m a white, Italian woman in her early 30s, travelling alone for a combo of work and pleasure. I was also trying to save money during my trip, meaning that I stayed in Rio and its surroundings for only about 14 days in between my conference and my solo trip.
Inevitably then, a lot of the things I will be talking about are still viewed through the lens of whiteness and the Global North (London), of my gender, and of someone who didn’t have a lot of time to stay and explore. This means that even the advice I sought, while trying to broaden my perspectives, may have still focused on my specific needs and tastes. So take what you will from this post, and bear in mind that I’m writing it because I’ve seen that a lot of travellers stop by Rio for even less than I did, so what I am writing about here may inspire you or provide some extra food for thought from the noise you hear on social media.
This is where I’d also like to pay credit where it’s due. To plan for my trip, I owe a lot to my colleague Rafael (who’s local), to nights out with my colleagues Oscar, Gian Marco, Marissa and Rebecca, but also to the following bloggers and content creators – give them a follow if you want to check out my sources:
- Laura The Explorer’s guide to Rio in blog form was massively helpful in planning my itinerary;
- @itsimplyeve is a polyglot, solo-travelling creator whose content I literally devoured before travelling to Rio. Her videos about safety in Rio, particularly as a solo woman traveller, really helped me figure out how to stay safe. I found content by Keanu Campbell also very funny and helpful (and this vid about phones in particular has good advice that can be applied to London too, tbh). @jennywalshhh also shared some fun, relatable vids about where to stay, shop and go out in Rio;
- I absolutely loved @yesimavirgohowdiduguess’ funny, no-bullshit content coming from a local’s perspective – she points out what you want and don’t want to do as a tourist in town, and she’s incredibly entertaining, especially in this vid about Pedra do Sal (more on that later);
- @ishinnrio’s local perspective was crucial when planning where to go out in Rio, but you should really follow him for all his informative, accessible takes about racism in Brazil, favelas etc;
- The previous creator and @ryaanlouis also helped me learn quick, easy local expressions that differ from straight-up Portuguese;
- I also recommend following @tocorimerio for personalised, off-the-beaten-path tours and local perspectives – he was recommended by @issymuir and he’s incredibly lovely, I shall book a tour with him when I go back!
Thanks to all the above, quite a few locals told me I was doing Rio the right way, so hopefully the guide you’re about to read will sound a bit less gringa and a little bit more fun.
Rio De Janeiro: when to go, and for how long
I had very little choice when it comes to deciding when to go to Rio, because I knew I had to fit my trip around the Association of Internet Researchers’ annual conference, which took place in Niteroi from October 15th to 19th 2025. Most advice suggests going to Rio during the shoulder seasons aka March-May or September-November for pleasant weather and fewer crowds, which means that, knowing I had my anniversary with my partner on October 12th and I was going solo, going after the conference was the only option.
October is still rainy season, and according to Cariocas this was the coldest October in decades. I still managed to basically experience all seasons though – from freezing wind to tropical rain, all the way to 30 degrees Celsius, so I feel like I did all right.
I’ve seen some blogs suggesting you can visit Rio in as little as three days if you pack your activities together. I for sure packed my main touristy activities within my first three days in town, but given the 11-hour trip and the sheer size of Rio I knew that wasn’t going to be my vibe, so I pulled in 14 days in between Rio and Niteroi (including the conference). This is because I hate waking up too early when travelling, I don’t want to feel limited in my choices, and usually it takes me a good week to feel like I am making the most out of a place.
Getting to Rio from the airport
Thanks to all the tips from locals and the above creators, going from Rio to my hotel destination was incredibly easy. In London, I’m boycotting Uber because of its partnership with an Israeli drone firm, but since everyone (from locals to creators) recommended it as the safest option to go from the airport to town, I sucked it up and booked it.
As a solo woman traveller, it is the safest option to book through your phone, when you don’t speak the language very well, to monitor where the driver is going, agree on a price and leave a footprint. Drivers are likely to ask you for a code on your phone to confirm the trip for extra safety, and some even have inside cameras for their own safety.
Ubers are extremely cheap here – a 40+ minute long trip from Rio’s Galeao airport to my hotel in Niteroi, where my conference was taking place, only set me back 79.97 Brazilian Reals, which converts to about £11.50.
Getting around Rio
Rio has buses and an underground, as well as bikes for hire, but most advice for solo women travellers recommended Ubering everywhere. Again, didn’t love this – not just because I am boycotting Uber in London and elsewhere, but because my favourite way of discovering a new city is by walking and eating my way through it.
Still, Uber trips in Rio are incredibly cheap, meaning that although I’ve never Ubered so much in my life I didn’t actually spend much more than I spend during a month on London’s Underground. Trips from Copacabana to the rest of town are usually the most expensive (£5), while trips from everywhere else usually don’t cost more than £3 – so make sure you tip the driver!
I thought I was chickening out of exploring Rio by booking so many Ubers, but a lot of women locals told me they Ubered from most locations too, especially at night. And while some did take public transport during the day, Uber was still a very popular option.
You can even book a super cheap Uber Moto – aka riding on the back of someone’s motorcycle – for a cheaper thrill!
Safety in Rio De Janeiro
I was lucky enough to have both my flight and conference hotel booked by my former employer for the conference, which meant booking through my work’s travel agency. This was great to remove the hassle of getting reimbursed for a big sum of money, but… it did add to my safety-related anxiety. As is custom with work-related travel, you have to complete a risk assessment about your destination, and Rio is judged as fairly risky by the UK government and by academic institutions. This meant that my travel agency sent me daily, sometimes hourly, alerts of stabbings, shootings, bus hijacking and the like in Rio.
Not the best way to soothe a girl’s nerves, uh?
This constant badgering meant that many colleagues and I were terrified on our way to Rio, and I certainly wasn’t looking forward to going – not just for fear of, you know, dying, but also for fear of gun-point robberies, getting my phone or documents stolen, and the like.
Luckily, none of that happened – so here’s how I made sure I stay safe (and once again, massive thanks to the creators above for breaking this down).
- I stayed only in the South Zone, which is the area of Rio where most tourists go. It appears that the city and state have worked pretty hard to make this safer than it was a few years back – people who went 10 years ago told me they’d witnessed violent robberies in Copacabana back then, but that this doesn’t tend to happen anymore.
- I went against any fashion advice and wore a multi-zip shoulder bag. Others also wore fanny packs or money belts, to ensure that your most valuable items were not immediately reachable for pickpockets.
- I was careful with my phone even more than I would be in London. Phone theft was cited as the biggest issue in Rio, but as a Londoner (phone snatching in London is basically an epidemic) I knew to always grip my phone with both hands, to stay far from the pavement when using it, to only take it out when strictly necessary, to book Ubers and look up my itinerary indoors. A few colleagues had their phone snatched by boys on bikes which is giving… London. So be very careful! Rio (and London tbh) is not the place to do 0.5 POV long-arm selfie videos about yourself out and about.
- Be mindful of taking pictures. A lot of the pictures I’ve taken were due to my “content husband” Tom Divon during the conference, or friends who were with me, or people I met on tours. If, however, you’d like to ask someone to take pictures for you, it’s worth looking for fellow tourists and exchanging phones so you hold theirs while they’re holding yours to take the picture. Most people will suggest this themselves and won’t think it’s rude!
- Not flashing cash, cards or jewellery. I left my most valuable jewellery at home and only travelled with crap jewellery, including earrings. I didn’t really take much cash out, but the cash I did take out I hid in this handy scrunchy with a secret zipped pocket by Pole Junkie – you can get it here with my link. I never went around with my credit card, but only with my Monzo, and I made photocopies of all my main documents and flight tickets, bringing passport sized photos, in case anything got stolen and I had to have them re-made.
- Don’t leave your belongings unattended on the beach. Most people I spoke to who had stuff stolen had it stolen on the beach – even from under their noses, especially during Carnival. So DON’T LEAVE STUFF even when it’s within reach! Take it with you when taking pictures, hand it to fellow neighbouring tourists to watch over when you swim, and be careful with your Havaianas cause even those can get stolen!
- I never walked anywhere that looked empty. Most people will tell you to NEVER, EVER walk alone as a woman in Rio but to be honest that would have destroyed my soul and I was very glad to see that walking alone (day and night) in Copacabana and Ipanema was largely fine. There’s other people around, bars and restaurants are well-lit, and since I’m Italian I’m quite used to men talking to you or approaching you so I didn’t find it scary. I’m very glad I walked, because the walk from Copacabana through to Ipanema and Leblon is gorgeous, full of quaint stalls and shops, and I truly would have missed out if I didn’t do it. BUT of course play it by ear depending on the place, time of day, and people around.
- I had a Yellow Fever vaccine and brought extremely strong mosquito repellent from the UK. When I’m in Italy I’m basically mosquito food, so since another pesky alert my travel agency kept sending me was about Dengue and Yellow Fever, I read up and decided to get a Yellow Fever vaccine at least 10 days before travelling. It was £75 from my local chemist, but it’s a life vaccine so keep the certificate cause you only have to get it once. For Dengue fever, the vaccine is recommended only if you’ve had it before so the best way forward is to lather yourself up in mosquito repellent spray – I got the cheapest, strongest one from Boots and never had issues.
- I only drank cocktails in established bars. Sao Paulo recently made the news due to deaths related to methanol poisoning in cocktails, meaning many Brazilian colleagues were extremely careful in Rio, too, about drinking cocktails and went for beer or wine instead. Most folks from Rio argued it was safe to drink the inevitable caipirinha, so I decided to trust them… only in mainstream bars though. I decided to avoid caipirinha from beach sellers, just to stay on the safe side.
- Consider going to Rio outside the busiest travel periods, aka during Carnival. Carnival is, of course, an experience you may want to have once in your lifetime but it’s also when Rio is at its busiest and most chaotic. Because when I went it wasn’t as busy, a lot of people told me it was also safer.
I think I’d be lying to you if I said that Rio can’t be a dangerous place – just a couple of days after I left, a deadly police operation in a favela killed more than a hundred people, and while it didn’t affect the South Zone, many businesses (including pole studios) decided to close and the airport was shut for a day. But this painted more of a scathing image of its leadership than of the city itself, and it happened in areas that don’t affect tourists.
Hopefully by now you feel less scared and more prepared for your solo trip to Rio, so let’s get into the fun stuff.
Rio accommodation
I stayed in two hotels during my time around Rio – one in Niteroi, a town just across the bridge from Rio De Janeiro, because of my work conference, and one in Copacabana.
Because of their involvement with Israeli settlements, I always try to not book via Booking.com or Airbnb because I don’t wanna give them my money. I basically only use Booking.com as a search engine, and then find the hotel elsewhere – and this is how I found the Hotel Icarai Praia in Niteroi, a cheap, clean and perfectly located hotel by Icarai beach in Niteroi. Four nights here, with breakfast, cost my agency around £200. My colleagues stayed at the H Hotel, which is apparently fancier and has a pool, but it was fully booked by the time I tried to reserve a room.
Staying in Niteroi was the perfect way to get accustomed to the chaotic, warm, and different vibe that Brazil had compared to where I was coming from. Niteroi felt a bit safer than Rio – I had my phone in my hand on the street way more often there – and with it being smaller, walking around and shopping felt a bit easier. There are some gorgeous views and tourist sights to check out from there, so scroll down for more info about it – it’s not to be slept on!
In Rio, I followed most tourist advice about where to stay and booked the Mercure Rio Boutique Hotel Copacabana. It was bang on Copacabana beach and seemed like the best option for a solo newbie, also because if you became an Accor Member (it’s free), you get 10% off your stay which isn’t nothing for a whole week. It ended up costing me £756.00 for eight nights, breakfast was included and so were free beach chairs, towels and a welcome caipirinha on Copacabana.
This hotel has an EXCELLENT location, easily reachable via Uber and bus. The area around it feels really safe even at night for a solo woman traveller, and it’s great if you wanna explore the Copacabana and Ipanema areas on foot. However, you experience at the Mercure Rio Boutique will change radically depending on the room you booked. In many hotels, booking the cheapest option means you still get a nice and comfortable room. Here, while the smallest room is really nice and well-kept, it won’t be comfortable for two people and meant that as a solo traveller I could barely move around (fine by me, however this may change depending on your luggage).
Booking the cheapest option may also mean that you end up – like me – in a room with zero natural light facing a block of flats and behind the lift, meaning that the aircon generator outside *and* the lift’s motor and noises will keep you up at night. At one point the noise got so bad I couldn’t sleep, so if you wanna avoid this issue in this hotel, book a bigger room with a beach view.
How do I know this?
Because when I couldn’t sleep I asked the team for a room change and a partial refund. This took a day and a night for a room to become available (and initially they only wanted to offer me a late check-out, which as someone who was going to leave shortly after check-out anyway wasn’t worth my while), but ultimately I was put in a bigger room with beach view and the difference was immense. So long story short: if you’re staying here, prepare to pay more because you may not get as lucky as I did if the hotel is fully booked. The team are, however, incredibly friendly, full of advice, welcoming and they speak really good English. Breakfast has plenty of options and it’s really nice.
If I were to go back to Rio, though, I would stay in Ipanema because it’s cooler, the bars and restaurants are nicer, and it’s overall a bit younger and more Queer which is more my vibe!
LEARN PORTUGUESE!
Most posts by content creators will tell you many Cariocas don’t speak English so I was prepared to not be able to communicate fully… but I was not prepared for how stunting and silly it felt, as someone who is bilingual and quite used to getting by in a foreign language. I found Rio-based Portuguese trickier to understand than, say, Lisbon- or Porto-based Portuguese (which I don’t speak, but can sort of navigate as an Italian who’s studied Latin and ancient Greek). So my first day I frantically tried to use Google translate to try and ask for things and then realised it wasn’t helping.
By being more in the moment, speaking “Italodisco” (my personal blend of Italian, Sardinian, Spanish and Latin lol) and asking people to speak slower I managed to get by and was even faster than my friend’s ChatGPT in getting us a table.
But please don’t be like me and try to do a few months’ Duolingo at the very least to communicate properly, cause Brazilians really did say: “Fuck colonialism and globalisation” and they’re not gonna learn English just to accommodate you.
And I just really respect that, and will prepare better next time.
Currency and payments
Brazil is a perfectly functioning cashless society, so paying through contactless through my Apple Wallet was easy and not at all different from paying elsewhere – and in fact way easier and better than in my own country, Italy, where folks will curse you for paying by card. I did take out about R$500 in case I had any issues, but felt I barely had to use them – even beach sellers accepted contactless payments!
When travelling I always use my Monzo debit card which has no foreign payment charges, however a word of warning: when paying, Brazilians will ask you for “debito” or “credito”. For some reason, if I selected “debito” when using my debit card, the payment would not go through. If, however, I told them “credito,” it would. So bear that in mind when paying.
Another option, used by everyone from street vendors to established retailers, is Pix, the peer-to-peer payment processor created by the Brazilian Central Bank which is apparently pissing Trump and Zuckerberg off, making it even more appealing to yours truly. If you’re a foreigner and don’t have a Brazilian email, bank account or ID, you can use Pix Roaming, a system that lets you scan a QR Code, confirm your payment and have it converted into your currency. You can access it either through your own bank app or through a partner digital wallet by a company like PagBrasil or AstroPay (just make sure you set it up before getting there to avoid any hassle).
The main Rio touristy bits
I know what you’re thinking: “Enough with the admin, girl, give us the fun!”
I hear you, sorry, just wanted to save you some googling!
Some of the main monuments / locations you’ll see in pictures of Rio include Christ The Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, the Jardim Botanico (Botanic Gardens) and the Escadaria Selarón. I did all of these, and I have thoughts.
Christ The Redeemer
It’s an impressive site, with gorgeous (although not the most gorgeous) views of Rio and it’s a really cheap visit. It’s also an incredibly interesting social experiment, given the type of Influencers in the Wild photoshoots I’ve seen happen there (see below).
Jokes aside, going to the Redeemer is an intense experience which I was glad to take part in, although it’s obviously not the most authentic. Everyone recommends getting there when it opens – so around 8am – because it’s less crowded, the views are (usually) better and mosquitoes tend to wake up over there around 12pm.
I suggest buying tickets online from the official site a couple of weeks before going (one ticket for the morning slot, which is valid for a week in case you wanna go back cost me about £9). You can select central pick-up points (I went from Copcabana) so that you get picked up by a bus that drops you off right by the entrance, where a second bus will pick you up to bring you to the Redeemer.
When we went, it was a rainy, foggy morning and the folks at check-in showed us the CCTV from the site, suggesting to either come back on another day or to wait for the clouds to disappear. We waited an extra 30 minutes and got lucky – the weather got better, visibility was great and the Redeemer was less busy!
You won’t need much more than an hour there, because you WILL wanna yell at everyone and their photoshoots – it was this experience which led me to post the below reel about the “platformisation” of travel aka what social media did to tourism.
Sugarloaf Mountain
What you truly cannot miss is Sugarloaf Mountain, or Pao de Açucar. Watching the sunset from up there was one of the most breath-taking, unforgettable experiences of my life – but you need to plan for it.
Most people suggest visiting Sugarloaf either at sunrise or sunset. I was still very jet lagged so I wasn’t about to wake up before dawn, and went for sunset instead. You can book your tickets here – they’re on the pricey side, setting me back about £35, but I would pay that again.
Locals suggest going during the week (ideally, on a Tuesday like I did), to book online to avoid queues and to book for a couple of hours before sunset, because once you’re up you can take your time and stay in the park until closure. I went with a bunch of colleagues and we booked an entrance for 4pm, so that we had plenty of time to wait for the sunset at 6pm.
Bring lots of layers, because it will get chilly up there!
There’s several food and drink options on the park, and different levels with gorgeous views of Rio, but we preferred looking at the view instead of eating. Watching the sun break through the clouds and shine on the Redeemer, which lit up at night, was something I will never forget.
Jardim Botanico
The Jardim Botanico is worth a visit not just because of the iconic, very instagrammable corridor of enormous palm trees, but also for playful monkeys and different views of the Redeemer, which towers all over Rio.
A couple of hours will be enough to visit and walk around this stunning park, an oasis of calm and quiet in what is a really busy and chaotic town. You don’t need to book in advance – it’s a big place, and tickets are fairly cheap (about £11). It’s easily reachable via Uber, and it’s a welcome flat walk compared to the hilly / climb-heavy other touristy bits of Rio.
Santa Teresa and the Selaron Steps
With views of the city and a quaint, artistic vibe, the neighbourhood of Santa Teresa is a must-visit. I was assisted in my experience by the weather, which was intermittently sunny and rainy, meaning that the tourists who would often crowd the area weren’t around as much.
You can get there via the yellow tram known as the Bonde de Santa Teresa, which leaves from the Centro neighbourhood of Rio, crossing the famous Arcos de Lapa before climbing up through the hills of Santa Teresa. I, however, got there by Uber because I didn’t want to risk getting lost in Centro on my first day, given that it’s one of the less safe neighbourhoods.
Santa Teresa is fairly safe during the day, and less at night. It’s a blend of picturesque corners, street art, independent shops and vibey bars. If you’re ubering, I recommend selecting Bar do Mineiro (a bar that is also worth a stop) as your destination, and then walking around and down towards the Escadaria Selarón, the famous steps where Pharrell and Snoop Dogg shot the video for the song Beautiful. From here, you’ll basically be in between Santa Teresa and the neighbourhood of Lapa, known for its bars, restaurants and parties, so given that not all Ubers will wanna pick you up from Santa Teresa (it’s too high up for some cars), it’s the ideal way to move onto your next destination.
I was also assisted by a not-so-light drizzle on the Escadaria Selarón, which sports little tiles from all over the world, meaning I got to avoid its usual rammed state. It was a win, even if I got a bit wet!
Parque da Cidade de Niteroi
This one’s definitely off the beaten path and a bit tricky to get to (and especially to leave from!) but boy, was it worth it. Shout out to my colleague Suay who really wanted to catch the sunset from the Parque da Cidade de Niteroi because I do believe its beauty rivals Sugarloaf Mountain in being one of the most incredible sunsets I’ve ever seen.
Niteroi City Park is about half an hour’s drive from the main Niteroi beach (Icarai) where most hotels are situated, making it about an hour’s drive from central Rio de Janeiro. It’s where a lot of locals wait for the sun to go down, thanks to its sloped sitting area right at the top which has a breath-taking view of the Rio bay, all its peaks and even Christ The Redeemer. To get there, however, you really have to be organised. Here’s why.
Check at what time the sun sets, and make sure you have planned enough time to be there at least half an hour before not just for the best seating, but because traffic is mad and not all cabs will take you up the park – it is steep and inside a forest. So plan in advance, and lather up with insect spray.
Enjoy the sunset, but bear in mind the park closes at 6pm, and that as soon as you’re shut out of the gates – and the military police WILL shut you out – you will be in a dark forest with no signal. So book your Uber back from up top before the park closes, screenshot the licence plate and, if needed, the security code, and go back.
I’m saying this because while I was lucky enough to have done this, I still had to walk 10 mins down a dark forest road to find my cab driver, and even then I couldn’t find the security code he needed to leave, which was stressful in my wonky Portuguese, because I had no phone signal. We worked it out, but my colleagues weren’t as lucky, and they had to walk in the dark, downhill, for 30mins til the main town in a sketchy, unknown forest.
Ye be warned, but hey… look at this sunset!
Beaches
Even though the Sunday I moved from Niteroi to Rio was rainy AF, and even if there was one sunny Wednesday where the wind was so cold I and a friend had to wrap ourselves in blankets in Ipanema, I still packed in some beach time and got a tan – and a burn, at that. Which brings me to the annoying yet necessary reminder to BRING SUNSCREEN and REAPPLY IT. I thought my Italian tan was still going strong but I got burnt on my last morning in Rio because the bikinis I bought were… tinier than usual and I must have left some skin uncovered.
Aaaanyway, here are some of the beaches you cannot miss, and their vibes.
Copacabana
My hotel was in Copacabana so of course I spent quite a bit of time there – but bear in mind that although incredibly well-connected, Copacabana is the most touristy beach in Rio. This worked for me, especially when I wanted to go for a swim (read: a dip, because the Atlantic’s waves are BRUTAL and they smack you down), I could just ask some of the couples staying in my hotel to look over my stuff.
With a decent view of both Rio’s buildings and Sugarloaf Mountain, everything at Copacabana is easy, from beach volley courts to showers and water fountains, from beach sellers bringing you food and clothes to beach chairs and umbrellas.
On that, beach sellers can be super intense but were also one of my favourite things about Rio. In Sardinia, where I’m from, we’re very used to vendors walking back and forth on the beach trying to sell you clothes, rings and the like. But in Rio, it’s next level. Sellers will shout: “Camarao, camarao!” (Shrimps, Shrimps!), or “Mate!” (typical Brazilian iced drink), cocktails or “Queijo!” (cheese) and “Açai!” (the fruit that turns into yummy smoothie bowls). It’s a quaint and musical, if loud, experience.
This means that you will do some of your best shopping on the beach (if you’re good at bartering), and that you will get to try the typical Brazilian Globo savoury biscuit, which is sold on every beach, for just over £1. Oh, and you can also buy joints… which I may or may not have done.
Copacabana rocks, but you definitely want to be experiencing the more local, hip beaches as well. And you can totally do that in the area, because the walk from Copacabana to Ipanema is a pleasant stroll on the iconic beachside pavement, perfect to people watch as Cariocas work out, sing or sell.
Arpoador
Praia do Arpoador was hands down my favourite beach. It’s the first goalpost as soon as you get to Ipanema, right by the marquee where live music and street markets take place. Crucially, it’s where Cariocas and tourists alike gather together to literally clap at the sunset.
Sunsets from here are so breath-taking I went there twice, the first time on a temperamental, both rainy and sunny evening, and the second time on a perfect day. The best viewing spot is up the “Pedra” (aka rock), meaning I do not recommend wearing flat sandals to go up like I did the first time or you WILL slide. Just do it like the locals and wear your Havaianas!
Watching surfers ride the waves as the sun goes down over the peaks is something I’ll never forget. I took an inordinate amount of pictures there, and I still can’t choose which one is my favourite.
Ipanema
There’s a reason why the song The Girl From Ipanema is so evocative – it’s because this beach’s magical experience can only be truly savoured once you’re there.
A way hipper beach than Copacabana, Ipanema has the best stalls and beach sellers, as well as a younger, Queerer vibe. You don’t see Sugarloaf mountain from here, but you see the Morro Dois Irmãos (The Two Brothers Mountain), which is equally stunning. From here, you can walk all the way down to Leblon Beach, on the same side as Ipanema but even Queerer and cooler.
@bloggeronpole My time in #riodejaneiro ? The Girl From Ipanema – Single Version – Stan Getz & João Gilberto
Praia Vermelha
Located closer to Botafogo and the centre of Rio, Praia Vermelha has the best views of Sugarloaf Mountain, and it’s way smaller than the main beaches. Just be mindful that, on a windy day, it catches the wind head on, meaning it’ll be right in your face (and fairly chilly). And since it’s smaller, it’s more difficult to relax here because the beach sellers have way less to walk to get to you, meaning you’ll struggle to have a conversation or read a page without having to engage!
Itacoatiara
For a quieter vibe and to immerse yourself in nature, consider driving all the way to Niteroi to visit the stunning surfer beach of Itacoatiara, featuring killer waves, peaks and perfect dunes for a walk that becomes a workout. I went there with some colleagues before the conference party, and was very glad I took the time to check it out.
Pole dancing in Rio
There are LOTS of pole dance studios in Rio De Janeiro and in the outskirts, but the easiest to reach (in Centro) and the most famous is without a doubt Pin Up Pole Studio.
With tens of thousands of Instagram followers, videos from iconic performances and flows from their talented instructors, Pin Up is one of those accounts that are recommended to you when you start becoming interested in pole dance (or it was, pre-shadowban). It definitely was the case for me, and it’s one of those spaces studio owners dream of creating in London: with three different yet equally gorgeous pole rooms, spaces to dance without a pole, a café and a stunning lobby with polewear for sale, Pin Up is every pole dancer’s dream.
I went there for a private class with the lovely flow queen Carol Martins, and have since then been so inspired to dance I’ve been overtraining everyday (oops). If your currency is in Pounds or Euros especially, privates at Pin Up will still be very affordable and and easier option if you don’t speak Portuguese. The vibe is friendly, welcoming but still really hard-working (my inner-thigh is still recovering from all those static rotations!) so you really can’t miss this experience as a pole dancer in Rio.
Eating out in Rio
I’m gonna be honest here and say that food was probably my biggest challenge in Rio. I’m not a vegetarian, but as an Italian I like to eat a lot of fresh food, salads, and things with simple ingredients. Here, I found that a lot of the local cuisine largely included meat, fried snacks, and really sweet stuff (a problem given I have a massive sweet tooth!). So I didn’t eat as healthy as I would have liked, also because when I travel I like to eat local food and not just look for an Italian restaurant.
Here are some exceptions.
The food at the conference, particularly during coffee breaks and the last reception, was really fresh and incredible, with plenty of local cakes and bites. I also really appreciated the traditional buffet food restaurants dotted across Niteroi and Ilha Grande, where you either pay an entry fee for all-you-can-eat, or get charged by the weight of your plate. These usually allow you to get in a mix of carbs, protein and veggies.
Hotel breakfasts and breakfast-like food were my saviours in Rio. Please don’t hate me, but I really loved eating at the SO_Lo cafés in both Ipanema and Copacabana: their açai bowls with nuts, fruit and peanut butter had me coming back for more, and so had their Tapiocas (a Brazilian flatbread / crepe like food made from hydrated cassava or tapioca starch). If you’re at a bit of a loss for food in Rio, Tapioca – either just with honey and sugar, or with ham and cheese – is your friend. For similar reasons, I also loved a chain called Tapì which I found both in Rio and Niteroi, and what is apparently a local legend for açai, Bibi Soucos in Copacabana.
Recommended by various locals, Brota – a fully veggie restaurant – was a lifesaver towards the end of my trip, where I was craving a whole plate of vegetables. Their salads, innovative cocktail list and impeccable interiors and vibes made it the ideal dinner location – and it’s great for a date too! Their menu changes periodically but it’s always on point, and the Botafogo courtyard where it’s located features tealights, a cute shop and just some of the best laid back vibes you’ll find in town.
Another fave spot for both drinks and a good selection of meat, protein and veggies was Jurema da Lapa, where the staff were incredibly friendly and patient with me speaking Italodisco and trying to order for a table of 10 hungry academics. I had some of the best potatoes in my life there, so make sure you look out for their “batatas” dishes and for their selection of elevated local dishes.
Last but no least, after my hotel recommended a horrid touristy restaurant on a night where I wanted to stay close to Copacabana, I luckily ran into Joaquina and loved their more extensive menu featuring Bahian cuisine, including fish and plantain curries. This was one of the best places I found in Copacabana, so if you’re there check it out.
And before you ask me – yes I did go to the Confeitaria Colombo in the Centro, but the menu looked a bit too touristy and pricey for me so I looked at the architecture, marvelled, and left.
Going Out in Rio
On the flipside, if there’s something I was blown away by in Rio, that’s the nightlife. I’m talking samba and live music at every street corner, samba parties, and a friendly and welcoming vibe that you’ll never forget. So ditch the main kiosks in Copacabana, which are cute but expensive and touristy, and look out for the other options instead.
I’m afraid I must start by giving you some FOMO because the Association of Internet Researchers’ conference did not play around this year and gave us a leaving party for the history books. I’m talking fireworks, favela DJs, karaoke and Brazilian funk dancers getting academics to partake in dance battles. It was WILD – give the @efeitourbano troupe, whose dancers entertained us and provide education about Brazilian culture and dance, a follow because they deserve it.
@bloggeronpole Your academic conference reception and *my* academic conference reception are not the same. The Association of Internet Researchers really went to town with the #AoIR2025 reception in #RioDeJaneiro, feat. Fireworks, DJs, #brazilianfunk ? original sound – bloggeronpole
Pedra do Sal
You will read about Pedra do Sal a lot when looking for info about the Rio nightlife. You will see content from it, you will hear it’s a potentially dangerous but incredible place and you will wonder: is it worth going if I have to worry about my safety so much?
The answer is a resounding YES. The birthplace of samba, near Centro, is a night to remember that you will love if you’re organised and mindful a few things.
First of all, if you’re a solo traveller it’s worth planning Pedra do Sal towards the end of your trip, in the hope you will have met some people along the way to go with. This is just because it’s more fun with a crowd, and going with a group may help, for instance, cover your back when booking an Uber home.
Secondly, bear in mind that THEE Pedra do Sal night to attend is Monday night. I have friends who went then, around 9pm, and found it quite overwhelming for how busy it was, and almost impossible to move around by 11pm. However, if like me you like more of a chill vibe, you can totally witness live music, DJs and parties at Pedra do Sal on a Friday or Saturday night – just check their IG, see what they’ve got on, and plan accordingly.
Now, bear in mind most Ubers won’t drive you to Pedra do Sal itself, as it’s literally a set of steps on a rock, so you’ll have to choose a nearby location for pick-up and drop-off. Aim for Largo de São Francisco da Prainha, a lively square featuring murals and statues that celebrate the birthplace of samba, and essentially a succession of bars, tables and impeccable vibes. From there, follow the Rua São Francisco da Prainha on the right, where you’ll also see food and drink stalls, all the way to Pedra do Sal. On the way back, just duck into one of the bars to order your Uber, memorise the licence plate and you’re golden.
But this is where you wanna keep your phone and valuable in a really safe, remote inside pocket, cause it’s crowded and sticky!
Botafogo
The central neighbourhood of Botafogo has some of the best bars and restaurants in town.
If Queer vibes are what you’re after, Calma Bar is your spot. This came highly recommended by multiple locals and Rio aficionados, and I can see why: it’s not just the art on the wall – from men kissing to The Pope of Trash, John Waters – the pink light and the events calendar; it’s the cocktail menu, and the safe yet lively atmosphere that will keep you coming back. I mean… who wouldn’t want a “Margarita Decolonial”, or a “Morte de Elon Musk”?
Nearby, Hocus Pocus DNA is a craft brewery making some of the most sold beers in town, while Xepa Bar has one of the best (if, alas, also fried) small plates menus I tried, with a great cocktail menu and a fun beach chairs on the pavement set up for tables.
Samba and live music
I had one of the best nights on my trip at Bar do Omar, a bar in the Santo Cristo area known for appetizers, beer and cachaça, with live music and balcony seating with a view of the port and Rio’s skyline. Given how strong their cocktails are, the bar’s pastéis (a typical rectangle-shaped thin-crust fried beef pie) will be a welcome treat. Now, the vibes here were immaculate and I had no trouble Ubering here, but some colleagues were left to walk at the bottom of the hill by drivers who “wouldn’t drive into a favela”. None of the reviews I read or local recommendations I got mentioned that it was in a favela so… make of that what you will!
Thanks to our Brazilian colleague Oscar, who isn’t from Rio but who knew the scene very well, my friend Gian Marco and I managed to go to a bit of the ‘real’ Rio aka the Pagode da Garagem parties, an itinerant and regular night out where you pay what you can, live music fills your heart and gorgeous women join the band to show off their samba skills. When I went, the party was in the Centro area, meaning you also have to be careful to make sure you Uber from inside the venue, keep an eye on your belongings, the lot. To get an idea of the great music you can find here, check out their account below.
Another great recommendation I got from my friends Rebecca and Marissa, who were essentially adopted by the locals, was the Botequim Vaca Altolada in the Lapa neighbourhood, a leftist bar full of Lula and Palestine flags that throws iconic samba parties and brews their own beer. The crowd here is very varied, straight and Queer alike, but still welcoming of tourists.
If you want to experience nightlife closer to the main beaches, the Vinicius Restaurante and Bossa Nova bar came highly recommended in Ipanema, and while I didn’t get to check it out this time, the next time I’m in Rio I’ll be listening to live samba at Bip Bip in Copacabana, where the atmosphere is apparently so chill you have to pour your own beer.
Shopping
I knew shopping in Rio would have been good, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this good. Cariocas are stylish, and their shops and stalls are eclectic, colourful, elegant and (usually) affordable.
One of my proudest purchases – the brown dress I shared above in the pictures from Brota – was from bikini and summer dress shop Rio de Sol in Ipanema, while the blue dress I wore at Sugarloaf Mountain, which is set to become a staple of my summer wardrobe, is from high street chain Riachuelo. These aren’t as cheap as some of the clothes you may find on the beach, but they’re worth checking out because they’re still less than £30, and you can definitely grab a bargain during sales.
On the pricier side of things, Peahi was one of my favourite finds in Rio and Niteroi, where I bought unique and bright cut-out summer dresses and shirt and trousers sets for less than £100.
Visiting the Santa Clara 33 shopping centre in Copacabana is an experience in itself. Its almost hidden entrance on Rua de Santa Clara shows how different this is from your average mall: it’s on multiple levels, and doesn’t feature flashy street shop windows but small shops you have to reach floor by floor by climbing up a narrow staircase or entering a small lift. Go here for bikinis, summer dresses and accessories.
I read a lot praise for vegan haircare and skincare heaven Lola Cosmetics before going to Brazil, so I made sure I stopped by (and stocked up) on their haircare lines at their Rio Sul shopping centre in Botafogo.
Inevitably, you will read a lot about buying and personalising your Havaianas flip flops at their flagship Ipanema store. If you’re wondering if it’s worth the hype, it really is. Just arm yourself with A LOT of patience, because you WILL be queueing. Spilt over three floors, the flagship store has more Havaianas than you can think of, in patterns you will not have seen outside Brazil, and with really cute charms options – all for way less than you’d pay for in the rest of the world. So do go, do be patient, do save those customised Havaianas for cuter occasions than just your average beach stroll and DO NOT leave them unattended, cause some colleagues had them stolen!
Still, some of the best shopping you will do will be from stalls and beach sellers in Ipanema, and especially at the Feira Hippie de Ipanema, or the Ipanema Hippie Market, which run from Sunday to Tuesday for 24 hours. Here you will find teeny bikinis in all possible colours, art, accessories, dresses and food – you really can’t miss this spot if you want to load up on the best fashion and beachwear, which is often handmade by the locals. Some of the bikinis I bought are in the vid below.
@bloggeronpole All the teeny #bikinis I bought in #riodejaneiro ??? and I’m not done yet ? #hauls ? Tiny Bikini – Amyl and The Sniffers
It’s not difficult to distinguish between stylish and low-quality beach sellers, but some of my faves were the @Turquesa clothes stall near Pedra do Arpoador and the @Sereias.rio folks who make gorgeous beach skirts and jumpsuits.
But seriously, just walk around and you’ll find great stuff.
Day trips and excursions
Sadly, as I mentioned, I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked in Rio. In an ideal world, I would have checked out other major cities, gone to the Amazon rainforest, and spent more time chilling in beach locations.
Alas, that wasn’t to be. But it doesn’t mean I didn’t get to experience different, outside-Rio joys through day-trips I found by booking via Viator and GetYourGuide.
Apart from everything else it has to offer, Rio De Janeiro has the largest urban jungle in the world: the Tijuca forest, where you can swim in waterfalls, hang out with monkeys, channel your inner Tarzan by climbing (or, in my case, straddling) vines and hiking through the wilderness. Thanks to my knowledgeable guide Eric, I got to do all of this during a half-day trip – including learning about native and imported plants, the immigrants who built Rio, the local animals and fruit, while also shutting up a bunch of very egocentric men on my tour who told me to “be careful with the vine” only to be silenced by my pole dancing skills (lol).
@bloggeronpole #poledancers in the wild ??? #poletok #tijuca ? som original – ?RICK ROCK?
Another day trip I was very glad I booked was my Ilha Grande tour.
I’m gonna be real with you about this: going to Ilha Grande for one day is an actual crime. This island’s chill atmosphere, deserted beaches, quaint beach buffets and lagoons need to be experienced for four days at least. But this is what I had time for and if, like me, you’re only in Brazil for a few days, the day trip is well worth it.
It is also very tiring though. A bus will pick you up from your hotel or pick-up point at 7am, and then it will drop you back off around 10pm. It’s a long day, but Ilha Grande is in between Rio and Sao Paulo, so it’s a LOT of driving.
During this day trip, I got to swim in the (then freezing) waters of the Blue Lagoon, which was also hit by a pretty chilly wind despite the sun. But swimming with giant fishes in crystal clear waters, riding a jet ski and visiting deserted beaches with quaint little churches was worth braving the cold for. In the video below, you can see what I did during my day trip, which also had its own photographer, bar and, I must say, some excessively loud participants, but that’s part and parcel of day trips like these.
What I’m coming back for
As it was my first time in Rio, I prioritised outdoorsy activities and landmarks and didn’t go to museums as much. However, when I go back – because I WILL be coming back to this gorgeous place, and ideally to Brazil as a whole because I want to visit more regions and cities as well as the Amazon – I have the following spots on my list:
- Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, the gorgeous Royal Library building which was on fire when I got there sadly
- The Museum of Tomorrow (Museu do Amanha), which isn’t just hosted in a visually stunning building, but also features forward-looking exhibitions examining the present to reimagine the future
- The Parque Lage, which was unfortunately closed when I was there
- The Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião, not for religious but for architectural reasons lol
- The Museu de Arte do Rio
- The surfer beach Praia do Joatinga, which would have been a struggle to get to via Uber alone, but that I’d love to drive to
- The spaceship-like Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) in Niteroi
- Spending more time in Ilha Grande and visiting Paraty
- Tereze in Santa Teresa, a Michelin Guide restaurant that a local recommended to me but that I didn’t get the chance to eat at.
I also missed the sunrise hike on the Two Brothers Mountain, which requires going through a favela as part of a tour on the back of your guide’s motorcycle. I decided not to go for favela tours because I felt like I would be participating in ‘poverty porn,’ although some locals argued that the favelas that you can visit are relatively safe with a guide, and that the money you spend on the tour is invested in the local community. Definitely something worth thinking about for next time!
That’s it. Valeu Rio, I shall be back.
Pin This Post
