Rio de Janeiro is a city of beaches and mountains, where the built-up coastline sits between the Atlantic and steep granite peaks. Its best-known landmarks - the Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado, Sugarloaf Mountain with its cable car, the Sambódromo parade avenue and Maracanã Stadium - are spread across the city rather than clustered in one spot, so where you base yourself shapes how you spend your days.
For a visitor, the practical division is between the Zona Sul, the southern beach districts, and the centre and its surrounding neighbourhoods. The Zona Sul holds the beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, along with most of the accommodation aimed at tourists. Centro and the districts around it serve business travellers and those who want cheaper rooms or a base closer to the city's nightlife. This guide covers which areas to consider, who each one suits, and what to expect at different price levels.
Best areas to stay in Rio de Janeiro
1. Ipanema
Ipanema is one of Rio's upscale southern beach neighbourhoods and holds the city's fanciest and most popular hotels along the beach. It is a good fit for first-time visitors who want a beach base and for travellers who prefer a well-appointed stay in a neighbourhood with fewer tourists than Copacabana.
The apart-hotels here are described as a more pleasant alternative to the Copacabana strip, being better appointed and set in a nicer neighbourhood. Expect hotel and apart-hotel accommodation rather than a hostel scene.
2. Copacabana
Copacabana is the other main beach base in the Zona Sul, with a strip of tourist hotels along the seafront. It suits visitors who want to be on the beach and within reach of the classic sights.
One practical point: the street in front of the tourist hotel strip can be seedy, with opportunistic locals targeting visitors. If you stay here, treat the immediate hotel strip with the usual city caution.
3. Flamengo and Catete
These two neighbouring districts in the Zona Sul are where you find lots of small, cheap, clean hotels. They suit budget travellers and anyone who wants a southern base without beachfront prices.
They also appear among the areas with hostel choices, alongside Lapa, Glória and Botafogo, so there is a range of cheap accommodation rather than only hotels.
4. Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa is a central neighbourhood that feels quite removed from the life of the city centre. It suits travellers who want a quieter base with character and access to nightlife rather than a beach on the doorstep.
It has plenty of pleasant bed and breakfasts and a significant nightlife scene, which makes it a reasonable choice if evenings out matter more to you than mornings on the sand.
5. Centro
The lower part of Centro is convenient for business travellers, with accommodation suited to that purpose. It is not a good base for a leisure trip.
The surrounding areas are far from pleasant at night, being nearly deserted and lacking decent restaurants and leisure options. If you stay here, plan your evenings elsewhere.
6. Lapa, Glória and Botafogo
These districts are listed among the places with many hostel choices, alongside Flamengo and Catete. They suit travellers who want hostel life and a location within walking distance of hot spots.
Hostelling has become increasingly popular in Brazil, and many hostels sit within walking distance of nightlife and other attractions. Look for accredited places with Youth Hostelling International and similar franchises, and be wary of fraudulent schemes.
7. Leblon
Leblon is a southern beach neighbourhood, named alongside Ipanema and Copacabana as one of the city's beaches. It sits at the upscale end of the Zona Sul and is best suited to travellers looking for a quieter, more residential beach base.
It is also where you find motels of the Brazilian kind, which are rented by the hour rather than by the night and are not aimed at visitors looking for a place to stay.
8. Favelas with police units
Some favelas have hostels, and due to the presence of many police units (Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora, UPP) it is reasonably safe to stay in some of them. This suits travellers who want to experience Rio from another point of view.
Ask your hosts about the actual situation before booking. The Complexo do Alemão, in the Zona Norte, is given as an example.
Where to stay on a budget, mid-range or splurge
- Budget: small, cheap, clean hotels in Flamengo and Catete; hostels in Lapa, Glória, Catete and Botafogo, with the cheaper ones further from the beaches and the more expensive ones a short walk from Ipanema or Copacabana; hostels in some favelas with police units.
- Mid-range: apart-hotels, which provide apartment-style accommodation with kitchen facilities; short-term rented private condominium apartments, usually with a one-week minimum, or two weeks during Carnaval and the New Year holidays.
- Splurge: the fanciest and most popular hotels along the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana; design-conscious hotels in the most upscale neighbourhoods.
Best area for a first visit
Ipanema is the best single base for a first visit. It puts you on one of the city's main beaches while keeping you in a nicer neighbourhood with fewer tourists than the Copacabana strip, and its apart-hotels are better appointed than what you find along the seafront there. From this base you are well placed for the southern beaches and the classic sights.
Frequently asked questions
When should I book, and when are prices highest?
Accommodation in Rio is probably Brazil's most expensive, and there is a relative shortage of cheaper rooms, so booking in advance is recommended. Prices for most accommodation can more than triple during New Year's and Carnaval, and most hotels in tourist areas will only sell four-day packages and charge in advance during those periods. Otherwise, January is the busiest month.
What is an apart-hotel, and is it a good option?
Apart-hotels provide apartment-style accommodation with kitchen facilities. In Ipanema they are described as a more pleasant alternative to the Copacabana hotel strip, being better appointed and in a nicer neighbourhood with fewer tourists. Private condominium apartments can also be rented short-term at reasonable rates, generally with a one-week minimum, or two weeks during Carnaval and the New Year holidays.
Are hostels easy to find, and how do I avoid problems?
Hostels are easy to find in Rio, and the more expensive ones are a short walk from either Ipanema or Copacabana beach, with many other choices in Lapa, Glória, Catete and Botafogo. Look for accredited places with Youth Hostelling International and similar franchises, and beware of fraudulent schemes, which can end in robbery.
What should I know about motels?
Motels, seen mainly on the outskirts, are not motels in the North American sense. They are places you go with your lover for a few hours, not accommodation for a trip.
Compare live prices for the areas that suit you using the booking tools on this page.