Where to Stay in Rio de Janeiro: A Neighbourhood Guide

Short answer: Ipanema for most first-timers, Copacabana for value and the widest choice of hotels. Wherever you stay, pick a place within walking distance of the beach and a metro station.

Ipanema

Leafy streets, the most famous beach (our beaches guide explains its numbered postos), and plenty of restaurants, juice bars and shops. It feels relaxed and relatively safe, and the metro station at General Osório links it to the rest of the city. The downside is price: hotels here cost more than in Copacabana for the same standard.

Copacabana

The biggest choice of hotels, from beachfront towers to small guesthouses, and generally better value. It's busy, noisy and a little frayed in places, but it's well connected by metro. Stay near the beach and a station, and pick the Leme end or the Posto 6 end for more calm.

Leblon

The most upmarket neighbourhood, with many of the city's smartest restaurants and a local feel. Quieter than Ipanema and close to it. Hotels are few and pricey, and it's a little further from Centro.

Botafogo

A residential area on the bay with a lively bar scene, good-value hotels and hostels, and a metro station on Line 1. You'll be close to Sugarloaf, but a metro ride from the ocean beaches, since the bay here isn't for swimming.

Santa Teresa

Boutique hotels and guesthouses in old mansions with views over the city. It has more character than anywhere else, but the streets are steep, quiet after dark and poorly connected, so you'll use Uber a lot, which is the safer habit for evenings anywhere in Rio. Best for a second visit, or a couple of nights at the end of a trip.

Areas we'd avoid

Centro is busy by day but empty at night and at weekends. Barra da Tijuca has large resort hotels and malls, but it's far from everything and built around the car.