Within my month of traveling around Brazil, I fell in love with Rio, and more specifically Ipanema. Why was Ipanema so awesome? Umm... quiet leafy streets, seconds from the beach, and more fruit juice than I could ever imagine. Here are my picks of where to go and what to see around town.

A Place for Dinner: Fontes
Rua Visconde de Pirajá 605, Ipanema 
A super cheap and delicious vegetarian spins on classic Brazilian dishes (tofu feijoada).

A Place for a Cheap Meal: Lanchonetes (lunch counters)
There's a lanchonete on almost every corner in Rio –– all serving fresh fruit juices, meat pastries and other snacks. Big Nectar for açai with granola. Chaika for dessert.

A Place for an Expensive Meal: Siri Mole
Rua Francisco Otaviano 50, Copacabana
Bahian-style seafood –– grilled fish and soft-shell crab stews.

A Place for Drinks: Bar D'Hotel
Av. Delfim Moreira 696, Leblon  A relaxed beach-side bar in Leblon with good cocktails.

A Place for Dancing: Le Boy
Rua Raul Pompéia, 102, Copacabana
"A Night at the Roxbury" but (more) gay and in Copacabana. Shameless bad-but-good music.

A Place to Hear Music: Beachside Kiosk Bars
Caipirinhas just taste better with local music.

A Place for Shopping: Cheap Gem Stores
My boyfriend found tons of crystals, stones and geodes all over the city. Our apartment is now a hall of gems & minerals.

A Place to See Art: Museu do Arte Contemporânea de Niterói
Mirante da Boa Viagem, Niteroi
The exhibits are kind of blah, but the Oscar Niemeyer designed building is the best part. It's like a cliff-side curvilinear UFO.

Place to go Where you Wont See Anyone You Know: Posto 9, Ipanema beach
A preferred place to lounge on the sand, people-watch, and stuff my face with Globo biscuits and matte tea.

Place to Relax: Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
There are bike and walking paths line the lagoon with awesome views of Cristo Redentor up on Corcovado mountain.

Place for a Date: Jardim Botânico
Quiet, natural beauty. Wild monkeys. Are you not charmed?

Place to go for Inspiration: Pão de Açúcar
The dizzy cable car ride at night gives a view of the entire city: mountains, bays and curving coastlines.

Thing to do on Weekend: Iguaçu Falls
Take the overnight bus to Foz do Iguaçu and check out both the Brazilian and Argentinean side of the waterfalls. Wetness will happen.

















FILED UNDER: Rio de Janeiro, travel, greg luna , staff