From Wikitravel

Rio's Centro (Downtown) has most of the churches and museums of the city, including the Modern Art Museum, as well as many bars. In fact, Lapa is one of the most thrilling places to be in Rio after dark, with streets full of people, not to mention the bars, all placed in historical buildings (most of them from the early 1800s). In Lapa you can hear typical Brazilian music such as samba, forró, and choro. And it's the place to try typical food and, especially, drinks like the world famous caipirinha. The nearby Santa Teresa neighborhood, located on the hills to the southwest, is a beautiful historical district and home to many of the city's artists.

[edit] Get in

[edit] Get around

The best way to get to Santa Teresa is by catching the street car, or bonde, from Lapa. It crosses a high viaduct and climbs up through the winding cobblestone streets to the top of the hill. Although many locals will just hop on the sides to avoid paying the R$0.60 fare, there are periodic checks by the transit police.

You can also walk to Santa Teresa from surrounding districts such as Catete, though it's a stiff uphill climb, and some of the streets aren't entirely safe.

[edit][add listing] See

• Saint Benedict's Monastery (Pt: Mosteiro de São Bento)
• Metropolitan Cathedral, Avenida República do Chile, 245. Resembles a gigantic conical spaceship made of concrete.
• The Lapa Aqueduct carries streetcars on their way up to Santa Teresa.
• The Museu da Chácara do Céu, Rua Murtinho Nobre, 96, Santa Teresa. An art and antique museum with a good collection of works by modern masters. During Carnaval 2006 some of its most famous works of art were stolen while a procession passed by outside.
• The Museu do Bonde in Santa Teresa covers the history of streetcars.

[edit][add listing] Do

• The Arte de Portas Abertas, or artists' open house, is held over a few days in May and November of each year, when Santa Teresa's artists open their studios to the public. There are free shuttle buses from most parts of the city for this event.

[edit] Music

• Circo Voador [1] in Rua dos Arcos has plenty of live Carioca music.
• Clube Dos Democraticos best club in all of Lapa built in 1867.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Centro is very well known for the neighborhood known as Saara. Nothing to do with the desert, it has its name after an association of small shop owner's that established there on the early 1900's, most of them from the Middle East and Jews from Eastern Europe. There are also lots of Chinese businesses. Today, it has a wide variety of shops, selling almost anything. From trousers to gum, from licorice to Carnival costumes, you can find virtually everything on the always crowded - yet peaceful - pedestrian-only parallel streets. A very popular tour during weekdays, but be on time. After 6 o'clock the shops close and the once filled streets are now empty.

• Favela is a unique clothing store in Santa Teresa.

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Confeitaria Colombo, Rua Gonçalves Dias, 32, Centro, [2]. Dates back to 1894 and has a dazzling tea room and arguably the best sweets and other delicacies in town.
• Mike's Haus, Rua Almirante Alexandrino 1458, Santa Teresa, dishes up German food. Ex-hangout of train-robber Ronnie Biggs.

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Bar do Arnaldo. Rua Almirante Alexandrino, 316 B, Santa Teresa, tel. 2252-7246. Arnaldo is one of the classic drinking spots in Santa Teresa, famous for its food from Brazil's Northeast region.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Cama e Café, [3]. You can sleep in any one of 50 charming houses.

• Casa Beleza, [4].

[edit] Contact

[edit] Stay safe

Avoid entering or leaving Santa Teresa on foot after nightfall. During the day it's a nice hike up the streets, but the neighborhood is surrounded by three different favelas, and assaults after dark are not unheard of even for the locals. Take taxis and stay in groups.

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