Rio de Janeiro: Itineraries

A blend of historic buildings and young skyscrapers, the center of Rio is an excellent place to discover the city's charm away from its beaches and mountains. Among the hustle and bustle, you'll find museums, bars, theaters and open-air bazaars. This tour is best done during the week, when Centro is at its most vibrant (and safest).

Start at the Praça Floriano, which is the heart of modern Rio. It really comes to life at lunchtime and after work. The neoclassical Teatro Municipal, overlooking the plaza, is one of Rio's finest buildings. On the east side of Av Rio Branco, facing Praça Floriano, there's an open-air music market, Rua Pedro Lessa. Next to it is the Centro Cultural Justiça Federal, which often hosts exhibitions. The solid Biblioteca Nacional is next door, while north on Av Rio Branco is the historic Museu Nacional de Belas Artes.

Now cross Av Rio Branco, walk in front of the Teatro Municipal and go left down Av 13 de Maio. Soon you'll be in the Largo da Carioca, a pedestrian area that gets packed with vendors during the week. Up on the hill is the restored Convento de Santo Antônio, one of Rio's oldest.

From here you'll notice the Petrobras building casting an ominous shadow over the area. Behind it is the ultramodern Catedral Metropolitana. Descending from the church, take a right on Rua da Carioca and a left on Rua Gonçalves Dias and stop in the Confeitaria Colombo for a dose of caffeine and art nouveau. On Rua da Carioca you'll find a slice of 19th-century Rio. Bar Luiz, at number 39, makes a fine stop for a bite or a chope (draft beer).

At the end of the block you'll pass the Cinema Iris, once one of Rio's most elegant theaters, before emerging into busy Praça Tiradentes. Soak up some of the stately ambience here. On opposite sides of the square are the Teatro João Caetano and the Teatro Carlos Gomez, historic buildings that still stage some excellent performances. Around the corner is the Centro Cultural Carioca.

There are a couple of companies that do guided tours of Rio's favelas (shanty towns), without resorting to the usual cliches or sensationalism favored by the media. Marcelo Armstrong (tel: 3322 2727; www.favelatour.com.br) is the pioneer of 'favela tourism', taking small groups to visit the favelas of Rocinha and Vila Canoas near São Conrado, where he does an excellent job explaining their social and political context in relation to greater Rio de Janeiro. Marcelo's outfit donates a portion of his profits to favela social projects.

Paulo Amendoim (tel: 3322 8498, 9747 6860; pauloamendoim@hotmail.com) is a former president of Rocinha's residents association, and now leads tours through Rio's biggest favela, offering visitors the chance to see beneath the stereotypes that characterize favela life.

Ipanema and Leblon are Rio's favored stomping ground for wealthy Cariocas, young and old, gay and straight. Ipanema acquired international fame in the early 60s as the home of the bossa nova character 'the Girl from Ipanema.' It became the hangout of artists, intellectuals and wealthy liberals, who frequented the sidewalk cafes and bars, as well as the beach (of course). After the 1964 military coup and resulting crackdown on liberals, many of these bohemians were forced into exile for more than two decades.

Although the stretch along Ipanema and Leblon is really one long beach, postos (posts) subdivide it into areas as diverse as the city itself. Take a stroll along the sand and see for yourself. Posto 9, right off Rua Vinícius de Moraes, is Garota de Ipanema, which is where Rio's most lithe and tanned bodies tend to congregate. The area is also known as the Cemetério dos Elefantes because of the old leftists, hippies and artists who hang out there.

The beach in front of Rua Farme de Amoedo, also called Bolsa de Valores and Crystal Palace, is the gay section, while Posto 8 is mostly the domain of favela (shanty town) kids.

Arpoador, between Ipanema and Copacabana, is Rio's most popular surf spot. Leblon attracts a broad mix of single Cariocas, as well as families from the neighborhood.

Whichever spot you choose, you'll enjoy cleaner sands and sea than those found at neighboring Copacabana.