Hotels in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro: Between the Atlantic and the Serra Carioca

Rio de Janeiro sits on Guanabara Bay in southeastern Brazil, flanked by granite peaks — Corcovado (710 m) and Sugarloaf Mountain (396 m) — and 90 km of Atlantic coastline. The city of 6.7 million is split into distinct zones: the historic Centro and Santa Teresa neighborhood cling to the hillside west of the bay, while the Zona Sul string of Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon runs along the ocean. The Barra da Tijuca district extends 18 km south along a broad beach and houses large resort and business hotels.

Who Visits and Why

Travelers arrive for Carnaval (February/March), which has filled the Sambódromo Marquês de Sapucaí since 1984, and for the year-round draw of Tijuca National Park — 3,953 hectares of Atlantic rainforest inside a major city. Football fans schedule trips around Maracanã Stadium, reopened in 2013 after World Cup renovations. Beach culture, contemporary art at the Museu de Arte do Rio (opened 2013 on Praça Mauá), and the Lapa nightlife arches district attract separate audiences.

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Galeão International Airport (GIG) lies 20 km north of Centro; the BRT Transcarioca connects it to Barra da Tijuca in under 50 minutes.
• Getting around: Metro Line 1 and Line 4 link Ipanema/General Osório to Jardim Oceânico in Barra; Line 2 covers the Zona Norte.
• Seasons: The dry season runs May–October; Carnaval week sees hotel rates rise 3–5× citywide.
• Currency: Brazilian real (BRL); most Zona Sul hotels accept cards.