Find the Best Things to Do in Santa Teresa
By Lucy Bryson
Rio de Janeiro Local Expert
About Santa Teresa
There's more to Rio de Janeiro than beaches, and this leafy neighborhood that clings to the jungle-clad hillside above the city is well worth sacrificing the sun lounger for.
Known as the artistic heart of Rio, Santa Teresa's cobbled streets are lined with rambling mansions that were once home to the city's wealthy elite, and today function as artists' studios, restaurants and guest houses.
If you are looking for accommodation that is a world removed from the high rise, highly priced hotels that line the beach front, this is your place.
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See & Do
Santa Teresa's breezy hilltop location made it the destination of choice for wealthy settlers in Rio, and the neighborhood's cobbled streets are lined with some of the finest examples of colonial architecture to be found anywhere in the city.
Just strolling around the neighborhood is a pleasure in itself, and the views offered from many of the guesthouses and restaurants here are nothing short of spectacular. Be sure to pay a visit to Parque das Ruinas, a small park housing a ruined mansion home with terrific 360-degree views from the top floor.
Eat
Santa Teresa is a top destination for foodie visitors to Rio, as the neighbourhood is one of the best places in the city to sample traditional dishes from across Brazil.
For hearty Northeastern dishes at very fair prices head to Bar do Arnaudo; for meaty Minas Gerais meals and moreish bar snacks head to the bohemian Bar do Mineiro, or for dishes made from Amazonian ingredients take a seat on the balcony at Espirito Santa.
Sobrenatural is the place to come for superior seafood, while Aprazivel offers French-Brazilian fine dining in a lush tropical garden.
Party
Santa Teresa is a haven for musicians and artistic types, so it should come as no surprise to find that its bars are lively affairs.
Every day of the week you will find locals gathered outside meeting spots such as Bar do Gomes and Bar do Mineiro, while Simplesmente serves food and drink until around 4am nightly.
Santa Teresa is a welcoming neighborhood with a friendly vibe, but is more about the bar scene than all-night clubbing. Head here on a Friday night for drinks before joining the locals in heading down the hill to Lapa - nightlife central.
Stay
Santa Teresa's rambling colonial mansions make perfect guesthouses, and this is the spot to find lodgings with a lot more charm than the high rise hotels of Copacabana.
The leafy jungle setting means that evening drinks and leisurely breakfasts are a treat for nature lovers, and the pace of life here feels slower than elsewhere in the city.
Santa Teresa is home to everything from budget-friendly backpacker options to five-star hospitality at the grand Hotel Santa Teresa, at prices that compare favourably with the beachfront.
Shop
If you're looking for vintage clothes, colorful arts and crafts, funky homeware or gifts with a difference, Santa Teresa is the place to find them.
Strolling the streets around Largo de Guimaraes, the busy main square you'll come across many small independent stores, all offering a wealth of artsy goodies.