Rio de Janeiro is a huge city (second largest in Brazil), with 6.3 million inhabitants. Evidently, there are safest and best areas to hang around whether you are a tourist or a Carioca (native of Rio).
Without a doubt the safest area to stay or take a stroll in Rio de Janeiro is on the beach coast, especially neighborhoods such as Urca, Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, and Barra da Tijuca. Urca has no hotel, but the others districts have several types of accommodations and prices, from fully-furnished apartments to 5-star famous hotels.
Copacabana is the district that has more hotels in Rio de Janeiro — over a hundred. However, that should not be a put off to stay in this area. On the contrary, Copacabana is very lively and busy, bustling with pedestrians and beach goers at day time. That is definitely a positive point, as in Rio you should be where locals are abundant.
Bear in mind that Copacabana has in excess of 150.000 inhabitants; there are plenty of locals for you to blend in with.
In most days of the year, locals from Copacabana outnumber by far the number of tourists visiting Rio de Janeiro (except around New Years Eve and Carnival when Rio receives more than one million tourists — Brazilians and foreigners alike — to witness the two largest and most popular events in the city).
Ipanema is another safe area in Rio de Janeiro, and very popular among locals as well as tourists. Some tourists prefer Ipanema, some other prefer Copacabana. It is hard to say which one is safer.
In general, you will feel safe if you choose a hotel and spend most of the time in any of the neighborhoods mentioned above.
To learn more about safety in Rio de Janeiro as well as how to have a great time in Brazil’s most popular and exciting city, get your copy of My Rio Travel Guide.
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