Botafogo and Flamengo neighborhoods (the latter one is on the left-hand side).
You may be concerned how safe Botafogo, Largo do Machado, Catete, and Gloria are. Let’s analyse each of these areas separately:
Botafogo is the neighborhood in the back of Copacabana. It’s a tipycal middle-class neighborhood, primarily residential but with dozens of shops as well as a few hotels such as Mercure Botafogo Mourisco, Mercure Rio de Janeiro Botafogo, El Misti Hostel, and Ibis Botafogo (the latter under construction as of this writing).
Botafogo is generally safe at day time as it is a very busy neighborhood with plenty of locals, stores and noisy traffic.
To stay safe in Botafogo, you should prefer to take the busiest streets such as Sao Clemente and Voluntarios da Patria streets.
One of the areas in Botafogo that are known to be not so safe is Botafogo Beach and its sidewalk. As the area is generally deserted, mugging occasionaly happens. Avoid that beach and stick to the busiest zones of the neighborhood. Do you want to go to a beach near Botafogo? Copacabana is just 10 minutes away by taxi or subway.
Among the highlights of Botafogo are the Museum of the Indigenous People, Villa-Lobos Museum, Casa Daros, and Sao Joao Batista Cemetery.
Largo do Machado is a safe, busy, and very popular square in Catete neighborhood. The square is always busy with pedestrians as well as locals who take their time there (especially the elderly).
The square is surrounding by conveniences such as shops, cinema, supermarket, drugstores, subway, bus stops, taxis, Catholic church (Gloria Church — worth visiting), restaurants, cafés, bars, banks, ATMs, farmer market (in the mornings of Tuesdays), etc.
In addition, the area is patrolled by the police and by the municipal guard, so it is quite safe even at night time (6-9 p.m., or later).
At Largo do Machado Square tourists can take the minibus that drives them all the way to the summit of Corcovado Mountain, where is erected Christ the Redeemer statue. Tickets to the minibus can be bought on site.
Largo do Machado Square in Catete neighborhood
Catete is a quite busy district. There are several hotels in the area such as Imperial, Regina, and Scorial Rio Hotel as well as hostels such as Republica Hostel.
If you happen to stay in one of these places, prefer to walk on the busiest streets (such as Catete Street) when getting around the area.
One of the sightseeing highlights of Catete are the Catete Palace and the Republic Museum.
Ceiling of one of the many rooms of the Republic Museum in Catete neighborhood
Gloria is the neighborhood located between Lapa and Catete (and near Santa Teresa). Gloria has several deserted areas. However, its main street (Gloria Street) is rather busy and generally safe.
To stay safe in Gloria, prefer to explore that street and other busy ones nearby.
Gloria Palace Hotel, which is under renovation, and the Paris Square, are among the highlights of this neighborhood.
Tip: In any of these neighborhoods (as well as thoughout Rio de Janeiro) prefer to take taxis at night if the distance requires several minutes walking. Bear in mind, though, that many locals and tourists walk extensively day and night in Rio without suffering any threat or attack.
Rio de Janeiro is much safer in the last years, and it is absoultely worth-visiting no matter if you are a solo traveler, a woman, a group of friends, a couple, or a family with children.
To stay even safer in Rio, learn about safety in My Rio Travel Guide, the most updated, reliable, and useful travel guide to Rio de Janeiro.
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