Is Rio Really That Dangerous? My First 24 Hours in Brazil’s Bold and Charming City

In 2019, I had a chance visiting Sao Paulo, Brazil because of a government program. While we were there, we were reminded again and again that do not show your phone, because it could possibly attract robbery. And when we asked about Rio, the officer said it’s even worse there.

Back then, I haven’t had much international travel experience so I kinda believed what the officer said. However, over the years I’ve accumulated decent amount of travel experience - from Europe backpacking in 2021 to Mexico solo trip in 2024, so I have a clearer understanding of what kind of environments can be considered dangerous and not over-judging.

Table of Contents

• Transportation

• Hotel Socialtel Lapa

• Bar Amarelinho da Cinelândia

• Cafuné

• Royal Portuguese Reading Room

Transportation

If you search online, you’ll find people say taking an Uber in Rio isn’t expensive, which is true especially evaluated by the standard of the US cost of living. For example, from GIG airport to the hotel I stayed - Socialtel Lapa, it costs $17 for a 20-30 minute drive. If taking a public transport, it can be as cheap as R$4.7, but takes as long as 2 hours. Since I was tired and not that cheap compared to the time I just graduated, I decided to take an Uber.

As for the metro, it’s also quite convenient. You can buy a metro card from the office in the metro. There’s a type called GIRO card, which you can top up and use again and again.

Hotel Socialtel Lapa

I personally really like the decoration and the vibe of this hotel. It has artistic charm that make you feel relaxed. In addition to that, they have many other merits that worth mentioning:

1. Great location - close to some spots: Escadaria Selarón, colombo Cafe, metro etc.

2. Safety - the door is always guarded by a body guard (But maybe it also indicates it’s unsafe in some ways? Anyway)

3. Provide portable water

4. Provide one time free drink at their bar

However, I had 2 issues while staying there:

1. My reservation booked via Agoda. I am actually a loyal booking.com traveler (I’m Genius level 3➕, then you know how loyal I am 😗). But because the room was sold out on booking so I turned to Agoda and successfully reserved and paid. However, when I arrived, the staff said they couldn’t find my reservation. In the end, they still let me stay but in a different type of room.

   ℹ️ Lesson learned: Reinforced my belief to be booking.com fan 😗

2. The AC can’t be adjusted and it was too cold 🥶. You can’t adjust the temperature and set a timer. The air was super strong and thus made me feel cold. I had to turn it on and off manually from time to time, which is inconvenient.

   ℹ️ But overall, I still recommend this hotel!

Bar Amarelinho da Cinelândia

9 min walk from Hotel Socialtel Lapa. This is a place where I randomly chose out of being hungry. The food is decent as recorded by my limited brain storage. But, I do remember being attracted by their bold yellow style, and the waiter was in good manner and very friendly.

Cafuné

12 min walk from Bar Amarelinho da Cinelândia. Another place randomly discovered because of being thirsty and feeling burned by the hot weather 🥵 (even though I visited in May, which is Brazil’s winter, it still felt like summer when in the morning) The juice is really fresh, which with AC together healed my burned soul.

Royal Portuguese Reading Room

8 min walk from Cafuné. According to wikipedia, the Royal Cabinet has the largest (350,000 volumes) collection of Portuguese works outside Portugal. It’s free and doesn’t require any reservation. You can just go and immerse yourself in its magnificent appearance.

On the first day in Rio, I found it very charming. I love the bold colors painted on the houses that create a delightful streetscape; I love that there are many small breakfast spots at the corners that remind me of similar places in Spain; I love that it is less organized, even a bit messy, which showcases its liveliness in an unconventional way. Stay tuned! I’ll share more about Rio in the following 2 weeks 😀