Best neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro

6 areas in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — what each one feels like, who it suits, and roughly what it costs.

Copacabana ($$) — Wave-pattern promenade, beach kiosks Best for First-timers. Four kilometres of beach with a metro line running behind it. Dense, older, and busy at every hour. Getting around: Metro Line 1 + the beach path
Santa Teresa ($$) — Hillside mansions, tram and studios Best for Views + art. The bonde tram, colonial houses, and views over the whole bay. Artistic and steep; a taxi ride from the beaches. Getting around: Bonde tram + taxis
Botafogo ($) — Sugarloaf views, local bars Best for Value + nightlife. Sugarloaf across the bay, at prices well under Ipanema. Where young Cariocas actually go out. Getting around: Metro Lines 1 and 2
Barra da Tijuca ($$) — Long beaches, malls, condos Best for Space + surf. Eighteen kilometres of beach, and a car for everything else. Rio's suburban answer — modern, spread out, gated. Getting around: BRT TransOeste + car
Ipanema ($$) — Sunset beach, boutique blocks Best for Beach + dining. Posto 9 at sunset and the best restaurants a block back. The desirable, expensive, well-policed choice. Getting around: Metro Line 1 at General Osório
Leblon ($$) — Quiet money, family beach Best for Families + calm. Ipanema's calmer end, with a lagoon walk behind it. The wealthiest beachfront address in the city. Getting around: Metro Line 4 at Jardim de Alah