Most citizens of Rio de Janeiro, known as cariocas, were reluctant to hold the Olympic Games in the city. I love Rio de Janeiro – where I spend several months a year – precisely for this reason: reminds me a lot of Barcelona pre-olympic
Both cities have a series of common characteristics: They are sea cities, important cities in their respective countries but without being the capital of their states. Both have a figure of Christ presiding over their neighbourhoods, both have held Olympic Games that, over the years, have been consolidated as urban changes in the city.
Statue of Christ the Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro.
In the case of Rio de Janeiro, the celebration of the games supposed the projection of the growth of the city beyond the Pedra da Gávea, to understand each other, beyond the famous beaches of Ipanema and Leblon, around the area Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes.
Both neighborhoods have become the most important leisure areas of the city. In fact, Barra da Tijuca is a place of leisure already consolidated and Recreio is the new emerging area of Carioca life, with the appearance of innumerable proposals, both culinary and lodging, such as the famous barzinhos.
The beauty of the area is its greatest value and surely the normal growth of the city would have been in this direction but the extension of the metro to Jardim Oceânico, a pharaonic work carried out for the Olympics It has been the definitive impulse of the area as a new leisure area.
But where are Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes located? These neighborhoods are to the west of the city, in the direction of the paradisiacal Grumarí, and represent an extension of the famous beaches of Ipanema and Leblon.
Panoramic view of Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro.
Until before the games, access to Barra and Recreio was by Niemeyer Avenue, what goes under the famous favela of Vidigal, currently one of the top places in the city, with its trendy bars and clubs… Drinking and dancing with incredible views of Ipanema, What more could you want?
Access before the extension of the metro was very limited. This stop has required drilling the famous Pedra da Gávea, which was a natural barrier that prevented that approximation of the city to the new neighborhood. The new station is right at the beginning of Barra and leaves us at the beginning of the famous Olegario Marcel street.
FOR THE MOST FOOTBALLERS
Olegario Marcel It is the street of mass leisure of the cariocas and an obligatory place to go before important events, especially football events, the great passion of the Cariocas and Brazilians in particular. Curious note: Rio de Janeiro is the only city that has four major soccer teams: Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, Botafogo and Flamengo.
To Olegario Marcel, who is full of restaurants of all kinds of food and bars, You must go when the "mengaos", who are the Flamengo fans, have an important match. It's quite a sight to put on a team jersey and get lost in the crowd of the best crooked in the world.
Personally, I had the opportunity to witness Flamengo's victory in the 2019 Copa de Libertadores final on the street, the equivalent of our Champions League, and I lived one of the most incredible experiences of my life. The anecdote: someone who identifies himself as from Madrid or Barcelona will normally have a plus of integration since figures like Vinicius, Romario and Ronaldinho are mengaos, and this has generated great sympathy from the crooked with these Spanish teams.
Post 9, Ipanema beach.
Be careful, the crooked is not violent at all. She is passionate and Olegario Marcel always attracts fans from the highest social strata.
GASTRONOMIC ROUTE: LONG LIVE THE MEAT!
Of the great variety of gastronomic offer that the street offers us, we highlight the famous Na Brasa Columbia, a show for lovers of good Brazilian meat. It is located just at the end of the street, in the direction of the sea. The chain has several stores mainly in the 'Río de los Cariocas' area, Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes, and most are always packed with people.
It is advisable to distribute the portions –or ask for half portions–, since the dishes are very complete and abundant. The place also offers the possibility of taking leftover food home.
A brief parenthesis about Brazilian meat: it has nothing to do with European quality or with the treatment that is done in Brazil at the cooking level. It is mandatory to delight yourself with the different proposals that the area offers us!
Following the street of Olegario Marcel, we ended up at the famous beach of Barra, near post 2, place that marks the beginning of an area with the most chic beach clubs in the city: the Buddha Lounge and the Krabi Beach Club, where the coolest people in town hang out.
Another aspect to highlight in the Barra da Tijuca area is its malls. Due to the protection that the Brazilian government gives to products made in Brazil, the shopping in Barra is presented as an explosion of brands, types of shops, restaurants...
Of the various shopping centers in Barra and Recreio, we highlight Barra Shopping, considered the largest shopping center in Latin America. The first thing that catches your eye is the breadth of shops and their offer, especially fashion: for Europeans it is a gratifying novelty to discover the seductive Brazilian designs, adapted to any age segment and its excellent prices.
It is instantly noticeable the quality of the fabrics, The Brazilian government is very protectionist on this issue, avoiding the import of raw materials. Brazil is favored by superior quality and low operating costs.
Barra da Tijuca, shopping centers and luxury apartments in Rio.
Among the essential stores, we must highlight Okslen and Armadillo, focused on men's clothing, and Ágatha and Cia Marítima, women's fashion. The center is usually at maximum occupancy on weekends Therefore, it is recommended to access it by means of Uber, since its enormous parking lot also tends to collapse.
In addition to Barra Shopping, we have another shopping center with more exclusive brands about five kilometers away: we are talking about Río Design. The variety of clothing brands and restaurant proposals is also its strong point, but this space is much more exclusive and it shows in the influx of people, much lower than in the 'Barra World', and in prices, higher.
Within the Río Design Barra, we must also take into account the cinematographic proposal of the Cinépolis VIP, a cinema with seats that turn into a bed where they offer you dinner service while you enjoy the premiere of the moment. A real luxury on the big screen for movie lovers.
OTHER SPECIAL CORNERS
The Argumento bookstore is a good place to add to your list of places to discover in Rio: the place to get lost rummaging through its extensive range of books of all kinds, most in Portuguese.
Finally, we arrive at the Vogue Square center, where you cannot miss the Bar do Zeca. Zeca Pagodinho is the undisputed king of pagode, a derivative of samba but with a much more vindictive character. In fact, the pagode is the traditional music of Rio although at an international level, samba, due to its showiness and rhythm, is the characteristic sound par excellence.
The bar is a must-see night spot: the city's crème de la crème are among its regular clientele. You can eat snacks and drink the beer for which Zeca is known in the country: Brahma.
In addition, it always has live music, which is most often provided by new pagode groups. Given the distribution of the tables, it is very easy to connect with Cariocas who will explain the meaning of the songs and that, when you bring a few beers, they will invite you to dance with them. a lot dance more moderate and leisurely than samba.
An expert advice: it is preferable to get lost there during the week, since the queues to enter the premises during the weekend are órdago. Food is not their forte, so we recommend having dinner beforehand at Tragga restaurant, which is next to Bar do Zeca, within the same Vogue Square complex. One more time, the meats, the service and the price are so attractive that we ensure an unforgettable dinner.
TIME TO PUT ON YOUR SWIMSUIT
Finally, we cannot ignore Barra da Tijuca's beaches. From Post 1 to the Reserva beach we find a 7-kilometer extension of very fine white sand. In the successive "postos" we find various drinks stalls, basically beer and soft drinks. Already at the end of this beach area, located in the Reserve area, we find another of the places most adored by Cariocas: the Pesqueiro Beach Club.
Without a doubt, it is the best beach spot in Rio de Janeiro, where all influencers locals and celebrities flock to fill their Instagram pages with stories and posts. It has three clearly differentiated areas: the area with a DJ playing electronic music, the area with exclusive hammocks and the restaurant area. The music starts early, around 5pm.
You won't regret it if you rent some hammocks to enjoy the Brazilian sun and sea, You ask them to serve you food in them and at about 6:00 p.m. you sign up for the party in the VIP area. Pesqueiro is also one of the places where we recommend making a reservation or at least call before you go, as the property is very bohemian and sometimes they decide not to open a day without notice.
After devoting an important part of your visit to this area of Rio, you will surely take a vision of the Wonderful City much more complete.