Frommer's nightlife in Rio de Janeiro

updated 2:02 p.m. ET Nov. 13, 2006

It's an open question whether Cariocas possess some hidden nightlife gene or whether they've trained themselves for decadence through years and years of practice. Whatever the case, Rio has a lot to keep you busy at night.

It starts early and continues very late. Cariocas themselves don't make a big deal about a night on the town: They're happy either heading out for beers or dancing to forró music or eating shrimp in some hole-in-the-wall botequim. However, if you as a visitor want to go for the quintessential Rio experience, you have to learn to pace yourself. Whether you spend the day seeking out sights or on the beach, head back to your hotel in the afternoon for a wee nap. Trust me, this will be the key to making it through the night.

Once you're up again, head out in the cool early evening for a coconut juice on the beach. Sip it while watching the sunset (in summer around 8 p.m.), then around 9 p.m. stroll over to a patio for a predinner drink. Jobi in Leblon is a great spot. On weekends maybe walk along the pathway by the Lagoa and find a table at one of the kiosks. Plan to have dinner around 10 p.m., to be ready for your evening of dancing around midnight. (Most places don't even open until 11 p.m.) Your options at this point depend on the day and the time of year. If you're in Rio between September and Carnaval, attending one of the samba school rehearsals on Saturday night is a must. Otherwise, on a Thursday night see who's playing at some of the hip new samba spots in Lapa like the Rio Scenarium or the Centro Cultural Carioca. Or just enjoy the scene by the Arcos de Lapa on a Friday night. Of course, there are a number of discos and bars to choose from, and then there are always the botequins, Rio's neighborhood bars. Wherever you wind up, after 3 or 4 hours dancing you may find yourself getting peckish. For a late-night or early-morning snack, stop in at the Pizzeria Guanabara or Jobi, both in Leblon and open until at least 5 a.m. on weekends. By the time they throw you out, it'll just be time to wander down to the beach and watch the sunrise, ready for a new morning -- and another night -- in Rio.

To find out more about listings for arts and entertainment, check the Friday editions of the O Globo, O Dia or Jornal do Brasil newspapers. Available at all newsstands (buy early in the day, as they sell out quickly), all three publish a detailed weekly calendar of events, including nightlife, performing arts, concerts, and other events in the city. The Rio tourism agency Riotur also publishes a detailed booklet of events in English and Portuguese called Guia do Rio or Rio Guide l, available at its main information center at Av. Princesa Isabel 183 in Copacabana, or call Alô Rio at tel. 021/2542-8080 for information on events around town; they keep an updated list and their staff speak English.

Words to Help You Through the Night -- Here's some vocabulary to help you decipher the listings information from the newspapers.

Under Música or Show you will find the listings for live music. Lovers of Brazilian music should look for anything under Forró, MPB (música popular brasileira), Bossa Nova, Choro, Pagode, or Samba. Listings under Pista refer to events at nightclubs or discos. Most listings will include the price of admission: Couvert is the cover charge and consumação states the drink minimum. It is quite common to have two rates, one for women (mulher) and one for men (homem), the latter usually paying more.

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Children's programs are listed under Infantil or Para Crianças. Please note that many dance clubs offer a matinee program on Saturdays or Sundays for teenagers. The days of the week are given in abbreviations: seg or 2a (Mon), ter or 3a (Tues), qua or 4a (Wed), qui or 5a (Thurs), sex or 6a (Fri), sab (Sat), and dom (Sun).

Nightlife Zones: Lapa -- Bars and clubs have their moments, so do neighborhoods over time. Lapa is definitely on the up again. In the roaring '20s Lapa's vibrant nightlife earned it the nickname "Montmartre of the Tropics." It fell on hard times in the '50s and '60s, but in the last year or two Lapa has undergone a major revival as even Cariocas from trendy Ipanema and Leblon come here to party. City and state governments have sat up and taken notice, investing money renovating some of the neighborhood's gorgeous heritage buildings, encouraging the development of restaurants and bars, and pumping R$5 million (US$1.65 million) into the revitalization of the Rua do Lavradio.

Things hop almost every night of the week, but the best days are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Lapa's nightlife consists of two different kinds of experiences. There are the carefully preserved heritage buildings turned music venues such as Carioca da Gema, Estrela da Lapa, Rio Scenarium, and Café Sacrilégio that offer some of the best samba in town. Then there is the much grittier street scene, centered around the Rua da Lapa and the parallel running Rua Joaquim Silva. These two streets are a major point where mostly young people come to drink, chat, flirt, and dance. The small music venues on the Rua Joaquem Silva are anything but nicely renovated (some are big-time sleazy), but half the fun is walking around and poking your head in (cover rarely exceeds R$5/US$2.10). In a two-block range you will hear anything from reggae to samba to brega, hip-hop, funk, and salsa. The square in front of the arches is packed with food and drink stalls. As long as you stick to the main streets that have lots of people on them the area is quite safe at night.

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