©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd 97 Botafogo & Urca BOTAFOGO | URCA Neighborhood Top Five 1 Gliding up to the top of 3 Walking between 5 Snapping a few photos Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf forest and sea on the at Praia Vermelha (p100), Mountain; p99) by cable car peaceful Pista Cláudio one of Rio’s prettiest little for the awe-inspiring view Coutinho (p100). beaches. of Rio at your feet. 4 Having a glimpse 2 Learning about Brazil’s into the past at the well- many indigenous cultures preserved Museu Casa de at the interactive Museu do Rui Barbosa (p100). Índio (p100). 4 R P i Parque do n 0 1 km h # LARANJEIRAS Flamengo e 0 0.5 miles e i r 4 o M a Baía de c h Guanabara a e d t e o n u fa q In ri v en o s A H Parque t e e o om uís Alves Nacional r ç D L r a s o 44a 444 da Tijuca a ã N B o Praia d i s Praia do z i n de Fora o Botafogo v J n d U A u Enseada de URCA v M A Botafogo Praia 4# 44R da4 Urca 1#4 s nte e me BOTAFOGO u l Cle i g Av Pasteur a ão dr g S ia o tu r R A r R 2# Pát ro o a a v P s d lv v rio Á L A tá f a un o Universidade Vol r la u R P nte r Federal de Pç General 3# R ui o Tibúrcio o Q S Rio de Janeiro 4Pista ld rna o Cláudio al R A d 5# 1e 1r 1 1 r Coutinho en é R Mena1R BarretoG 1r 1o 1 Praia iro lido R Pinhe P1o 1 1 1 Vermelha res 1 1 1 1 4 ma Gui Cemitério Av 1São 1 João 1 1 1 1 1 1 P r 1Batista 1 1 1 i n 000 000000000000000000c LEME 000Pç A Júlio 000000000000000000e 000 000000000000000000s 000de Noronha 000000000000000000a 000 000000000000000000Is 000000000000000000a ATLANTIC 000000000000000000b OCEAN 000000000000000000e Av Atlântica 44444000000000000000000l 000000000000000000 Ponta COPACABANA 000000000000000000do Leme 000000000000000000 444444For more detail of this area see Map p244 A 98 Lonely Planet’s Top Tip Explore Botafogo & Urca Although Urca is home to The traditional, middle-class neighborhood of Botafogo one of Rio’s top attractions, may not have the beaches of its neighbors to the south, few visitors venture into but it doesn’t lack for much else, with intriguing muse- the neighborhood beyond ums, movie theaters, quaint bookshops, a shopping cent- Pão de Açúcar. Its quiet er, and festive, open-air bars on tranquil back streets. tree-lined streets (like Rua There are also two vibrant nightclubs and a boulevard Otávio Correia) make for dotted with old mansions. some intriguing exploring, Neighboring Urca is even more idyllic, with shaded, and there are picturesque quiet streets. It’s eclectic architecture includes art-deco views from the bayside and modernist houses backed by manicured gardens. roads (like Av João Luís Along the seawall, which forms the northwestern perim- Alves). eter of Pão de Açúcar, fishermen cast for dinner as cou- ples lounge beneath palm trees, taking in views of Baía de Guanabara (Guanabara Bay) and Cristo Redentor Best Places 5 (Christ the Redeemer). Tiny Praia Vermelha in the south to Eat has one of Rio’s finest beach views. A pleasant walking ¨ Meza Bar (p104) trail begins there. ¨ Oui Oui (p104) Botafogo is named after the Portuguese settler, João Pereira de Souza Botafogo, and grew in importance fol- ¨ Emporium Pax (p104) B lowing the arrival of the Portuguese court in the late ota For reviews, see p104 A 1800s. Dona Carlota Joaquina, the wife of Dom João VI, f had a country villa, and she used to bathe in the Baía de ogo Guanabara. With royalty established in the area, arriv- Best Places ing aristocrats built many mansions, some of which still & U 6 to Drink stand as schools, theaters and cultural centers. rca ¨ Champanharia Ovelha In the 19th century, development was spurred by the Negra (p105) construction of a tram that ran to the botanical garden (Jardim Botânico), linking the bay with the lake (Lagoa ¨ Espírito do Chopp (p105) Rodrigo de Freitas). This artery still plays a vital role O Plebeu (p105) ¨ in Rio’s traffic flow, though Botafogo’s main streets are For reviews, see p104 A now extremely congested. 3 Best Local Life Nightclubs ¨ Hangouts At Bar Urca, locals gather in the open air Bar Bukowski (p105) ¨ for drinks with great views. ¨ Casa da Matriz (p105) ¨ Markets Browse the produce stands of Cobal do ¨ Far Up (p106) Humaitá by day and sample the bars by night. For reviews, see p104 A ¨ Shopping Botafogo Praia Shopping has numerous stores, plus upper-floor restaurants with great views. Getting There & Away Botafogo ¨ Bus Ipanema, Leblon and Copacabana (161 & 573), Jardim Botânico and Gávea (170, 176, 592). ¨ Metro Botafogo. Urca ¨ Bus Centro (107), Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana (511), Jardim Botânico and Gávea (512)..