Lapa is the heart of Rio’s bohemian life. At the foot of Santa Teresa, the neighborhood brings together the Arches, old mansions, bars, samba and forró venues, and crowds that spill into the streets on Friday and Saturday nights.
The name comes from the 18th-century church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa do Desterro. In the early 20th century Lapa became the haunt of samba players, cabarets and streetwise “malandros” — and of artists and writers too. Villa-Lobos, Manuel Bandeira and Carmen Miranda all lived here; its fame as Rio’s “Montmartre” dates from that time.
After decades of decline, the area was reborn from the 1990s, as townhouses on Rua do Lavradio were restored and music venues opened. Today it is the city’s second most popular destination for foreign tourists, after Copacabana.
Its postcard is the Carioca Aqueduct — the Lapa Arches — completed in the 18th century to bring water to the city and used since 1896 as the viaduct for the Santa Teresa tram. Around it are the Circo Voador, Fundição Progresso, the Sala Cecília Meireles concert hall, the Cathedral and the Selarón Steps.
The highlight is live music: samba, choro, forró and Brazilian pop in the venues of Rua do Lavradio and Rua Joaquim Silva. Lapa is also worth a daytime visit for the Arches, the Steps and the antique shops on Lavradio.
Tips: at night, use a ride-hailing app to come and go, stick to the busiest streets, carry only what you need and keep an eye on your belongings: Lapa is the cradle of Rio’s “malandragem” (street hustle). Many venues charge admission and have a different lineup every night — it is worth checking before you go.