The Zona Sul , the name used to cover everything south of the city centre, though generally taken to mean just the bairros shouldering the coastline, has much more to attract you.

Following the Avenida Beira Mar south from Centro, the zone is heralded by the Parque do Flamengo , an extensive area of reclaimed land transformed into a public recreation area and beach.

First up is the bairro of Glória, where the whitewashed church of Nossa Senhora da Glória do Outeiro, high on a wooded hill, makes an unmistakeable landmark. Beyond, Beira Mar becomes Avenida Praia do Flamengo, which leads into the bairros of Catete and Flamengo - together with Glória, areas where you'll find innumerable cheap hotels.

On the other side of Flamengo is the Largo do Machado , whose central position, between the centre and the beach areas, makes it a useful place to base yourself. From the square you can reach the bairros of Laranjeiras and Cosme Velho , to the west. The latter is the site of the Corcovado and the famous hilltop statue of Christ the Redeemer.

Further south, the bay of Botafogo is overshadowed by the Sugar Loaf mountain, looming above the bairro of Urca . From Botafogo, the Pasmado Tunnel leads to Leme , a small bairro whose three kilometres of beach, bordered by Avenida Atlântica , sweep around to Copacabana . Now one of the world's most densely populated areas, Copacabana is less classy than it once was, losing ground to its western neighbours, Ipanema and Leblon , which provide another four kilometres of sand and surf. These areas are the most chic of the residential bairros, with clubs and restaurants sitting amidst the stylish homes of Rio's more prosperous citizens.

Ipanema and Leblon are situated on a thin strip of land, only a few hundred metres wide, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas , a lake tucked beneath the green hills of the Tijuca National Park . On the north side of the lake are the Jardim Botânico and Jockey Club racecourse and, just to the west, the bairro of Gávea . Further south, through Gávea, the Auto-Estrada Lagoa-Barra leads into São Conrado and its southern neighbour, Barra de Tijuca , the preserve of Rio's middle classes. São Conrado, in particular, shows up the great contradictions in Brazilian society: overlooking the elegant Gávea Golf Club and the prosperous residences that surround it is the Favela Roçinha , a shantytown clinging to the mountainside and reputedly home to over 160,000 people.

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   Rio de Janeiro guide

  Rio de Janeiro
  Brief history
  State
  Travel details
  Warning
  Orientation: Centro,
    Zona Sul, Zona Norte
  Getting around
Nightlife
  Film
  Rio Gay
  Best of Rio
  Info
 Favelas
 Arrival
 Shopping
 Carnaval
Eating and drinking:
    Churrascarias, vegetarian
For eating in Brazil, read also:
Eating & drinking
     Street foods,
     snacks
     Restaurants
     Vegetarian/natural
     Soft drinks, hot
     drinks 

Zona Sul

 Buzios

Buzios Town and its beaches
Restaurants
Eating options
Getting there
Getting around
Climate and travel info
Buzios Beaches
  Buzios Beaches 2
Buzios Scuba Diving
  Buzios Golf
 Buzios Stones St and
    night life
Ecotourism
Hotels in Buzios