Pousada Picinguaba in Ubatuba

The listed accommodations range from luxurious oceanside retreats such as the Pousada Picinguaba in Ubatuba to Amazon jungle hideaways such as the Amazon Tupana Lodge in Manaus. If you prefer the cities, they profile pousadas in the Santa Teresa district of Rio de Janeiro, for example, Casa Beleza, a historic mansion with lush gardens (below).

Casa Beleza in Rio de Janeiro

What I also like about the Hidden Pousadas website is that in addition to categorizing the hotels by state and city, they organize the listings according to the type of location: Amazon and Pantanal, Beach, Eco Friendly Pousadas, Historic Brazil, Rural Retreats. When I go to Brazil (hopefully soon), I will definitely use Hidden Pousadas to find a memorable place to stay.

http://www.hiddenpousadasbrazil.com/

UPDATE (9 November 2010): They have launched a new website which provides a larger selection of pousadas. The new site is Pousada Hotel Brazil.

UPDATED on 12 July 2011

Now that I’ve posted my favorite hotels in Rio, let’s find a good place to eat. Fortunately the city is filled with good restaurants. It’s hard to choose. But I have to put together a short list of my favorite restaurants in Rio. Most are in the Ipanema-Leblon area because that is where I stayed.

Ipanema and Leblon

Ten Kai
Rua Prudente Morais, 1810
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2540 5100
www.cozinhajaponesa.com.br/restaurante/tenkai
Sushi

Fasano al Mare
Avenida Vieira Souto, 80
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 3202 4000
www.fasano.com.br
Seafood/Italian (in the luxurious Fasano Hotel)

Via Sete
Rua Garcia D’Ávila 125
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2512 8100
Elegant, cool covered patio dining area is buzzing with people; excellent salads, organic food, fish, meat dishes.

Gero Rio
Rua Anibal de Mendonça 157
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2239 8158
Italian

Porcão
Rua Barão da Torre, 218
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2554 8535
www.porcao.com.br
South American/Brazilian grilled meats, amazing buffet includes salads, sushi and soups, all you can eat

Sushi Leblon
Rua Dias Ferreira, 256
Leblon
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2512 7830
www.sushileblon.com

Venga
Rua Garcia d’Avila 147
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2247 0234
www.venga.com.br
Tapas bar-restaurant serving excellent Spanish and Catalan tapas, good wine list. They also have a Venga in Leblon, on Rue Dias Ferreira 113B.

Felice
Rua Gomes Carneiro, 30
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
55 21 2522 7749
One block from Ipanema beach, excellent place for lunch, serves delicious salads and healthy soups as well as Italian dishes and pasta; good value for money, especially at lunch time. Also has a small gelateria if you want gelato. Free Wi-Fi.

Terzetto
Rua Jangadeiros 28
Ipanema
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2247 6797
www.terzetto.com.br
Italian cuisine; excellent breakfasts with good coffee, croissants, bread and pastries, but no Wi-Fi.

Livraria da Travessa cafe-restaurant
Shopping Leblon
Afrânio de Melo Franco, 290 (2nd floor, 205 A)
Leblon
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
www.travessa.com.br
Beautiful bookstore in the elegant Shopping Leblon center with a cozy cafe-restaurant on the mezzanine level. They sell foreign magazines and English books. Free Wi-Fi.

Santa Teresa

Espirito Santa
Rua Almirante Alexandrino #264
Santa Teresa
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2508 7095
www.espiritosanta.com
Amazonian cuisine

Aprazível
Rue Aprazival 62
Santa Teresa
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2507 7334
www.aprazivel.com.br
Brazilian nouvelle cuisine

Other neighborhoods in Rio

Gohan
Rua Joaquim Silva 127
Lapa
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2232 0479
www.gohanrio.com.br
Only a few doors down from the famous Lapa Steps, Gohan serves terrific sushi — the fish is very fresh and the portions are huge — prices are reasonable, far lower than what you would pay in Ipanema or Leblon; if you like sushi, this place is a must. It is surprisingly very good, considering the street on which it is located is a creepy and rundown.

Roberta Sudbrack
Rua Lineau de Paula Machado 916
Jardim Botânico
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 3874 0139
www.robertasudbrack.com.br
Brazilian nouvelle cuisine

Olympe
Rua Custódio Serrão, nº 62, Lagoa
Jardim Botânico
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2539 4542
www.claudetroisgros.com.br

Barracuda
Av. Infante Dom Henrique
Marina da Glória
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2265 4641
www.restaurantebarracuda.com.br
Seafood

Rio is the ultimate beach and party getaway. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere and dread the coming winter, look no further than Rio. There are other things to do besides hanging out on the beach. Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer in Niteroi across the bay from Rio. It’s a futuristic building that looks like a spaceship. Don’t miss the top of Corcovado with the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. The Jardim Botanico (Botanical Gardens) are also a must-see with the most beautiful tropical trees, flowers, orchids and little pathways and ponds.

And if you are going to Carnival, make your hotel reservations now. Here is my list of favorite hotels in Rio.

A word about location: Location is the most important factor in choosing a hotel and in enjoying your stay at a hotel. In Rio, you must think about personal safety when choosing the neighborhood where you will stay. Ipanema and Leblon are the two safest areas in Rio. I have seen women walking home or jogging on the beach, at night, at Ipanema and Leblon, and I never felt unsafe there even late in the evening. But Copacabana’s back streets – just one block from the beach – are not safe at night. Copacabana is also surprisingly much more run down than Ipanema and Leblon.

Santa Teresa is an interesting area, but you cannot walk around at night. It is a neighborhood of steep winding narrow streets with a street car that runs up and down, and you cannot just walk from Santa Teresa to the beach or to anywhere else for that matter. If you decide to stay in Santa Teresa, you will be taking taxis all the time.

Fasano Rio
Ipanema
Ave Vieira Souto 80
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 3202 4000
www.fasano.com.br
Right on Ipanema beach, this hotel has a swimming pool and bar on the top 8th floor with sweeping views of Ipanema and Leblon; excellent service; rooms with chic contemporary decor, power showers.

Marina All Suites
Leblon
Av. Delfim Moreira, 696
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2172-1001
www.marinaallsuites.com.br

Hotel Portinari
Copacabana
Rua Francisco Sá 17 – Posto 6
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+ 55 21 3222  8800
www.hotelportinari.com.br

Mama Ruisa
Santa Teresa
132 rua santa cristina
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+ 55 21 2242 1281
www.mamaruisa.com

Relais Solar
Santa Teresa
Ladeira do Meirelles, 32
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2221 2117

Casa Mango Mango
Santa Teresa
Rua Joaquim Murtinho 587
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2508 6440
www.casa-mangomango.com

Castelinho38
Santa Teresa
Rua Triunfo, 38
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2252-2549
skype: Castelinho38
www.castelinho38.com

La Suite
Joatinga
Rua Jackson de Figueiredo, 501
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 24 84 19 62

La Maison
Gávea
Rua Sergio Porto, 58
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 3205-3585

Casa 32
Cosme Velho
Largo do Boticário 32
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
+55 21 2265-0943
www.casa32.com

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Here is a Google map of my favorite hotels in Rio.
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