Caminhos Language Centre is situated in heart of Ipanema, just four blocks from the famous Ipanema Beach. Ipanema is also famous for its bustling social scene, great restaurants, cafés and shops. Ipanema’s metro station, ‘General Osório‘, is only five minutes’ walk from the school. Many students head to the beach straight after class and our beach volleyball on Monday evenings is very popular. You can see fun places to go on the list bellow or read our blog article about things to do in Rio.
Lagoa: Lagoa is an affluent neighborhood around the corner from the school, located around the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. You can relax, pack a picnic and enjoy the scenery, or go for a nice stroll or bike ride around the lagoa (lagoon). It borders the neighbourhoods of Ipanema, Leblon, Copacabana, Gávea, Jardim Botânico and Humaitá. Around the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon there is a 7.5km-long cycle path as well as several parks.
Participate in a game of beach volleyball: Only four blocks from the school, you can always find a beach volleyball game at Ipanema Beach. Why not ask if you can join in? Ipanema Beach is home to beach volleyball, and at Caminhos we hold our own game every Monday evening at 6pm, between Posto 8 and Posto 9.
Hippie Market @ General Osório on Sundays: If you enjoy shopping and love handicrafts, you will enjoy walking around Ipanema’s famous Hippie Market on Sundays. You can find great artisan products and the market is a great place for gift buying. Be sure to stop at the local food station for lunch where you can try some of Brazil’s traditional culinary delights, such as moqueca, tapioca, pudim and other treats. The market opens for business at around 9am and finishes at around 6 or 7pm.
Catch up with someone for a coconut at the beach: A perfect meeting place, and what better way to hydrate yourself than with fresh coconut water? For the most refreshing taste, ask for a ‘coco bem gelado’. Once you drink your coconut water you can ask them to chop it open for you so that you can eat the flesh too!
Vero Gelato: After class you can walk for five minutes along the main road, Visconde de Pirajá, to find Vero Gelato, Ipanema’s best known ice-cream parlour! The owners, who studied with us several years ago, are lovely – and you are sure to love their ice-cream!!
Surf School: Learn to surf with ‘Escola de Surf de Ipanema’, a small surf school around the corner from us in Ipanema. You can take surf lessons from them or hire the equipment you need to surf on your own. Individual or group classes are available, and prices start at R$80 per hour for group classes. Contact information: Escola de Surf de Ipanema (Surf School of Ipanema), Rua Maria Quitéria, Ipanema. Phone: +55 (21) + 99814 9702 (Paulo) E-mail: paulodolabella@gmail.com
‘Rent Itaú’ (‘Bike Rio’) bicycles @ the end of Rua Farme de Amoedo (beach end): You can rent these bikes with a mobile phone and your credit card details, and there are several locations around the city to pick up and drop off the bikes. A monthly pass costs just R$10, so it is great value for money as well as a great, eco-friendly way of getting around the city.
Stand up paddle boarding (SUP): ‘SUP Arpoador’ is the place to check out if you want lessons or to hire any equipment for SUP. Prices start at R$70 per hour for private classes or R$60 per hour for group classes. You can buy a package of five lessons for R$200. Contact information: suparpoador@gmail.com (Whatsapp : +55 (21) 98352 1400 Paulo Vitor, lifeguard)
Play pool at Shenanigan’s: Ipanema’s famous Irish pub is also a great hangout to play a game of pool after class or on weekends.
‘Starbucks’ – Rua Visconde de Pirajá, 206, Ipanema. Only two blocks from the school and on the main shopping street in Ipanema. It’s a great place to meet friends, easily identifiable and has good WiFi access.
‘Felice Caffè’ – Rua Gomes Carneiro, 30, Ipanema. Felice is a favourite among locals and a convenient place to meet – next to General Osório metro station. The food is always delicious and very fresh, and the service is super-quick. Their dessert is a great temptation, as they tease you with their amazing gelato in the shop window!
‘Zazá Bistrô Tropical’ – Rua Joana Angélica, 40, Ipanema. Zazá Bistrô is one of Ipanema’s most upmarket restaurants, famous for its fancy cocktails and indulgent menu. It is three blocks from Caminhos Language Centre and a wonderful location for a special night out. The rooms are all decorated differently, with interesting decor throughout. Zazá’s is definitely worth a look during your stay in Ipanema.
‘Barthodomeu’ – Rua Maria Quitéria, 46, Ipanema. This is a great local hangout just ten minutes’ walk from Caminhos Language Centre and a great meeting spot for friends. All major sporting events are shown here so you can grab a game of UFC or whatever is the sport of the moment and hang out with friends. As the night progresses the crowd usually heads across the road to Empório.
‘New Natural’ – Rua Barão da Torre, 173, Ipanema.
‘Garota de Ipanema’ – Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 49, Ipanema. This is the famous restaurant where Tom Jobim wrote the famous song, ‘The Girl from Ipanema’. It’s a great spot to have a tasty substantial dinner, and for meat lovers there are great churrasco options here.
‘Barzin’ – Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 75, Ipanema. A great bar close to the school, and a good venue because it has a lot of space and is well known among locals. The bar serves typical Brazilian food and the good crowd is generally local.
‘Gringo Café’ – Rua Barão da Torre, 240, Ipanema. A great hangout for expats in Rio. They serve tasty ‘gringo’ dishes and drinks so when you are feeling homesick it can be a great place to be. It’s also a great spot to hang out and use the WiFi and is only a few blocks from the school.
‘Delírio Tropical’ – Rua Garcia D’Ávila, 48, Ipanema. This casual restaurant is one of the per-kilo favourites among our students. It is located towards Leblon, but is worth the walk. The food is always fresh and the lines of people waiting are always long, which indicates its popularity.
‘Banana Jack’ – Rua Jangadeiros, 06 (Praça General Osório), Ipanema. Good spot close to the main General Osório metro station to grab a beer and burger or chill out in front of the big TV screens. They also have a space opposite the restaurant which is great for those long summer nights when you just want to sit outside, relax and have a drink.
‘Blue Agave’ – Rua Vinícius de Moraes, 68, Ipanema. Blue Agave, otherwise known as ‘the Mexican Bar’, is another institution for gringos in the neighbourhood. The bar plays good music and has a fun atmosphere. It is a great place to meet, or a great venue for a birthday or other drinking occasion. The Mexican food has a great reputation too!
‘Shenanigan’s’ – Rua Visconde de Pirajá, 112 (Praça General Osório), Ipanema. A great Irish pub in the heart of Ipanema. You can play a game of pool after class or on weekends, and big sporting events are shown here. The staff are friendly and the service is fast. Great place to congregate, particularly for a big Irish celebration like St Patrick’s Day.
‘Galitos’ – Rua Farme de Amoedo, 62, Ipanema. This casual eatery is two blocks from our school and famous for its prato do dia (plate of the day) with a choice of meat, fish or chicken, which is served with rice, feijão, French fries and a range of salads. The prato do dia is what most Brazilians eat for lunch and can be found in many casual eateries in the area.
‘Boteco Belmonte’ – Rua Teixeira Melo, 53, Ipanema. Belmonte is a bit of an institution in Rio. It’s a great meeting spot for locals and is an interesting place to try all sorts of local specialties. The waiters walk around tables with platters of pastéis, coxinhas and other assorted Brazilian snacks. The beer is always cold and the service is always quick. (Note: The Belmonte in Leblon is a great meeting place on Thursday and Friday nights for locals and singles).
‘Delirium’ – Rua Barão da Torre, 183, Ipanema. This bar is a five-minute walk from the school and is known for its variety of international beers. Whether you go after class or visit on the weekend, you will love this small and unique bar in the heart of Ipanema!
‘Empório 37’ – Rua Maria Quitéria, 37, Ipanema. This little bar starts quite late. It’s known as a bit of a gringo hangout but the rock music is always good (Powderfinger, AC/DC, Nirvana, Grinspoon, Oasis, to name but a few). Watch your pockets here – it’s a small bar and pickpocketing can be a problem.
Pôr do Sol (Sunset) at Arpoador: Watching the sunset at Arpoador is an institution here in Rio. It’s a great catch-up spot for friends, as well as a lovely romantic place for a date. You can grab a coconut or a cerveja and sit on the rock, watching the sun go down. Amusingly, once the sun goes down the crowds sometimes clap. It’s only a 10- to 15-minute walk from the school and a popular place for our students to meet, relax and socialise.
Ipanema Beach: Although you can go wherever you choose on the beach, every numbered lifeguard station, or ‘posto’ (post), is a landmark for different groups of people. For example: Posto 8 is particularly popular among the gay and lesbian community; Posto 9 has a reputation for beautiful people; and Posto 10 and Posto 11 are known as being family-friendly. Make sure you ask the barraca boys for a cadeira and a guarda sol (beach chair and umbrella) to sit down and relax, watching the world and an assortment of interesting people go by. You can buy everything on the beach too, so while you soak up the rays, you might want to buy a canga, sunscreen, a bikini, or perhaps a hat and sunglasses. There are many food vendors who walk around selling delicious snacks and refreshments such as grilled cheese, sorvetes (ice-creams), açaí, mate iced tea and other cold drinks.
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