Rio de Janeiro Travel Forum

I hear there are bars and restaurants in a place called Lapa. Is this place safe to visit.

It used to be a rundown neighborhood, but now it's a great place to hear live samba. There are lots of people on the street. Many clubs have a taxi rank right outside the door. For more info on specific clubs there, see www.ipanema.com.

Lapa was (at least in 2003, when I visited) one of the best points (if not the best) for nightlife. It was one of those areas where you enjoy the typical Brazilian nightlife with Brazilian music, Brazilian drinks and Brazilian people.
It was safe enough during the day, and taking a cab is recommended if you are arriving in or leaving after 10 pm. To be honest I never experienced any problem, and never saw anyone having any problem.
Enjoy your time in Rio, I wish I could go back there!
Flor de Maria

Hi there! Rio as a whole is not that safe! As a city it is not wider than a kilometer inland and it goes for ks.down the cost.It has many bays or beaches and is something like 150kms down the cost line.It is really interesting and Copacabana and Ipanina are amazing.The sea,city and mountains, a great site.The problems with the city are that to travel you have basically one road down and back which means you travel thru good and bad to get to every where.It is a neat place to go too, but trust only yourself or your fellow travellers as there are many poor that will take advantage.We loved the place,but did not travel alone to far away from where we stayed.Basically get safe taxis,(hotels will tell you) never get out of a taxi that your luggage is in the boot of! Ask for quotes etc.I would defineately not travel full of alcohol on my own in Rio.It is an amazing place to travel but probably the most dodgy place as well.Enjoy but keep safe!

In fact Lapa is (again) the place to be at night (especially on Fridays and Saturdays). I spent there two nights last January and it was great fun. To get some basic orientation I would propose walking around the district at daylight (Arcos de Lapa, rua Lavradio, etc). Houses looking like ruins at daytime turn into bars, restaurants, dance halls and clubs at night. Deserted and run down looking streets will be crowded all night.
To make it a perfect night: have a nap in the evening till 9 pm, dress nicely (no shorts, new T-shirt) but simple, take the underground to Cinelandia, check the restaurants/bars in rua Lavradio if you like the music (MPB or bossa), have a typical meal (for example carne seca with mandioca fritta - que saudades), have one or two Caipifrutas (the ones with Maracujá are excellent), ask the musicians to play your favorite songs (MPB or bossa (but rather not Girl from Ipanema!)). Later move on to one of the famous places like Rio Scenarium (one of the best clubs in the world) for Samba or Choro or to Asa Branca for Forró.
To know what is going on and for general information about the locations in Lapa check the very infomative site: www.lanalapa.com.br
Concerning safety I recommand to dress and behave like locals. Take only the money with you, which you will need for the night. Keep it in the two pockets of your pant. Do not carry a watch or any juwelery. But you may take a simple digital camera with you which you can use openly because locals also do. A cheap cell-phone makes you also look more Brasilian. Avoid talking English on the streets. Always check the area around you and of cause do not have too many drinks. Enjoy the music and dance, join the fun the locals and the artists have, appreciate the tradition of Brasilian music and culture and of the "savoir vivre". The nights spent in Lapa will be unforgettable.

No, it´s not a safe place. So, take care and avoid drinking too much...

Yes, it's safe to visit.
Go on a friday or saturday.
Take a cab, if you can.
And just don't wear jewlery - you'll be fine.