So you are retired and decided to live in Rio de Janeiro during this time of your life. This probably means that you don’t want to sit home at night watching TV but become an active part of Rio’s very attractive and exciting nightlife.
Whether it is a post-soccer beer at a beach kiosk, an evening’s entertainment at a live music venue or a cocktail at one of the growing number of trendy bars and clubs, Rio de Janeiro has a lot to offer no matter how old or from which part of the world you are.
For early starters there are corner bars all over the city where beer are served at all hours of the day and locals can often be seen enjoying a drink with friends and co-workers. Many bars and pubs have happy hours for people returning from work or the beach and most serve snacks and light meals.
If you want to enjoy Rio’s real nightlife scene though you will have to wait until around 11 pm, when the clubs open their doors for music and dancing and the action goes on until around 4 am. Club entry fees cost around R$ 15 and cards are provided, onto which drink consumption is recorded – a minimum purchase of R$ 15 upwards is usually required. It is essential to keep hold of this card or face a forfeit charge, which can be as high as R$ 300 – much more than the average drinker could possibly consume. Beers are approximately R$ 5, while spirits or cocktails cost upwards of R$ 6.
If you are looking for some special places other than the popular places found all throughout the city, you should visit clubs located in the beach communities of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon for a night out. Although clubs do not usually operate formal dress codes, Cariocas tend to dress up after dark and it is best to follow suit. Some venues refuse entry to people wearing shorts and T-shirts.
When going out at night always bring a copy of your passport with you, actually some clubs won’t let you in without one. It will also come handy when stopped by policemen since by law you actually always have to carry ID.
And when in Rio you just have to experience samba in order to get to know Carioca culture. Several clubs, known as Casas de Samba,( “houses of Samba”) offer live music. Lapa is one of the neighborhoods where you can find some of the famous houses likeCarioca da Gema, Estrela da Lapa, Centro Cultural Carioca, Rio Scenarium. At these places you can hear some of Rio’s best players and have a nice time with nice people — with a very good “caipirinha” of course.
While you can’t prepare for it, some of Rio’s most exciting nightlife centers around its “points,” pronounced “poin-chee.” An impromptu street party, the point develops when revelers spontaneously gather together, often outside a busy bar or wherever street vendors are offering food and drink. To find a rollicking point, head to Rio’s more happening neighborhoods. Lapa is full of bars and clubs, ranging from samba joints to tiny bars playing everything from salsa to funk. The streets around Rua da Lapa and Rua Joaquim Silva regularly fill with an outdoor party scene. Stick to the main, populated areas, though; smaller side streets are often isolated and shady.
