Hotels near Lapa and the Arcos da Lapa

The Arcos da Lapa are the 18th-century aqueduct that defines the neighbourhood: 42 arches, 270 metres long, 17.6 metres high, completed in 1750 to carry water from the Carioca river into the city. Water stopped running through them in 1896 and the tram took over the upper deck instead. They are floodlit at night and the Santa Teresa bonde still crosses them, which keeps the structure a working piece of infrastructure rather than a monument.

Below the arches, Lapa is the live music district. Friday and Saturday nights fill Rua do Lavradio and Avenida Mem de Sa with samba clubs, gafieira dance halls and street bars, and the crowd spills into the road. Rio Scenarium and Carioca da Gema are the long-running rooms, with cover charges of R$ 40 to R$ 80 (roughly 6 to 13 EUR). Once a month an antiques fair takes over Rua do Lavradio.

Pro Tip: Take a ride-hailing car to the door of the venue you want and leave the same way. It is a busy street scene, phones stay in pockets, and the walk back to Cinelandia at 02:00 is not worth doing.