Rio de Janeiro Shopping

It´s a shopping mall on the outskirts of Rio but easily reachable on subway. Get on line 1 and change at Estacio station to line 2 and get off at Del Castilho station. The station has a pedestrian flyover that goes straight into the mall. The mall is big and has many stores, Brazilian and international brands which are cheaper than usual.

As it is in the north side (zona norte) don´t go looking too much gringo. The area outside the mall is just roads, there aren´t many people or buildings so it can be dangerous especially for foreingers but u don´t ever need to go outside the shopping mall or the subway.

You´ll also have a chance of seeing a part of Rio that usually tourists don´t see, from the train window u can see some parts of the city and commute as any ordinary carioca citizen.

What to buy: Cloths in general, sneakers, many restaurants/snacks options.

As you are likely aware, Wal-Mart has tons of stuff at pretty cheap prices. I rarely shop at Wal-Mart when I am at home, but sometimes it saves a ton of time and money having everything in one place. Anyway, there is a pretty nice Wal-Mart in Barra and we visited there when we were planning a big barbeque for the night. It was an easy way to get our party suppplies and beer quickly, as we really didn't have much time to prepare.

What to buy: They have tons of stuff there, just like any other Wal-Mart.

What to pay: less expensive

Rio Sul is a shopping mall that will take care of your every Brazilian fashion need. If I had a full day to spend there, I'd come out with a hundred bags, and almost all of them would be full of shoes. The clothes are great too. Europeans and Americans will go wild for the prices, which are about half what you'd pay for comparable goods at home. This is high-quality stuff, for the most part, all Brazilian-made and all fabulous.

This is an outdoor fleamarket every Sunday (during daylight) where tourists can buy all kinds of things.

What to buy: You can buyt t-shirts, jewelry, handicrafts, belt, purse, suitcase, local paintings, musical instruments,

What to pay: Yes, you can haggle with the vendors to negotiate a lower price.

i agree with alza, italy and spain is where it's at with brazil coming in at a third. but yeah, you can find stores all over ipanema and copa. just walk a block or two up from avenida atlantica and you will find stuff.

for bags I've bought some good and affordable ones in artisan fairs:
- Saens Pena square on Friday and Saturday mornings (metro station Saens Pena)
- Campo de Sao Bento on Sunday morning if you are visiting the city of Niteroi, on the other side of the bay

Rio De Janeiro has a surprising lack of tourist shops. Most of the typical gear you would like to buy for friends and family can be purchased at the beach in Cocacabana or Ipanema. Items include beach towes, swimsuits, soccer jerseys etc. Just about every thing you could want can be found on the beaches and for a great price. The best places for paintings or art work can be found across from the surfers at Ipanema on the boardwalk. Great stuff.

What to buy: Soccer Jerseys, T shirts, paintings, carvings, jewellery, hats , postcards etc etc

What to pay: T Shirts are around 10 reals, hats are around 8 reals and soccer jerseys are around 30 reals.

It´s a more than 100 years shop that sells soaps, oils, perfumes, moisturizers etc. of excellent quality sold at a very good price, even for de Janeiro. Scents are generally light as it is recommended in ever warm enviroments like Rio so that it makes you feel fresh all day. I suggest purchasing the benjoim scented soap: smell it once and...welcome to the Gramado soaps fan club! (Pharmacia Granado - R. Primeiro de Março, 16, Centro (phone n. 3231.6747)