5 Things Worth Buying in Rio de Janeiro

Do you feel the pressure when you pass a shop window? Do you relate to the saying that there is no trip without shopping? If the answer is yes, then this article is probably for you.

If you are at the duty free right now on your way to Rio de Janeiro, hold on a moment with the credit card. Almost everything on those shelves you can buy better, cheaper or more interestingly once you land, and the things worth carrying home from Brazil are not sold in an airport. One practical note before you go: check the shekel rate against the Brazilian currency (R$) a few days before you fly, and again when you land. It moves in both directions and it moves fast, and the difference between a good week and a bad one is real money on a shopping trip. Pay by card where you can, since card rates usually beat the exchange counters, and never change money at the airport.

In the following article we will recommend what is really worth buying in Rio de Janeiro, in which street markets you should open your wallet, and where the nearest malls are.

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Havaianas Flip Flops

Who does not know and who has not heard of the flip flops every Brazilian is born into? Havaianas flip flops stopped being just flip flops long ago; they are a fashion item without which you do not even go down to take out the trash. Who would have believed that flip flops could enter the same list of things that symbolize Brazil, together with football, Carnival and samba? The flip flops that were on every poor Brazilian foot a few decades ago have become a status symbol, and here you can buy them at a price anyone can afford and in almost any design you want.

Havaianas, the flip flops of Brazil. Worth noting: Ipanema flip flops have become a very strong competitor to Havaianas, and their designs are no less beautiful than the competitor's. The quality of the flip flops themselves, like Havaianas, is excellent. So check them out too.

Where should you buy Havaianas flip flops in Rio de Janeiro? Havaianas are sold in Rio in supermarkets, newspaper stands and shoe stores. Besides that, there are official Havaianas brand stores where you will find all the new models and more brand products (bags, flip flop shaped keychains and more).

The cheapest place to buy Havaianas is in the city center at the Saara market (more on it later in the article), but there you will not find all the models and the price difference is not significant unless you are buying in quantity.

Addresses of cheap flip flop stores in Copacabana: Figueiredo de Magalhaes 419, Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 420, Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 691. I also highly recommend the flagship store in Ipanema, where you will find all the models and more products available only there. The store is at Rua Garcia D'avila 124, considered the Champs Elysees of Rio, so it is very nice to walk around the area.

Bikini

Brazil is the land of beaches, so it makes sense that the Brazilian bikini is a quality product at a usually reasonable price. If Rio de Janeiro is your first stop, we recommend leaving your Israeli swimwear at home and buying a few pairs of bikinis for the rest of your trip in Brazil or for use back home. A quality bikini can also serve as a nice gift for friends, and if you send it by mail the shipping will not cost much because of its light weight.

The swimwear mall in Rio de Janeiro: there are two commercial buildings in Copacabana housing many swimwear stores and other clothing stores. Among Israelis they are known as the swimwear mall. These buildings also contain offices and regular residential apartments.

The difference between them and regular malls is the opening hours. These are ordinary commercial buildings, so they follow office hours rather than mall hours: weekdays through the morning and afternoon, a short Saturday morning, and closed on Sunday. Every shop inside sets its own times, so go on a weekday morning if you want to find everything open. Address: Rua Santa Clara 33 and Rua Santa Clara 75.

It is recommended to go up to the top floor and start working your way down on foot. Some of the stores sell wholesale and retail. These are not famous stores, but you can find good quality swimwear at excellent prices. For more details, check their website.

Melissa Shoes

The scented shoes have been produced here in Brazil since the late seventies and are sold in more than 70 countries worldwide. The brand started out as a factory for producing plastic covers for wine bottles, but quickly became a successful shoe brand through collaborations with famous top designers from all over the world such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Karl Lagerfeld. Melissa shoes are made of recycled plastic, are feather light, and their price in Rio can be half the price of the same model in Israel.

Where to buy Melissa shoes in Rio de Janeiro? Official Melissa stores can be found in Copacabana at Rua Nossa Senhora de Copacabana 664 Loja 22 and in Ipanema at Rua Visconde de Piraja 430 Loja B.

Capoeira Pants

So it is true, you are not exactly Bruce Lee or some certified capoeira fighter, and the only move you know in any martial art might, on a good day, knock down a fly. But that is exactly why you need capoeira pants. Capoeira pants are the most comfortable pants you will ever wear, which makes them an excellent purchase for the rest of your trip in South America. They sit on the body wonderfully, are made of polyamide fabric which is strong, flexible, light and pleasant to the touch. And most importantly, every time you wear them there will always be someone who asks if you do capoeira.

Where to buy capoeira pants in Rio de Janeiro? You can buy capoeira pants at any of the street fairs in Copacabana or Ipanema (details later in the article) or in capoeira equipment stores. You will find such a store in the city center at Rua da Relacao 49/4.

Football Shirt

Brazil is football and football is Brazil. So if you are football fans, besides going to a match at the temple of football and one of the most famous stadiums in the world, the Maracana, or taking a day tour of it, you can buy a shirt of one of the city's football clubs or of the Brazilian national team dirt cheap. Of course the shirt color matters, so for Hapoel Tel Aviv or Hapoel Haifa fans, a red and black Flamengo shirt; for Beitar Jerusalem or Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, a yellow Brazil national team shirt. Maccabi Haifa fans (myself included), tough luck: sadly the green does not match any shirt of a Rio de Janeiro football team, so console yourselves with a national team shirt. Apart from that, whatever you do, do not dare walk around Rio in an Argentina national team shirt.

Where to buy a football shirt in Rio de Janeiro? Football shirts (counterfeit) can be found at all the fairs. Original shirts are available at Centauro stores in the Rio Sul mall (details below) or in each team's souvenir shops.

Street Markets and Fairs in Rio de Janeiro

Rio has several quite interesting street markets where you can buy souvenirs (if you are on your way home; do not lug things around for nothing) like hammocks and handicrafts, or just wander around and find all sorts of interesting objects you feel like buying.

Markets in Copacabana: every day two different tourist markets operate in Copacabana. The smaller of the two is the market at Lido Square (Praca do Lido), which runs through the daytime. The bigger market is opposite the beach, on a large traffic island in front of the Othon Palace hotel, and that one is an evening market that gets going after dark. Stall times shift with the season and the weather, so if you are making a special trip, ask at your hotel reception first.

The street market in Ipanema is called Feira Hippie (the hippie fair). It is a fairly large street market held in Ipanema's central square, Praca General Osorio. It has been running every Sunday since 1968, from the morning until early evening, and it focuses on handicrafts and art. Come late morning or early afternoon, when every stall is up. In the square itself there is a metro station with the same name, so it is very easy to get there. The hippie fair in Ipanema.

The northeasterners' fair, Feira Nordestina, officially the Centro Luiz Gonzaga de Tradicoes Nordestinas: a fair representing the culture of northeast Brazil. Here you will find restaurants and food stalls with traditional dishes of the region, art objects and handicrafts. All in an authentic northern Brazil atmosphere. On weekends there are live music performances during the day and big shows on a central stage at night. The place is a bit touristy but packed with locals on weekends.

The building housing the market is very special. It looks like a stadium but actually mimics a traditional hat from the northeast of the country. At the entrance to the market there is a bronze statue of Luiz Gonzaga, one of Brazil's famous musicians who sang mainly songs of northeast Brazil (I recommend listening and getting to know him). The market is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Monday, daytime hours midweek and right through the night on Friday and Saturday, which is when you want to be there. There is a small entrance fee that changes with whatever is on the stage that day. Address: Rua Campo de Sao Cristovao, Sao Cristovao, Rio de Janeiro. An Uber from Copacabana usually lands somewhere between R$25 and R$50 depending on traffic and the hour, so check the app rather than budgeting a fixed number.

The Saara Market: The Street Market in Downtown Rio

The biggest and cheapest shopping area in Rio de Janeiro: more than 900 shops spread over a dozen streets, selling souvenirs, toys, clothes, electronics, phone accessories and everything else. It is often called the largest open-air shopping centre in Latin America. It attracts mainly locals, and plenty of tourists too. It opens early, Monday to Friday from around 8:00 until the evening and Saturday morning until early afternoon, and it is closed on Sundays. Individual shops vary, so aim for a weekday morning.

It sits right next to the Uruguaiana metro station, so it is very easy to reach. For more details, visit the market's website.

The Saara market is a huge place; it is worth walking around and comparing prices. In every store they will give you a business card with the store's address and the price. It is worth going into the small perpendicular streets because it is cheaper there. A 5 percent discount for cash payment is customary. Remember that you are tourists, so there is a chance they will raise the price a bit for you; in any case, most of the merchandise in the market is counterfeit. The Saara market in the city center.

Tips for Shopping at the Markets

As we said, the market in the city center is the cheapest in Rio, but every market has its specialty. If you are looking for handicrafts and souvenirs, the Ipanema and Copacabana markets are for you; clothes, electronics and jewelry you will find at the Saara market, and food at the northeasterners' fair.

As for technology, electrical goods and phones, Brazil is the most expensive on the continent, so it really is not worth it unless it is urgent, in which case Saara is a good place. Always remember you have to carry everything, so do not load up for nothing even if the prices are really cheap.

Rio is one of the most expensive cities in Brazil and South America, so if you are starting here, relax: you still have plenty of amazing places to shop in. Go with the list at the beginning of the article.

Malls and Shopping Centers in Rio de Janeiro

As befits a giant city, Rio de Janeiro has dozens of malls. Here we will present three of them, the ones closest to Copacabana and Ipanema. Prices in Rio's malls are not cheap, even compared to Israel. So it is nice to take a stroll, eat something or catch a movie at the cinemas, but not much more than that.

Rio Sul mall: among the most famous malls in Rio, located at the exit from Copacabana toward Botafogo and about 10 minutes on foot from Sugarloaf Mountain and the Urca neighborhood. This mall has 7 floors with many varied stores and restaurants. It was the first mall built in Rio de Janeiro. For those staying in Copacabana or Ipanema, it is about 10 minutes by Uber or on the orange bikes. Address: Rua Lauro Muller 116, Botafogo. Rio Sul opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 22:00. On Sundays and holidays the shops keep shorter hours, from 15:00 to 21:00, while the restaurants and cinemas open earlier, from midday.

Rio Design Shopping Leblon: located in the most prestigious neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Leblon, up to 15 minutes from Copacabana or Ipanema. This mall has dozens of designer stores, music in the corridors and beautiful interior decor. As we said, malls in Rio are not cheap and here too you will not find bargains. As befits a luxury mall, here you can come in with your dog if it came along on the trip too. It also keeps the longest hours of the three: it opens early in the morning and stays open late into the night on weekdays and Saturdays, with slightly shorter hours on Sunday. Address: Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva 270, Leblon.

Shopping Leblon: this mall is also in Leblon, with excellent stores and restaurants. It sits on the opposite side of the road from the upscale Rio Design. A good mix of Brazilian and international brands, and the food court has a stunning view of the Christ statue. Address: Rua Afranio de Melo Franco 290, Leblon. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 22:00, and on Sunday it does open, from 13:00 to 21:00. Mall hours in Rio change around public holidays and in December, so it is worth a quick look at the mall's own website before you make the trip.

Rio Trip is an Israeli tour agency in Rio de Janeiro, with more than 23 years in tourism, guiding travelers in Rio. We know the city inside out, and with us you will get to know the real Brazil, the way only a local who speaks the language can show you. Prices in the shops and markets here change all the time, so if you want to know what something really costs before you go hunting for it, message us on WhatsApp at +55 21 98689-5321.