Published on September 25th, 2012 | by Mark Chesnut
Farm sells hip women's wear at Rio Design Leblon, in Rio de Janeiro.
0Rio Style: 5 Cool Shopping Spots in Ipanema and Leblon
Ever since “The Girl from Ipanema” first seduced her way across the airwaves of radios around the world, the Rio de Janeiro neighborhoods called Ipanema and Leblon have been hot spots for sunbathing and people watching. They are also great places for shopping, as I found out during my most recent visit. Here are a few places to exercise that plastic in your pocket.
Galeria Café
This venue is one of the most creative uses of space I’ve seen in the area. Fashion, art, coffee, cocktails and dancing come together in one small, entertaining space, depending on when you visit. A Saturday afternoon visit might allow you to enjoy live music while shopping for casual clothing, jewelry and boldly colorful artwork. On weekend nights, it becomes a mostly gay dance club, with excellent DJs.
La Cucaracha is one of the more offbeat shops in Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema district.
La Cucaracha
The scent of clove cigarettes and incense might fill the air when you enter this youthful bazaar of T-shirts, comic books and quirky home décor including jewelry boxes plastered with vintage advertisements.
Galeria Laura Marsiaj
Open since 2000, this small contemporary art gallery exhibits work in various media. On view through November 3 is “Quem corre por gosto não cansa,” the work of Portuguese sculptor Isaque Pinheiro.
Shopping Leblon
Shopping Leblon allows visitors and locals to get their upscale mall fix, with local designs from Osklen (casual men’s and women’s) and international brands like Lacoste and Hermenegildo Zegna. My favorite store here is Livraria da Travesa, a book shop that stocks gorgeous art, photo and architecture books as well as Brazilian music CDs.
Rio Design Leblon
Just across the street from Shopping Leblon, Rio Design Leblon is a smaller mall but even more upscale, with local retailers including Farm (women’s wear), Bisiteen (girls’ clothing), Giulha Decoração (home decor) and Cacau Noir (designer chocolates).
Where I Stayed: The Rio Othon Palace, in Copacabana, is a large, oceanfront hotel that is popular with tour groups, individual travelers and business travelers, thanks to its central location, good views and reasonable rates.
MORE TRAVEL TIPS & TRAVEL NEWS:
• Congrats to Melina C. of Yuma, Arizona. She’s the lucky winner of the Fairfield Inn & Suites/LatinFlyer Travel Giveaway. Have a great trip wherever you decide to use your $250 hotel gift card, Melina. Stay tuned to LatinFlyer for exciting future giveaways!
• The Most Luxurious Hotels at the Adventure Mexico Travel convention (Luxury Latin America)
About the Author
Mark Chesnut The founder and editor of LatinFlyer.com, Mark has more than 15 years of experience as a writer, editor and manager. He's worked with some of the biggest consumer, in-flight and travel trade publishers that cover Latin America.
Related Posts
Worst Tourist Ever: 5 Easy Steps to be an “Ugly American” Traveler →
Lucky 13? Incredibly Long Airport Security Process Takes the Cake →
Tying the Knot: Gay Marriage & Destination Weddings in Latin America →
