Ipanema

The trendiest shopping area in Rio, Ipanema makes window-shopping an entertaining experience and is a good way of getting to know the real spirit of fashionable cariocas. In the almost two-mile-long main street, Rua Visconde de Pirajá, there are stores selling everything from clothes, shoes and accessories to housewares, books, toys and souvenirs. You name it and Ipanema has it. One of the side streets, Garcia D'Ávila, has become the 'in' place for the well-to-do with branches of world-famous names like Cartier and Louis Vuitton, as well as local giant Amsterdam Sauer. Halfway down the main street there is a square with plenty of green, and a church. The area also has a good number of restaurants and fast-food places, and Ipanema Beach is an absolutely must-visit.