So happy to discover they were having a sale! This is one of my favorite shops to get Rio themed…read moreuseful items that also make great gifts. I see these items featured in tourist places like Pão de Açúcar and Forte de Copacabana but they also make items that are great for everyday use. Wallets, keychains, luggage tags, iPod holders, glasses cases, and travel items. Another great thing is that they change their designs every so often so it keeps things fresh and give you a good excuse to keep checking into their store. This also lets them have great sales like the one that's going on now, to clear out older merchandise and make room for the new lines. They have great customer service and are bilingual so its easy to make purchases. They will wrap things if you tell them it's a gift.

Gilson Martins is a great shop for buying unique yet good quality gifts and souvenirs. Their Rio…read moreand Brazilian-themed leather goods are perfect for everyday use (change purses, wallets, card holders, phone cases etc). The sales associates were friendly and they even offered us drinks while we shopped.

Smaller than the others store about 1/2 a mile away but okay selection of Rio Olympics 2016. If you…read morewalk up and down the street, there are other shoe stores that sell Havaianas at comparable prices.

This Havaianas shop is located about five blocks away from a larger location on Rua Xavier de…read moreSilveira in Copacabana. The selection is limited to men's, women's, and children's flip-flops and a few accessories. Havaianas are the original and first Brazilian massed-produced rubber flip-flop created in 1962. The flip-flops are comfortable and are perfect on the beautiful beaches of Brazil. The new patterns for the Rio 2016 Olympics are available. www.havaianas.com.br

I was out to lunch with a stylish Estonian when I noticed her beautiful bag. Soft leather with…read morebright blue against supple black. After a compliment, she walked me in the direction of Via Mia (the store where she bought the bag). Upon entry, I was enamored with the colorful shoes (if you're a fan of Camper, you'll really like their varied selection of similarly styled sneaks, flats and heels). On the walls, decently priced bags of all sizes hung in their colorful display. While I left empty-handed, my co-shopper and I tried on a few things. Definitely worth visiting if you're searching for a day/night purse and a sweet pair of kicks.