One could think it is a scene out of a small town on the countryside. But it happens in…read moreLaranjeiras, one of Rio's nice residential neighborhoods. Every weekend a dedicated group of locals gather around to make music at a sweet square bandstand. They bring in professional equipment and every Saturday, from 6 to 11 pm, put excited locals and gringos to dance around and sing along. Samba, obviously -- Rio's favorite soundtrack. The happy music on the square has families blending in with a young and relaxed crowd, lively chatting with their beer cans in hand. A few restaurants around the square sell food and draft beer, so you can grab a bite after the music, too. Every time I visited São Salvador's traditional Saturday afternoons I felt warmly welcomed. It sums up some of the carioca's friendliness and it is a great place to mingle and make friends. Friday nights and Sunday mornings also offer a good amount of music and fun. You can't really go wrong here.

I live on this square, and the location couldn't be more convenient. I especially recommend…read morevisiting Tuesday morning, when the feira is going and it is full of fruit and vegetable vendors and the best pasteis (pastel is a fried snack filled with cheese, meat ect) I've had in Rio. On Sundays, the hippie fair goes all day with craft vendors and stands selling acarajé and other foods from the northeast. Around the square are several lanchonetes selling juices and snacks, a good cafe Terzetto, and several bars including my favorite Bel Monte. It's only a block from the beach and also includes the southern-most metro stop (until the new stations in Leblon and Barra open, hopefully in time for the olympics). There's a small playground for kids and also a bike rental station for the orange Itau city bikes!

We came here to check out the Gastro Beer fest but ended up seeing a couple other things. The Jogos…read moreCarioca was also going on, so they had a small makeshift skatepark and a climbing wall for kids. We saw one kid wearing a metal for winning a jujutsu competition and plenty of kids skateboarding or mountain biking down the steep hills. They also had a music venue, with a large stage step up for live music. It was too hot to be out in the sun, but the hillside provided a bit of shade. The park has the zoo (which is currently closed due to inhumane conditions for the animals) and the national museum which is quite impressive. The food and beer festival had a great space for venue like this. They had quite a variety of food and beer options which made this a great weekend to hang out at the park despite the heat. There's also scenic views of Christo from a distance and a lagoa with scenic Corinthian columns and swan peddle boats for rent. It's also conveniently located right next to the São Cristóvão metro station.