If you manage to resist the allure of Rio de Janeiro’s beaches, head for the bohemian neighbourhood of Santa Teresa.
There are many ways of getting there. You can drive. You can jump on a tourist jeep. But nothing beats the bondinho or tram. Climb aboard at Carioca station, in the city centre, and hold on tight. Enjoy the view as you cross over the iconic Arcos da Lapa, an aqueduct that once brought Rio its vital water supply. There is no better vantage point from which to appreciate the mixture of old and modern architecture in Rio’s downtown. You’ll soon find yourself going up the steep Rua Joaquim Murtinho, lined with crumbling belle époque mansions. It was here that the city’s richest families built their homes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to escape the heat and the epidemics. Notice the art deco buildings proudly displaying their construction date.
Going to Santa Teresa is like travelling back in time to the Rio that once was: cobbled streets, colourful corner shops and the tinny sound of tram bells. Lacking direct access to the rest of the city, flanked by encroaching favelas, the area was gradually forsaken by its wealthy inhabitants, who moved out to the city’s more spacious suburbs. Soon Santa Teresa became the preferred haunt of artists, writers and musicians. Today’s residents are leading a drive to renovate and restore the neighbourhood. Santa Teresa is quietly flourishing.
You might want to jump off the bondinho at the Largo do Curvelo stop. Nearby is one of Rio’s best kept secrets, the Chácara do Céu Museum. Once the mansion of politician and arts patron Raymundo de Castro Maya, it houses a significant collection of European masters – Dalí, Picasso, Matisse and many others, although this was sadly reduced somewhat last month when thieves took advantage of the town’s carnival madness to help themselves to a handful of Old Masters. But you did not travel to Brazil to see European art. Climb to the top floor and visit the room of Brazilian modernist painters. There, in a small but representative sample, are the works of Candido Portinari, Iberê Camargo, Emiliano Di Cavalcanti and Alberto da Veiga Guignard. Don’t forget to stop by the display of figurines by Mestre Vitalino, the most prominent of Brazilian 20th-century popular artists.
On the same floor is one of the museum’s greatest treasures: a collection of 19th-century views of Rio. Take your time admiring the paintings by Jean Baptiste Debret and Félix Émile Taunay, who left a picturesque reminder of the once-imperial city. You will notice that the pictures are displayed to match the real views of the bay through the panoramic windows. Make sure to browse through the shallow drawers of the tall cabinet containing original watercolours of Brazilian flora and fauna with which Debret so charmingly illustrated this corner of the new world for the benefit of his readers in the old one.
Step out and enjoy the museum’s lush garden. Its wooden benches are ideal for dozing in the shade. Conceived to offer a breathtaking 360° vista, the garden was designed in the 1950s by Brazil’s foremost landscape artist, Roberto Burle Marx (it was he who also designed Rio de Janeiro’s now famous mosaic-patterned pavements).
Next, walk up towards Largo do Guimarães, the heart of Santa Teresa’s revitalisation. The old tram depot now houses a museum that tells the story of the city’s bondinhos, while nearby an Anglican church has been converted into a cinema showing art-house films on Sundays. Perched at the top of a steep flight of stairs, shrouded by mango trees, the Largo das Letras bookstore offers the best place for bookworms to browse – and for anyone else to stop for coffee and a portion of cheese-bread, or pão de queijo.
Perhaps you are feeling peckish by now. You’ll be tempted by the smell of food from German, Japanese and Italian restaurants. Santa Teresa has something to satisfy all palates and suit all pockets.
The Bar do Mineiro offers a wide range of savoury titbits in a snug and traditional setting. If you like seafood, you might want to head for the excellent Restaurante Sobrenatural. Have an ice-cold beer (ask for it estupidamente gelada – stupidly cold) and try the cod fritters (bolinhas de bacalhau). Should you prefer a quieter spot serving local fare with an unsurpassable view, you’ll have to walk a bit further, up to Rua Aprazível, which translates as the peaceful street. Restaurante Aprazível will give you many more reasons to remember Santa Teresa, not least of which is a fine menu dominated by staple dishes from the inland state of Minas Gerais.
If you happen to be in the neighbourhood on the first Sunday of the month, don’t forget to visit the flea market. As you amble about, take heed of the countless artists’ workshops lining the streets. There are photographers, painters, potters, sculptors and textile designers working in the area, and once a year they hold open-door days.
There is no better way of soaking up Santa Teresa’s atmosphere than by walking (be sensible about personal belongings) or simply sitting at a kerb-side café. Should you stay long enough, you will notice musicians playing in bars and restaurants. Be warned: when you hear the bitter-sweet chords of traditional choros wafting through the evening air you may feel like staying much longer. Don’t worry. If you happen to miss the last city-bound bondinho, you can always stroll back.
Chácara do Céu Museum, Rua Murtinho Nobre 93, tel: +55 1-2507 1932
Bar do Mineiro. Rua Pascoal Carlos Magno 99, tel: +55 1-2221 9227
Museo do Bonde, Rua Carlos Brant 14, tel: +55 1-2242 2354