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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
Zona Norte
Neighborhood Top Five
sprawling Feira Nordestina (p148).
3 Exploring relics from
Brazil’s early 19th-century
past at the neoclassical
Maracanã Football Stadium (p146).
2 Browsing handicrafts,
snacking on Northeastern
dishes and partner-dancing
to live forró inside the
Museu do Primeiro Reinado (p148).
4 Taking a stroll amid
the greenery of the once
imperial Quinta da Boa
Vista (p148).
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5 Perusing pre-Columbian
artifacts inside the Museu
Nacional (p148), a former
royal palace.
R General Lu
1 Hearing the roar of
the crowds as some of the
world’s best players take to
the field inside hallowed
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For more detail of this area see Map p254 A
1
145
Explore Zona Norte
Local Life
¨¨Nightlife Dusting off your dance shoes and joining
forró-loving crowds at a long night of live music and
dancing in the Feira Nordestina.
¨¨Markets Cadeg is Rio’s largest market and a fine
place to browse the endless rows of produce, meats and
fish; it’s also home to great-value restaurants, with a
festive air (and live music) on weekends.
Getting There & Away
Maracanã
¨¨Bus From Copacabana, Ipanema & Leblon (464); to
Copacabana and Ipanema (456 & 457), to Leblon (464)
¨¨Metro Maracanã
Quinta da Boa Vista
¨¨Bus Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon (474)
¨¨Metro São Cristóvão (for Museu Nacional and
Jardim Zoológico)
The best time to visit this
area is on weekends, when
you’ll find the markets,
parks and other attractions
at their liveliest.
Best Places
5 to Eat
¨¨ Aconchego Carioca
(p149)
¨¨ Barsa (p149)
¨¨ Da Gema (p149)
For reviews, see p149 A
1 Best
Views
¨¨ Sambódromo (p149)
¨¨ Complexo do Alemão
(p148)
¨¨ Igreja da Penha (p149)
For reviews, see p148 A
7 Best
Shopping
¨¨ Sports Museum (p149)
¨¨ Feira Nordestina (p148)
¨¨ CADEG (p149)
For reviews, see p148 A
Zona Norte 
Vast Zona Norte sprawls many kilometers toward the
Baixada Fluminense. It boasts fewer attractions than
the Zona Sul and Centro, but there are still excellent reasons to visit, including soccer rowdiness at Maracanã,
great views from little-visited landmarks and historical
intrigue at former palaces.
The Zona Norte is home to many distinct neighborhoods and favelas, including several with pivotal roles in
the competitive Carnaval parade. Rehearsals at samba
schools (p46) are a worthwhile draw, and attract huge
crowds as Carnaval draws nearer. Some favelas are receiving dramatic makeovers, including Complexo do
Alemão, a collection of communities that is slowly becoming a tourist attraction, courtesy of an aerial cablecar system that glides over the favela hillsides.
In the 19th century the Zona Norte was the home of
the nobility, including Dom João VI. The area saw dramatic transformation as mangrove swamps were cleared
to make way for stately homes. In the 20th century, the
wealthy moved out and exploding urbanism transformed the landscape into a gritty, heavily populated,
working-class suburb. A visit is recommended for those
who want to see how the rest of Rio lives. You’ll escape
the tourist crowds and experience an authentic slice of
Rio far removed from the picture-postcard sights of the
Zona Sul.
Although the area is spread out, several sites are fairly
close together and are easily reached by metro, lying just
west of Centro. Other places are best reached by taxi.
Lonely Planet’s
Top Tip