What should I avoid in Rio de Janeiro?

The taxi touts at GIG (Galeão) work the arrivals hall before you clear customs. They quote "flat fares" of R$200-250 to Copacabana. Uber and 99 (Brazil's homegrown ride app) run the same 25 km route for R$60-90. Download both before you land and use the free airport Wi-Fi. The yellow cooperativa cabs are legitimate but meter out at R$140-170 to Zona Sul. Beyond ride apps, Rio's Metrô Line 1 runs from General Osório in Ipanema through Botafogo, Centro, and up to Tijuca, with R$6.90 single rides. The VLT light rail loops through Centro and the Porto Maravilha waterfront for R$4.30. For Barra da Tijuca, the BRT Transoeste from Alvorada terminal covers the distance but takes 90 minutes from the airport. Google Maps handles Metrô and BRT routing well. Mind you, the Metrô shuts at midnight, so late-night returns from Lapa mean Uber.

Copacabana and Ipanema are not the places to wear a watch or chain. Arrastão (mass grab-and-run thefts) still happen on crowded Sundays, with groups of 15-20 teenagers sweeping a stretch of sand in seconds. Keep R$50-100 in a waterproof pouch, leave everything else at the hotel, and sit near a lifeguard post (posto). Posto 9 on Ipanema is the most watched stretch. That said, millions of Cariocas use these beaches every week without incident. The friendship bracelet sellers on Copacabana tie a macramé band on your wrist and demand R$20-50. A firm "não, obrigado" before they touch your arm is the move. The water at Copacabana tends to be murkier than Ipanema, and after heavy rain both beaches get sewage runoff warnings from INEA (the state environmental agency). Prainha and Grumari, about 40 minutes west by car, have cleaner water and far fewer crowds on weekdays.

The beachfront restaurants along Avenida Atlântica in Copacabana charge R$80-120 for a moqueca that runs R$40-55 two blocks inland on Rua Barata Ribeiro. Laminated photo menus are the tell. For the real thing, Adega Pérola on Rua Siqueira Campos serves bolinhos de bacalhau at R$8 each, with cold chopp in a proper tulip glass still sweating from the tap. In Botafogo, the Cobal do Humaitá food hall has 20-odd stalls where a plate of feijoada with farofa and couve runs R$35-45 on Saturdays. Leblon's Fellini does per-kilo lunch (comida a quilo) from a 40-item buffet, typically R$55-70 for a loaded plate. The juice bars on every other corner sell açaí bowls for R$12-18 and fresh caldo de cana for R$6. To be fair, even the tourist-trap restaurants won't poison you. The food is fine. You pay double for the same plate, with a worse view of the kitchen.

Ipanema and Leblon are the safest bets for a first visit to Rio de Janeiro. Hotels run R$400-800/night, but the walkability, beach access, and density of restaurants on Rua Dias Ferreira make the premium worth it. Copacabana is cheaper (R$200-400/night) and grittier after dark, especially the blocks between Rua Barata Ribeiro and the hillside. Botafogo has become Rio's craft-beer-and-coworking neighborhood, with hostels from R$80/night and easy Metrô access at Botafogo station. Santa Teresa looks beautiful during the day. The yellow bondinho tram runs from Largo da Carioca up the hill. But the favela edges get dangerous after dark, so stick to Rua Almirante Alexandrino and take an Uber down after sunset. Centro empties after 6pm on weekdays and all day on weekends. The streets around Praça XV and the Saara market go from packed to deserted in under an hour. That transition is when most muggings happen. Lapa's nightlife centers on the Arcos da Lapa on Friday and Saturday, but the side streets two blocks off the main drag feel exposed.

Rio's winter (June through August) drops to 17-20°C in the mornings, which catches visitors off guard. You'll want a light jacket for Sugarloaf or Corcovado before 10am, when the Atlantic wind cuts through a T-shirt. The wet season runs December through March. January thunderstorms drop 130-150mm in a single afternoon, and hillside roads in Santa Teresa and Alto da Boa Vista close due to landslide risk. The city issues stage alerts (Estágio 1 through 4) through AlertaRio. At Estágio 3 or above, stay off hillside roads and out of Tijuca National Park, where lower trails flood. Even in winter, the UV index rarely drops below 8. Sunscreen runs R$35-50 at Zona Sul pharmacies like Drogasil and Pacheco. The tap water in Rio is technically treated, but most locals drink filtered or bottled. A 1.5L bottle costs R$3-4 at any corner padaria.