Samba, arches and a mosaic staircase
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Beneath the white arches of the aqueduct, Lapa is the district of samba and carioca nightlife. Come for the Selarón Steps and their tiles from around the world, then in the evening for samba circles, bars and music venues.
A bohemian district in the 1920s and 1930s, Lapa was the haunt of samba musicians and malandros, the stylish rascals. After a long decline, its music scene revived in the 1990s, and every weekend the area becomes Rio’s big party again.