With its mountain peaks, favelas perched on hills, expansive beaches, and turquoise waters of the South Atlantic, it’s not difficult to find inspiration for the most Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio is a city where you can take many beautiful and creative photos. The former capital of Portugal, at the beginning of the 19th century, in Rio, we also find Portuguese-inspired buildings, buildings that add to the already beautiful streets.
The wonderful city in Brazil is full of color and joy, breathtaking scenery, and warm, cheerful people, so taking photos of Rio de Janeiro is an absolute pleasure.
Where to stay in Rio de Janeiro:
- budget: Windsor California Hotel – swimming pool, restaurant, room service, beachfront
- mid-range: Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel, Rio de Janeiro– swimming pool, beachfront, perfect location
- luxury: JANEIRO Hotel– swimming pool, beachfront, fantastic view, great location
15 Most Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro
1. Escadaria Selarón
The famous stairs in Centro are so colorful, and they have the power to change your mood instantly. The one who did all the work and transformed the area into one of the most beautiful places in Rio de Janeiro is Jorge Selarón.
He decorated 215 steps, a length of 125 meters, using thousands of pieces of mosaic, ceramics, and mirrors, of different shapes and sizes, making this place one of the best Instagram spots in Rio de Janeiro.
The material was brought from 60 countries worldwide so that you can think of these stairs as some kind of worldwide souvenir exposition. Therefore, the place quickly became one of the most Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro.
Address: R. Joaquim Silva, S/N – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20241-110, Brazil
What I use every time I travel:
- To book hotels: Booking.com
- To book tours: GetYourGuide.com
2. San Sebastian Metropolitan Cathedral | Best photo spots in Rio de Janeiro
Before I got here, I used to see this cathedral in Brazilian movies and series, and I always wondered what it could be, given its unusual shape.
Therefore, before arriving in Rio, I discovered that it is the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Sebastian, built in 1979 by architect Edgar de Oliveira da Fonseca, inspired by the Mayan pyramids.
The building is 75 meters high and is one of the most Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro, in and out. Its strange shape and the stained glass windows arranged on the four sides of the pyramid turned it into a real attraction in the city.
Address: Av. Chile, 245 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20031-170, Brazil
READ ALSO: 19 best things to do in Rio de Janeiro
3. Arcos do Lapa | Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro
The next super Instagrammable place in Rio de Janeiro is the 42 white vaults that form the Carioca Aqueduct.
The colonial architecture of the building and the famous yellow tram that passes here on its way to the Santa Teresa neighborhood form a beautiful and iconic image of the city and one of the best photo spots in Rio de Janeiro.
Although the initial goal was to bring the city’s inhabitants as close and fast as possible to the Carioca River, the only water source at that time, it’s currently used for transport and, why not, for Instagram photos of Rio.
It’s not the safest area of the city; many homeless people roam there, but the police are always there so you can feel safe.
So, if you go and see it at a reasonable time and you have a friend with you, you should be safe. It’s worth it to come here since it’s one of the best photo spots in Rio de Janeiro.
Address: Av. República do Paraguai, 395 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20031-180, Brazil
READ ALSO: Iguazu Falls Guide – Brazil side
4. Jardim Botanico | Rio de Janeiro photography
Botanical gardens are generally an inexhaustible source of beautiful places for pictures, but the Royal Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro is even more than that. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the city and one of the best photo spots in Rio de Janeiro.
Here is a famous alley with imperial palm trees, 750 meters long. The place looks great in pictures, but in reality, it will overwhelm you with its beauty.
It’s one of the most Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro. I came across something similar in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Besides, there are several Instagrammable corners in the Garden. Here you will find over 6,500 species of plants and trees and statuettes, fountains, lakes, streams, etc.
I recommend you go to the Central Fountain, built in England and later brought to Rio.
Address: R. Jardim Botânico, 1008 – Jardim Botânico, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22460-030, Brazil
5. Sugarloaf Mountain | Best Instagram spots in Rio de Janeiro
The place where you can admire the most beautiful panorama of Rio de Janeiro is Sugarloaf Mountain, 396 meters above the Gulf of Guanabara. You can get here by cable car, opened in 1912.
You can choose to go up to Morro da Urca or further to Sugarloaf Mountain. I recommend the second option since here you’ll find one of the best viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro.
You will have here a complete panorama of the Gulf, but you can also see Corcovado Mountain, Tijuca Forest, and even the most famous beaches in the city, Copacabana and Ipanema. In conclusion, a fantastic place for Rio de Janeiro photography.
Maybe I should have put it at the top of the most Instagramable places in Rio de Janeiro.
But this top, although numbered, does not necessarily have an order; each place is unique in its way, and none deserves less attention than the others.
⇒ Check prices for Sugarloaf Cable Car
Address: Av. Pasteur, 520 – Urca, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22290-240, Brazil
READ ALSO: How to visit São Paulo in one day
6. Teatro Municipal | Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro
At the beginning of the article, I said that many of the city’s buildings were inspired by the Portuguese Manueline style. Well, here we have Parisian inspiration.
The Municipal Theater, started in 1905 and inaugurated in 1909, is a kind of replica of the Paris Opera.
The similarities are striking, mainly if we refer to the eclectic style of the buildings and the turquoise roof with golden accents.
Teatro Municipal is rightly considered the most beautiful building in the city and one of the perfect places for Rio de Janeiro photography.
The Rio Opera, Orchestra, and Ballet are hosted here, so it plays a very important role when it comes to the arts. The interior is at least as luxurious and attractive as the facade.
Most likely it’s also a perfect place for Instagrammable photos in Rio de Janeiro.
Address: Praça Floriano, S/N – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20031-050, Brazil
7. Royal Portuguese Reading Room | Best photo spots in Rio de Janeiro
I don’t know about you, but I’m fascinated by libraries. I find very graceful the combination of a beautiful interior decorated with the old and mysterious covers of the books.
A prominent example of a splendid library is the Royal Portuguese Reading Room, with its façade inspired by the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal, and its impressive collection of over 350,000 volumes. It’s one of the most Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro on the outside and on the inside.
The library was founded in 1837 by a group of Portuguese immigrants. The building proudly represents the neo-Manueline style, highlighted by the architect Rafael da Silva.
Although the exterior it’s pleasing to the eye, the interior is the one that impresses with its wooden ornaments, carefully decorated, accentuated by the light that penetrates the stained glass dome.
The Royal Portuguese Reading Room is one of the most beautiful places in Rio de Janeiro, but also the most beautiful library in the world, according to Time magazine. I can’t think of any better place for Rio de Janeiro photography than this library.
Address: R. Luís de Camões, 30 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20051-020, Brazil
8. Statue of Christ the Redeemer
The most emblematic image of Rio de Janeiro is the one with the statue of Jesus in the foreground. Perched right on top of Mount Corcovado, at 700 meters altitude, Christ seems to be watching over and embracing the city.
It’s one of the most visited places in Rio and is one of the 7 wonders of the world, so it makes no sense to try to convince you to get there. I’m sure you’ll do it anyway, even if you do it to admire the best viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro.
The statue was built between 1922 and 1931 and is the most giant Art Deco statue in the world. From here, you can see Guanabara Bay, the famous beaches, the Maracana Stadium, and even the neighboring town of Niteroi.
At the base of Mount Corcovado is the largest urban forest in the world, the Tijuca Forest, which is also worth exploring. So, either get on the tram to get to the statue of Jesus or walk through the woods.
⇒ Book your tram ride to Christ the Redeemer
Address: Parque Nacional da Tijuca – Alto da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
9. The old town | Best photo spots in Rio de Janeiro
Like all big cities with a long history behind it, Rio also has a very interesting historical center full of old buildings in pastel shades, scorched by the sun and lined up on narrow and cobbled streets.
The center is called Centro and has a reputation of a dangerous neighborhood. I can’t be sure of that, but I didn’t feel even the slightest danger in my case.
However, pay attention to where you go and at what time, try to visit during the day and not after dark, even if there is a lot of police in this area of the city.
If you are looking for the most colorful streets with the most beautiful architecture, then go on Rua da Lapa and Avenida Mem de Sá.
10. Parque Lage
The School of Visual Arts today and the residence of Enrique Lage in the past, Parque Lage is an ensemble consisting of a building with beautiful architecture and a vast park, located in the vicinity of the Botanical Garden.
Parque Lage is one of the most Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro because it has that pool with blue water, surrounded by the vaults inside the building and Mount Corcovado in the background. A photogenic harmony, if you ask me.
Besides the opportunity to take beautiful pictures, you can relax with a cold drink inside the cafe by the pool, or you can take a walk in the park.
Address: R. Jardim Botânico, 414 – Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22461-000, Brazil
11. Praia da Macumba
Rio de Janeiro can compete in many ways with a lot of big cities around the world, but no other city can compete with Rio when it comes to beaches.
Ciudad Maravillosa has the most beautiful beaches in the world; or at least the most beautiful beaches near a big city, and not located somewhere on an exotic island.
One of them is Praia da Macumba, at a distance of about 40-50 minutes from Copacabana and about an hour from Centro.
So, it’s not a crowded beach in Rio, but it is a very Instagrammable one because you can see the mountains in the background and the two rocks: Pedra do Pontal and Pedra da Macumba.
Address: Av. AW, 17-341 – Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
12. Mirante Do Penhasco | Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro
In Portuguese, Mirante means belvedere or, more popularly, panoramic point. So, if you are in Portugal or Brazil, every time you see a sign that says Mirante or mirador, it means that there is one of the best viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro.
The same happens with Mirante Do Penhasco, a place where the beach in Leblon is beautifully framed, as in an exotic painting of flowers and palm trees.
And the steps here will help you have one of the most Instagramable pictures in Rio.
If you want a view from above, don’t stop to think and climb to the top of Dois Irmãos. In Rio, there are many such mountain peaks that you can climb to enjoy the breathtaking scenery.
Address: Unnamed Road – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22610-095, Brazil
13. Maracana
I don’t intend to discriminate, but my intuition tells me boys are much more interested in #13. However, whether or not you are interested in the king’s sport doesn’t matter when you visit Brazil.
Football is an authentic culture here, and I am convinced you have heard about Pelé and Ronaldinho. But also about the famous Maracana stadium, which opened in 1950 with a capacity of 80,000 spectators.
This size brought it directly to the 1st place at the top of the biggest stadiums in Brazil and 2nd in South America, after the Estadio Monumental in Peru.
Maracana is a stadium legend, so you have to put it on the list of most Instagrammable places in Rio de Janeiro. Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Prince, George Michael, The Rolling Stones, and many others sang in the famous arena.
Address: Av. Pres. Castelo Branco, Portão 3 – Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20271-130, Brazil
14. Pedra do Telegrafo | Best viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro
Even if an optical illusion is created through which the rock seems to stand in the air, the reality is not very far either. The stone is located on a mountain near the ocean and could fall into the valley anytime.
However, the place has become very popular for the pictures you can take here and for one of the best viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro.
To reach the rock, you must walk through an exotic forest where you will see many monkeys. The degree of difficulty is very low and should not cause problems.
You will spend at least half a day at Pedra do Telegrafo because it’s about an hour and a half from Rio, and you will have to wait in line to take the most Instagrammable photos of Rio de Janeiro. The best time of day is in the morning.
⇒ Check prices for a tour to Pedra do Telegrafo
Address: Estr. do Grumari – Barra de Guaratiba, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
15. Santa Teresa neighborhood
The Santa Teresa neighborhood offers the most beautiful views in Rio de Janeiro because from here, you can see at the same time Sugarloaf, Mount Corcovado, and Guanabara Bay.
But the neighborhood itself is worth visiting because it has some very Instagramable winding streets, the famous yellow tram, and white fairytale villas with ivy-covered fences and infinity pools.
⇒ Check prices for a tram ride to Santa Teresa Neighborhood
We stayed 5 nights in The Villa, and the view took our breath away each morning. But many hotels offer such panoramas, and I will shortlist those with the best viewpoints in Rio de Janeiro.
- Casa 48 Guesthouse
- Santa Teresa Hotel RJ – MGallery
- Gerthrudes Bed & Breakfast
- Casa Geranio
- Villa Paranaguá Hotel & Spa
- Rio Panoramic
- Prestige Property – Da Costa
Address: R. Dr. Júlio Otoní, 254 – Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20241-400, Brazil
