Neighborhood 48H guide
Barra da Tijuca: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Long beaches, surf and the Cidade das Artes.
West of the hills, Barra is a newer, car-oriented district of condominiums and malls with an 18-kilometre beach, lagoons such as the Marapendi nature park, and the Cidade das Artes concert hall.
Photo gallery
Photo: Mariospassos · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Wusel007 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Space, long quiet beaches and big resorts.
Who it's for: Families, surfers and resort-style stays.
Pros
- Long beaches
- Resorts
- Calm
Cons
- Far from sights
- Car-dependent
- Malls
48H in Barra da Tijuca
Long beaches, surf and the Cidade das Artes.
09:00 – Barra beach
Swim or surf.
20:00 – Cidade das Artes
An evening show.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
See / do
See / do
Cidade das Artes
Avenida das Américas 5300
Concert and theatre complex with a 2026 programme of musicals and concerts.
Photo: Wusel007 · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Parque Natural Municipal de Marapendi
Avenida Alfredo Baltazar da Silveira
Lagoon and restinga nature park between Barra beach and the lagoon; closed Mondays.
Photo: Mariospassos · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Grand Hyatt Rio de Janeiro
Avenida Lúcio Costa
Beachfront resort hotel with pools and a spa.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Barra da Tijuca.
Brazil’s tenancy law allows furnished holiday lets of up to 90 days, and Rio has no city rental permit yet (a registration bill was filed in 2026). In May 2026 Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice ruled that apartments in residential-only condominium buildings need the condominium’s approval before being offered on short-stay platforms. Before booking on Vrbo, check that the building allows short stays.
Browse vacation rentals in Barra da Tijuca on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Rio de Janeiro
- Copacabana — The famous beach, the promenade and the fort.
- Ipanema & Arpoador — Posto 9, the Sunday hippie fair and the Arpoador sunset.
- Leblon & the Lagoa — Upscale beach life, the Botanical Garden and Parque Lage.
- Botafogo & Urca — Sugarloaf and views of the bay.
- Centro — The Museu do Amanhã, Confeitaria Colombo and the old city.
- Lapa & Santa Teresa — The Selarón steps, the arches and the tram.
- São Conrado — Hang-gliders over the beach and Niemeyer’s Hotel Nacional.