South America

Lapa is not a club, it's not a festival, and it's not on any organised tour itinerary. It's an entire neighbourhood in central Rio that turns into one sprawling open-air street party every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, where thousands of cariocas and backpackers pour into the streets, line up outside legendary samba houses, and drink cold Antartica beer from plastic cups until the sun comes up. If you're in Rio and you haven't made it to Lapa, you haven't made it to Rio.

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visually stunning cities on the planet, and it genuinely earns its reputation as a bucket-list destination. It also has one of the highest street-crime rates in South America, and backpackers who arrive treating it like Barcelona or Bangkok tend to find out the hard way. This guide gives you the real picture, specific neighborhoods, real numbers, and honest risk levels, so you can have an incredible trip without becoming a statistic.