49 Best Shopping in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The interior of this intimate chocolate shop is almost as exquisite as their hand-crafted chocolate bars. Produced by the Aquims, one of Rio's leading gourmet families, whose mission is to show the world what chocolate can really taste like when cultivated with care and free from over-production and too much sugar. In addition to chocolate bars, there are delectable brownies and gifts wrapped in evocative jungle packaging.

Ask the staff for tasters before you buy.

This fair that takes place roughly every couple of months combines fashion, design, art, and gastronomy from independent labels and artisans. The quality of the goods on offer and the experience itself has improved over the years, and since it moved to an alfresco spot overlooking the Lagoa, it's become a highlight in Rio's event calendar. Expect live music, great shopping, and the chance to watch a parade of beautiful people.

Vendors at this outdoor fair sell antiques, rare books, records, and all types of objets d'art on the first Saturday afternoon of the month. New and vintage fashion is also a strong suit, although cheaper fashion has sadly begun to take over. Live samba music and capoeira performances create a festival-like atmosphere, and the pavement bars and restaurants buzz with locals and visitors.

The crowded, lively Feira de São Cristóvão, better known as the Feira Nordestina, is a social hub for Brazilians from the country's Northeast who live in Rio. They gather to hear their own distinctive music, eat regional foods, and buy arts, crafts, home furnishings, and clothing. With two stages for live music, the fair takes on a nightclub vibe after dark, and there are some seriously impressive displays of forro dancing. This fair is at its busiest and most exciting on the weekends. It's best to take a taxi here.

A good place to find high-quality modern and contemporary paintings and sculptures, this gallery, which ships items abroad for customers, also sells photographs that can be made to size.

Upmarket swimwear store Lenny sells sophisticated, exquisitely cut pieces in a range of sizes, and lots of fashionable beach accessories. Prices are high, but the bikinis are particularly creative.

Exhibiting Brazilian craftsmanship at its finest, O Sol is a nonprofit, nongovernmental shop promoting and selling the handiwork of artisans from all regions of Brazil. It's one of Rio's best handicraft stores, and well worth a visit.

Tiny Toca do Vinicius bills itself as a "cultural space and bossa nova salon," and indeed the shop feels like more than just a place of business. Bossa nova aficionados from around the world gather here, and if you're one of them, there's a good chance you'll leave with the email address of at least one new pal. You'll also find sheet music, T-shirts, CDs, and books on music, including a few in English. One Sunday a month the shop hosts an intimate bossa nova concert.

The charming liquor store Garrafeira sells a wide range of cachaça, including excellent versions from Minas Gerais State.

You can buy close to 100 brands of cachaça here. The bar serves amazing caipirinhas and other cachaça-based drinks.

For fashion-forward designs, visit Alessa. Pay special attention to Alessa's fabulously fun underwear, which makes for great presents.

One of Rio's top names in jewelry, this is the perfect place to pick up an elegant gift. The on-site gemstone museum is open weekdays between 10 and 6 and Saturday between 9 and 2 for free guided tours that can be booked online.

A favorite among local fashionistas, Animale carries casual wear and formal wear that's both sophisticated and sexy. If you want to make an impression in Rio's social scene, head here for slinky dresses, chic cover-ups, and showstopping shoes and accessories.

Its large selection of books in English has made this bookstore popular with expats and vacationers. There's also a CD section. The cozy Café Severino, in the back, has coffee, pastries, salads, crepes, and sandwiches.

The "Coffee Store" chain has several branches in Rio, including ones in Ipanema and Leblon where you can enjoy a cappuccino or espresso and a pastry at the café before browsing the coffees and coffee-making devices for sale.

Alcindo Silva Filho, better known as Cidinho, opened Bumbum in 1979 after deciding to create the smallest (and by some accounts, the sexiest) bikinis in town. Bumbum remains a solid beachwear brand, and today sells slightly more modest styles as well as the trademark teeny bikinis.

The massive Centauro store caters to the needs of all sorts of sporting enthusiasts.

The gallery Contorno exhibits and sells an eclectic selection of Brazilian art.

Bohemian Santa Teresa is a hotbed of vintage fashions, and the style-savvy team behind Eu Amo Vintage has put together the biggest and best collection of all. If you find yourself envying the effortless, thrift store–chic of the neighborhood's gals and guys about town, the staff here can help you join their ranks. The store sits right behind the lively Bar do Gomez, so you can slip into your new threads and instantly fit in with the bar's hipster throngs.

Fun colors and bold patterns make Farm popular with cariocas. It's a great place to find feminine dresses and cute tops that epitomise Rio's fun-loving beach style.

The drugstore Farma Life has a wide selection of beauty products.

This open-air antiques fair held on Saturdays attracts more locals than tourists—it's a good place to pick up vintage clothing, sunglasses, rare vinyl, and antique furniture and jewelry. Arrive early to get the best buys, and be prepared to haggle. Serious collectors arrive as early as 6 am, often with an eye to grabbing a bargain and reselling it a few hours later at a higher price. Sellers begin to close up shop by early afternoon.

The colorful handicrafts street fair takes place on Sunday between 9 am and 7 pm. Shop for high-quality jewelry, hand-painted dresses, paintings, wood carvings, leather bags and sandals, rag dolls, knickknacks, furniture, and samba percussion instruments, among many other items. It's fun to browse here even if you're not looking to buy anything.

The store's namesake designer, who has five shops in Rio, creates great gold and silver jewelry and works with semiprecious stones. Check out the wonderful bangles featuring the famous Copacabana or Ipanema sidewalk pattern.

Stores at this youth-focused arcade sell all the clothing and equipment you'll need for a surfing or sporting vacation, as well as gear for climbing, rappelling, and other extreme sports.