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I Rode the Santa Teresa Tram in Rio de Janeiro and Packed These
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items Planning the Santa Teresa tram ride in Rio de Janeiro and not sure what to bring, wear, or do once you get up there? I spent a full day wandering the cobblestone streets, eating at tiny restaurants, and sweating through my shirt before I figured out ...
Sections
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What to Wear on the Santa Teresa Tram Without Looking Like a Tourist
Gear That Saved My Santa Teresa Photos and Videos
Restaurants and Cafes Worth Stopping at in Santa Teresa
Things to Actually Do Once You Get Off the Tram
Small Items I Was Glad I Threw in My Bag That Morning
What to Wear on the Santa Teresa Tram Without Looking Like a Tourist
I showed up in brand new white sneakers and a polo shirt and stuck out immediately. Santa Teresa is hilly, cobblestoned, and hot. Dress for comfort and blending in, not for Instagram.
Swap these on once you're off the tram and walking the flat stretches. Locals wear them everywhere and your feet will thank you after those hills.
Women's Slim Flip Flops Black
Toss your phone in the zippered pocket when you're on the tram. Pickpockets work crowded stops and I almost learned that the hard way.
Columbia Women's Silver Ridge 2.0 Cargo Short
Wear this instead of cotton. I soaked through a regular tee by 10am and spent the rest of the day looking like I jumped in a pool.
Women's Capilene® Cool Daily Shirt
Keep sweat out of your eyes on the steep walks. It dries in minutes and rolls up small enough to forget it's in your pocket.
CoolNet® Neckwear
Bring polarized lenses if you can. The afternoon sun bouncing off those colorful tiled walls will have you squinting in every photo.
Ray-Ban RB2132 New Wayfarer Square Sunglasses
Use these for the uphill cobblestone sections. They grip well on uneven stone and dry fast when you inevitably step in something wet.
Men's Tree Runner NZ - Everyday Sneakers
Keep it in front of your body on the tram. Big backpacks get caught on the open sides and block other passengers. Learned that one publicly.
Kånken Sling Original dan terbaru di
Gear That Saved My Santa Teresa Photos and Videos
The tram moves, the streets are narrow, the light changes fast. I lost half my morning shots to blur and shadow before I switched up my setup.
Grab this for the tram ride itself. Your phone will shake too much on the tracks, but the GoPro's stabilization kept everything smooth even on the bumpiest stretch.
Gopro Hero 12 Black Special Bundle Action Camera
Clip this on before you hit Largo do Guimaraes. The streets are so narrow that a normal phone lens can't capture the full scene without cutting off the murals.
Moment T-Series
Attach your camera to your bag strap so both hands are free on the tram. I watched someone's DSLR swing into a pole. Don't be that person.
Peak Design Capture Clip Terbaru
Bring a full charge. Between maps, photos, and translation apps, my phone died at 2pm and I had to ask strangers for directions in broken Portuguese.
Anker Power Bank, 10000mAh Portable Charger
Toss a spare in your bag. I filled my first card shooting video of the tram rolling through the Arcos da Lapa aqueduct and missed the sunset completely.
128GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC™ UHS-I CARD
Wrap it around the tram railing for a steady time-lapse of the ride up. Nobody batted an eye and the footage looked like a travel documentary.
Joby GorillaPod 1K Kit with Ballhead Original di Jpc
Use this at Escadaria Selaron if you visit after 4pm. The staircase falls into shadow fast and your phone flash makes the tiles look washed out.
Lume Cube Bicolor Panel Mini LED Light
Restaurants and Cafes Worth Stopping at in Santa Teresa
I walked past a dozen tourist traps before a local ceramics shop owner pointed me toward these. The difference between a forgettable meal and a memorable one up here is about two blocks.
Get the feijoada and a cold chopp beer. Show up before noon on weekends or you'll wait 45 minutes standing on a sidewalk with no shade.
Digital Menu - São Paulo
Splurge on this one for the view alone. Sitting in that treehouse-style dining room overlooking Guanabara Bay made me forget I was in a city of seven million.
Aprazível – Rio de Janeiro - a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant
Try the tapioca crepes with cheese. It's tiny, cash-only, and easy to miss, but the owner's grandmother's recipes are worth the detour.
Alto Menu
Pair the moqueca with a caipirinha on the terrace. For anyone who wants upscale Brazilian food without the Copacabana tourist markup.
Rio de Janeiro e Espírito Santo têm geografia semelhante
Grab a plate of grilled fish and rice for under ten dollars. Perfect if you're budget-conscious and tired of paying resort prices for average food.
O poder do destino em "Simplesmente Acontece"
Order the shrimp bobó and sit outside. I almost skipped this place because the entrance looked like someone's house. Biggest mistake I nearly made.
Spotify
Snag a reservation for dinner. The candlelit courtyard and updated Brazilian dishes feel like a reward after a full day of walking steep hills.
Térèze
Things to Actually Do Once You Get Off the Tram
Most guides just say ‘ride the tram’ and stop there. But Santa Teresa is a full neighborhood with studios, parks, and street art you'll miss if you just hop back on.
Walk down from Santa Teresa instead of climbing up from Lapa. Your knees will handle the descent better and you'll see the tile mosaic from a completely different angle.
Visiting the Colorful Stairs of Rio de Janeiro: the Selaron
Bring your camera to the rooftop. The 360-degree view of Rio from up there is free, uncrowded before 11am, and better than most paid observation decks.
Centro Cultural Parque Glória Maria (Parque das Ruínas)
Spend an hour here if you care about Brazilian modernist art. The building itself is a mid-century dream and the gardens are a quiet break from the street noise.
Museu Chácara do Céu
Sit on a bench and people-watch for twenty minutes. Locals play dominoes, kids run around, and you'll feel the actual rhythm of the neighborhood.
Largo das Neves - Santa Teresa
Wander through on a Saturday when artists open their studios. I bought a small print for fifteen reais that's now my favorite thing on my apartment wall.
Além da Rua Atelier - Artesanato
Check if there's a live music event the night you visit. I stumbled into a free samba show here and it was the highlight of my entire Rio trip.
Laurinda Santos Lobo Municipal Cultural Center
Use this square as your starting point and spiral outward. Every side street has different murals and if you just follow the art, you won't need a map.
Largo dos Guimarães
Small Items I Was Glad I Threw in My Bag That Morning
Rio's weather shifts fast, Santa Teresa's streets are unforgiving, and pharmacies up the hill are scarce. These small things prevented at least three minor disasters.
Slather this on your neck and ears before the tram ride. The open-air car has zero shade and I got a sunburn shaped like my camera strap.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen Spray
Fill it at your hotel. There aren't many water fountains in Santa Teresa and buying bottles from street vendors adds up fast in the heat.
Nalgene Tritan Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle
Keep a pack handy for eating street food. The pastel stands don't always have napkins and your hands will be grimy from grabbing tram railings.
Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes, Fresh Scent
Toss a few in your pocket. Cobblestones plus sandals plus hills equals blisters by lunchtime. I watched three people limp back to the tram stop.
BAND-AID Brand Flexible Fabric Adhesive Bandages
Stuff your electronics in here when the afternoon rain hits. It goes from sunny to downpour in ten minutes and there's nowhere to hide on the tram.
Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Bag - Set of 3
Bring this if you're eating feijoada or acai. Dark Brazilian food on a light shirt is basically permanent unless you catch it immediately.
Tide to Go Instant and Effective Stain Remover
Flip through the basics before you go. Most Santa Teresa shop owners don't speak English and even bad Portuguese gets you better prices and bigger smiles.
Lonely Planet Brazilian Portuguese Phrasebook & Dictionary