Hi,

We're be visiting Rio in Dec for 1 week. We heard a lot about crimes in Rio and feel a bit concerned. Being New Yorkers, we're always alert about our surroundings. However, some of the stories we heard got us worried. Should we worry that we could get robbed just by walking on the streets during the day?

Like any other big city, you have to be extremely careful. You will not be robbed walking during the day...but always be on the lookout.
Be extremely careful in Copacabana beach, day and night, there are gangs of young black guys and they mean trouble. If these guys get too close, just walk away and ignore them..DO NOT WALK IN THE SHOWERS OR TOILETS ALONG COPACABANA BLVD BY YOURSELF, THE PAID ONES. I would stay away from copababana beach at night time, mostly prostitutes and pimps...and if you have something to do there, better make you know sure where you are going.
I think Ipanema is much safer and i do like it better... lots of nice little restaurants, find it quite charming and safer to walk at night.
Do not wear expensive jewerly or watches, are big magnets.
You will love Brasil....

miguelgcuadra,

Thanks for your advice. We'll be staying in Leblon, which is further away from Capacabana. I think we would defintely stay away from Capacabana at night. Will try to join one of these private tours.

If you want to enjoy the beach and water, I suggest you go to Barra de Tijuca, beach is called La Prainha...this is a more residential, modern area of RIO. Taxis are very cheap, just request one from hotel desk. I have been told that the ocean is polluted in Copacabana and Ipanema.

Will try to join one of these private tours.

Do not do it...if you are young and from New York, you should not compromise with tours and the limited hours..
RIO is not bad, there are millions of tourists every year and problems got to happen. I was recently in New York (miami here) and found it more intimidating than RIO.
Leblon and Ipanema are perfect areas to hang around at night time, go bar hoping, eat at nice restaurant and walk...you will see lots of tourists. Copacabana at night, there is really nothing unless you go in one of the hotels. Prsotitutes are there 'cause tourists are there willing to pay and mostly they are the ones that get in trouble. It is OK to walk along BLV in Copacabana, there will be lots of tourist doing it, but be on the look out for young blacks.

I would use the same common sense and caution you would use in New York. Walking at night should only be done in well lit areas with other people around.Leblon is a good area but still use good judgement. All other rules apply: don't wear jewelery, keep small amounts of cash on you, visit ATM machines during the day, don't walk alone, or in secluded areas, at night. But don't let the common sense and caution turn to paranoia - have fun and enjoy the city.

I thinkI was just overly concerned. Thanks again. We can't wait - we're leaving this week.

The authorities in Rio have recently put an additional 2500 police on the streets of Rio for the summer season to combat a recent rise in petty theft. Any other problems you might have heard about for the most part would not take place in the tourist area but in the favelas between the drug trafickers and the police.

The pay toilets called Postos on the beach are numbered like Posto 5 for example, they are very clean and come in handy, I have even seen a guard posted at them, never saw a problem in them in the straight sections of the beach.

My group had really bad experience in one of the postos in copacabana. a lady in my group(we were not part of a tour group nor look foreign to them) needed the toilet, went in and two young women followed her ..once inside they tried to rob her....big surprise these two got cause my lady friend beat the s....out of them..
we looked for police immediately...few minutes later police is taking the woman working the gate, collecting the money...she was part of deal with other 2.
Maybe this was an isolated incident, but be careful if you have to use the postos...better walk accross the street to one of the hotels...they know you are a tourists and will let you use their bathrooms.