192 Best Places to Shop in Brazil

Head here for wicker, cotton, and ceramic crafts from local artists. There's also a small museum in the basement.

First-class artisan work from across the region is featured at this upmarket workshop, where you can often catch the craftspeople at work. Even though the prices for wood, straw, and ceramic work may be steeper than at the Mercardo Central, the high quality more than makes up for this.

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

This shop occupies an entire warehouse and contains the work of more than 15,000 regional artisans. It is a wonderful place to pick up local souvenirs, from ceramics to original prints. Prices are reasonable and there is a nice buffet restaurant and auditorium in the adjoining warehouses.

The best place to go for local crafts and artwork is the Centro de Turismo, where little shops are housed within the cells of a former prison.

The Brazilian beachwear brand known for its bikinis and swimsuits has a presence in this and many other high-class malls.

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

For sandals, belts, and other leather goods, head to Curtume Marajó, a five-minute walk from downtown Soure and next to the slaughterhouse. The workers here can give you a tour of the tannery.

Modern handmade objects, including souvenirs and home decor items made by up-and-coming Brazilian artists, are found in the Divina Obra.

Ecoshop sells regional art and a variety of indigenous crafts made from wood, seeds, and straw.

This shop stocks more than 300 brands—both local and national—of sugarcane liquor as well as bottled chili peppers and locally produced preserves. It stays open well into the evening.

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.

The foot of the TV tower in the center of the Eixo Monumental is home to a lively art market where you can find semiprecious-stone jewelry, bronze items, wood carvings, wicker crafts, pottery, and dried flowers.

This market takes place in the Gilberto Salomão shopping mall on the last weekend of each month from 10 to 7 and is a good place to buy Brazilian art and antiques.

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.

Buy directly from the artisans every Sunday from 9 to 3 at the Feira de Artesanato do Largo da Ordem, a popular fair with paintings from local artists, pottery, tapestry, handicrafts, and antiques.

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.

Held at the seafront square of Praça da Boa Viagem on afternoons starting at 4, this hippie fair has a generic selection of well-priced handicrafts and many stalls selling tapioca pancakes.

More than 600 artisans sell their work at this nightly fair.

The women's clothing brand Fil du Fil maintains three locations across Moema and Vila Olímpia. Looks are casual with colorful blouses and dresses featuring prominently.

This fine gallery is one of the city's big hitters and always worth a look.

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.

Since 1920 Galeria de Arte Brasileira has specialized in art and handicrafts from all over Brazil. Look for objects made of pau-brasil (brazilwood), hammocks, jewelry, T-shirts, marajoara pottery (from the Amazon), and lace.

If you like art naïf—as the name suggests, the art is simple, with a primitive and handcrafted look—Galeria Jacques Ardies is a must.