Hostel Vista do Mar

Coming to Rio alone for Carnival, I found this was exactly what I needed. It cost a lot less than the other options in the city, and the location gave me some distance from the street party noise without being inconveniently far away. The rooms were comfortable and well kept. Best of all, Dona Nivinha and her family were incredible hosts and really made us feel at home.

The dorm had ten beds without curtains and two bathrooms with cold water. Power cuts happened quite often, usually for an hour or two, especially in the rain. I’m used to that, though. The woman running the place was incredibly friendly and dedicated. She only speaks Portuguese, but between Google and my scraps of Spanish, we managed whole conversations. It’s away from the tourist track, so it’s quiet, and they lock the gate at night for safety. For getting around, public transport or walking works, or you can get a moto or UBER in the Square in Vidigal, where there are shops and little restaurants with really cheap food. Take a moto to watch the sunset from the two brothers peak right by the hostel, and sit on the rooftop for sunrise.

I had a great few days at this hostel over New Year’s. The staff were very helpful, even though their English wasn’t very good. Get up early if you stay here, the sunrise was the most amazing I’ve ever seen.

The service was awful. They said they would accept a package, then refused it when it arrived. That cost us a lot of time during the trip and ruined several of our plans. It would have been better if they’d just said they couldn’t do us that favor. Apparently, they don’t coordinate with each other.