Maria Lucia is an amazing host! Our plane landed in Rio at 3 am and she was awake at that time to make sure we got to her apartment safely. She texted us directions in Portuguese to show the Uber driver (we speak English and our Portuguese is quite poor). When we arrived at the apartment, she had left us some local snacks and helpful notes on how to work the shower and curtains. She also gave us tips to make sure we were safe in Rio. The apartment is very conveniently located: at a major subway station (where vendors sell coffee in the morning and delicious popcorn in the evening!), three blocks from either Copacabana or Ipanema beach (depending on which direction you walk), and the lagoa. There is also a bike station outside the apartment, which is convenient.
The apartment was a bit small for us (two people, three large suitcases, and two backpacks), but we spent most days either at the beach or sightseeing, so it didn’t bother us that much. The apartment is also located close to a favela, so although I would not advise anyone to walk down the main road late at night, military police were present at all major intersections and we never felt unsafe. It is also really easy to just walk up a different road to the apartment - Maria Lucia also gave us some tips to stay safe.
In all, we would definitely recommend a stay with Maria Lucia! She is the best “superhost” we have met (and we only ever stay with “superhosts!”).