Staying with Miguel, at his place in Santa Teresa, was a real treat. The room was spacious, beautiful and cool (which was a relief on some of the very hot days). With the exception of the kitchen, we practically had an entire floor to ourselves and with the beautiful old architecture and carefully chosen (and preserved) furniture, this was the most elaborate place that we have stayed on Airbnb. We also saved time and money because Miguel has a laundry machine and a water filter, so everything that we needed was right there. The place was a bit far from the center of S.T. but there are two buses that come right in front of the house, which was pretty convenient. Our favorite thing to do, by far, was to cook in the kitchen, then spend the afternoon (or evening) on the private terrace. The view overlooking the city is stunning and at night, the sparkling lights and sounds are phenomenal.

Miguel himself was great. He and Balthazar commiserated on their love of literature and history—B. introduced him to the illicit world of e-books while Salimah and he spoke of her newfound love for languages. Miguel also drove us around Santa Teresa to the hot spots with music and nice views. He was nice enough to also drop us off at the local airport which was a huge help.

Our experience in Rio was definitely enriched by Miguel and his home and we would wholeheartedly recommend staying with him.