Viviane's brother, Eduardo, waited for us at the apartment when we arrived and gave us some excellent restaurant and bar tips. He was also there to check us out at 3:30AM(!) and helped us book a cab to the airport - very helpful.

The apartment has pretty much everything you need (besides a washing machine, but there's a laundromat just a few meters away). It's located just a few blocks from the beach and is also close to the Lagoa (great for running). We always felt safe on our street as there were always lots of people there. There were a few times when we'd wake up from loud people or cars on the street, but this happened quite rarely.

There is a little bit of wear and tear to the apartment, nothing major, but you can tell that the place has been put to good use. We were comfortable during the 8 days we stayed here; we got fresh bed linnens, two sets of towels and even some snacks for when we arrived. It is great value for the price!