My wife and I stayed at this beautiful apartment for a week in September and were delighted with the location and warm welcome we received from Marcia and her husband.

It must be remembered that this is *not* a hotel - you are getting an authentic Rio experience. Happily there is a supermarket right opposite the apartment (open early and late) which makes breakfast, bottled water and snacks very easy and the Copacabana beach is just a quick 5 minutes walk away.

Safety was very important for us in Rio and at no time did we feel unsafe in this neighbourhood. Once again, don't be expecting a facade for tourists, you are staying surrounded by locals - which we found enriched our experience. Of course, the big tourist destinations are only a cheap yellow taxi ride away and Marcia was extremely helpful in providing maps and heaps of suggestion about where to go, what to see and where best to eat.

If you want to head a little off the beaten track and live like a local in Rio - we highly recommend this apartment.