Mambembe Hostel

Mambembe Hostel is a small, owner-run hostel on Rua Joaquim Murtinho in Santa Teresa, the hillside neighbourhood above Lapa. The owners live on site, and Nomadic Matt, which included it in its 2026 guide to the best hostels in Rio, describes it as a calm place on a quiet street rather than a party hostel.

There is a choice of shared dorms and private rooms, from doubles and rooms for couples to a suite. Facilities include a shared kitchen, Wi-Fi and guest computers, an outdoor barbecue area, a common room with a large smart TV, bike rental and individual lockers, and the reception is open 24 hours. Nomadic Matt adds that breakfast is free and mentions privacy curtains, reading lamps, a music room, a sundeck and hammocks, while noting that some dorms have three-tier bunks and that the street is on a steep hill.

The hostel suits budget travellers, couples and solo visitors who want to explore the historic side of Rio and prefer a relaxed atmosphere to late-night parties. According to the hostel, it is five minutes from the historic centre and from the nightlife of Lapa, and buses and the metro connect the area with the beaches.

Contact is by WhatsApp only for now, on +55 21 3734-4553, or by email at [email protected].

Santa Teresa has plenty to explore on foot. The historic tram, which first ran in 1877, climbs from the Carioca terminus in the centre across the Lapa Arches and along the neighbourhood's main street to Largo do Guimarães and Dois Irmãos. The Escadaria Selarón, with its 215 tiled steps, links Santa Teresa with Lapa, and the Santa Teresa Hotel MGallery, also in the neighbourhood, occupies a coffee farm from 1850.

For food, Bar do Mineiro on Rua Paschoal Carlos Magno is famous for its feijoada pastéis and long cachaça list, and Aprazível serves Brazilian cooking on a terrace with views over the neighbourhood. In Lapa, Rio Scenarium and Carioca da Gema are two of the best-known venues for samba and live music.

The centre's main sights, including the Theatro Municipal, Confeitaria Colombo and the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura, are also close, which makes the hostel a practical base for a few days of sightseeing on a budget.