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The most walkable neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
18 neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro ranked by walkability, each scored across the area around its own centre. Lapa leads with 98/100, then Centro (96) and Leblon (95). 17 of the 18 score 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot, and the lowest we rank is Gávea (62).
| # | Neighbourhood | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lapa | 98 |
| 2 | Centro | 96 |
| 3 | Leblon | 95 |
| 3 | Copacabana | 95 |
| 5 | Botafogo | 94 |
| 5 | Tijuca | 94 |
| 7 | Flamengo | 93 |
| 8 | Maracanã | 92 |
| 8 | Humaitá | 92 |
| 8 | Glória | 92 |
| 11 | Ipanema | 91 |
| 12 | Santa Teresa | 89 |
| 13 | São Cristóvão | 87 |
| 14 | Laranjeiras | 85 |
| 15 | Lagoa | 79 |
| 15 | Jardim Botânico | 79 |
| 17 | Urca | 74 |
| 18 | Gávea | 62 |
"From the centre" is the distance from Rio de Janeiro's busiest point to the neighbourhood's centre. "Area scoring 70+" is the share of points across the neighbourhood where most errands can be done on foot.
The top 5 up close
Lapa
Lapa is the most central of these five, at the centre of Rio de Janeiro, and scores 98/100. It has the most libraries and bookshops of the five: 65 within a 30 minute walk, the nearest Biblioteca Alberto Nepomuceno, about 7 minutes away.
Centro
Centro scores 96/100, 1.1 km north of Rio de Janeiro's busiest point. 2,616 everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of its middle, the nearest grocery about 3 minutes away. 96% of its area scores 70 or more.
Leblon
Leblon lies the furthest out of these five, 8.9 km south-west of Rio de Janeiro's busiest point, and scores 95/100. 1,410 everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of its middle, the nearest grocery about 2 minutes away. It has the fewest banks of the five, 31. More on Leblon.
Copacabana
Copacabana scores 95/100, 6.4 km south of Rio de Janeiro's busiest point. 1,465 everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of its middle, the nearest grocery about 5 minutes away. Its thinnest category against the others is libraries and bookshops, with 6. More on Copacabana.
Botafogo
Botafogo scores 94/100, 4.2 km south of Rio de Janeiro's busiest point. None of the others has as many schools, with 67 in a 30 minute walk; Colégio Santa Rosa de Lima is the nearest, about a minute away. More on Botafogo.
Centre and outskirts
The 6 neighbourhoods within 3 km of Rio de Janeiro's centre average 92, and the 12 further out average 86, so walkability falls away from the centre. The nearest to the centre, Lapa, 150 m away, scores 98, and the farthest, Gávea, 9.4 km out, scores 62.
Each dot is a ranked neighbourhood, numbered by rank and coloured by score, placed by its distance and direction from the centre of Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro as a whole scores 84 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre. Other cities in Brazil with ranked neighbourhoods: São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Salvador, Niterói.
Questions about Rio de Janeiro's neighbourhoods
What is the most walkable neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro?
Lapa is the most walkable of the 18 neighbourhoods we rank in Rio de Janeiro, with a walkability score of 98 out of 100 (Walker's Paradise). It is followed by Centro (96) and Leblon (95).
Which neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro are least walkable?
Of the 18 neighbourhoods we rank, the lowest scoring is Gávea (62). These are the best-known neighbourhoods with their own Wikipedia articles, so less walkable outer suburbs that are not ranked may score lower still.
How are Rio de Janeiro's neighbourhoods ranked?
Each neighbourhood is scored at points 100 m to 500 m apart across a circle around its centre, sized to its area, and its score is the mean of those points. Each point's score counts the groceries, restaurants, shops, schools, parks and other everyday places within a 30 minute walk, as described in the methodology. Rio de Janeiro scores 84 across the 5 km around its centre.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. Neighbourhoods and where they lie from Overture Maps and Wikidata.