Window-shopping in the streets of neighborhoods like Ipanema or Copacabana is a pleasure as there's always surprises along the way. If you are in a hurry, though, or intend to do some serious shopping before you travel, you should consider one of the malls and shopping centers in Rio.

Ipanema, Copacabana and Leblon have excellent neighborhood malls, such as Forum or Ipanema 2000, Shopping Leblon, Rio Design and Casino Atlantico. They feature a combination of shopisticated boutiques, antique shops, cafes, and all sorts of services.

But if you are looking for the hypermalls, they are all located in Barra. The largest one is Barrashopping with hundreds of shops, boutiques, even its own monorail system. Downtown is another biggie. You can take the integrated bus-subway line to reach them.

If you know your labels, and need something from international staples like Diesel, Armani or Zegna you will find them under the same roof at Sao Conrado Fashion Mall. Brazilian premium brands will offer you a local alternative. Rua Garcia D'Ávila in Ipanema with branches of Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Montblanc and H.Stern among others is another haven of luxury.

RioSul is the largest mall close to hotels in Ipanema, Leblon or Copacabana. The layout is a bit confusing as this is a vertical mall at the bottom of a huge office building. When they introduced an optional valet parking it was a relief – you could easily forget on which floor your car was parked… The choice of shops is excellent, and you may spend a day inside without noticing. Another big mall right across the street adds to the excitement.