This is by far the most popular spot to celebrate carnival but is it really the best? I loved spending time in Rio during this period but, as a tourist, I thought it could be tricky at times, to find the right street party aka ‘blocos’. Your best bet to find out about the best parties is to hang out with locals. If not, you can search the web or download some apps such as ‘Partiu Bloquimmm’.

The best thing about spending the carnival in Rio is experiencing the Sambadrome. It’s basically a huge hall where all the dance schools in the country parade in flamboyant costumes and magnificent decors. It’s a must-do although it can be expensive so if you’re on a budget you can buy tickets to the rehearsal sessions. Bear in mind, the dancers won’t be wearing their full costume though. The decor will also be more peered back. You can buy tickets from many sellers online, for example here. Simply get tickets to the Grandstands. Some people say the middle section, 6 is the best but at the end, it’s much of a muchness, just buy what you can afford. The celebrations take place for twelve hours. They end at 5 or 6 am with the last parade carrying on out of the Sambadrome on directly onto the streets of Rio. I personally, couldn’t stay this long as the music was on repeat, they all have to practise on the same song so be prepared for a musical groundhog evening.

Pros:

• Enjoy a carnival experience like no other by going to the Sambadrome.

• Rio has some of the best street parties during carnival, from a group dressed up as nuns, to funky brass bands, to circus-like collectives… expect everything from bohemian to absurd here.

• The best street parties actually take place during the day. Either you’re still going from the night before or you’ve just woken up, you can get your dancing shoes from sunrise on.

Cons

• All the accommodation prices soar up during carnival, expect to pay a minimum of £500 per week for a private room (at least).

• Carnival is like Christmas for pick-pockets, make sure to get an invisible bumbag to hide below your clothes. They are less likely to steal what they can’t see. I also brought an old iPhone with me to use during carnival.

• Best street parties take place during the day so if you’re too hungover to get out, you’ll miss the best ones. At night, your best bet will be to find some parties around Lapa, the neighbourhood that never sleeps in Rio.

Where to stay
I would, personally, recommend staying in the north of the city around Santa Theresa or Lapa as this is where you’ll find all the best local street parties. This also means you’ll be close to the Sambadrome too.

Alternatively, you can stay on the seaside as it’s nice to wake up in the morning, after a night out and jump in the sea. Although the street parties here aren’t great so expect to spend money on taxis or public transport to access the good Blocos.

If you speak to a Brazilian, Salvador is the place to spend carnival. It’s known to be the home to samba music and host the biggest street-parties in the country and the world. I also found that, as a tourist, Salvador was also an easier place to navigate during carnival. Basically they are two main parade routes: Campo Grande to Praca Casto Alves Circuit and the Barra - Ondina Circuit. Here you’ll find big trucks where different artists perform every night. It feels a bit like being at the gay pride. The carnival here is very LGBTQ+ friendly too. You can also decide to partake in one of the performance by being one of the people following the truck and holding the string that delimitates it. They’ll even give you a t-shirt as a souvenir.

Pros

• Salvador hosts big street-parades which are easy to find. No need to be a local to know where you’re going.

• Party takes place from 5pm until 5am. It’s twelve hour straight of pure fun.

• Salvador is a beautiful city and smaller than Rio so it’s easy to do everything by foot within your neighbourhood.

Cons:

• The traffic is horrific during carnival, it can take over an hour to get around the city.

• Same as in Rio, pick-pockets thrive during carnival season, especially during the crowded street-parties. Someone un-clipped my bumbag whilst I was stuck in a crowd. Make sure to hold on to your belongings and hide them safely in a bumbag underneath your clothes.

• Accommodation prices are off the roof!

Where to stay
I would recommend staying in Barra as this is where all the street-parades are. Traffic is insane at this period of the year and it can take you over an hour to go from the old town to here so it’s preferable to stay where the party is at.

You could also stay in the historical centre, known as the Pelourinho. They host street parties there too, just bear in mind, this is not where the main action takes place though.

I haven’t been to Olinda but from what I’ve heard and seen from others, it’s also a great option to spend carnival. The atmosphere is very festive and colourful. The parades are filled with papier-mâché figures and people are all fancy dressed for carnival. Expect a circus-like atmosphere at this local’s favourite carnival hang-out.

I know this can be a tough decision to make… I couldn’t make it myself as I went to both. If you can I would recommend experiencing both carnival, flights can be very cheap (especially if you get the 5am one). If you have to make a decision, note that Salvador will be the easiest carnival to navigate as a tourist whereas Rio can be trickier to find the good parties without an insider’s knowledge. Either way, you’ll have the most amazing time no matter where you decide to celebrate this fabulous celebration.