The Best Sight in Santa Teresa and Lapa, Rio de Janeiro

Background Illustration for Sights

We've compiled the best of the best in Santa Teresa and Lapa - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Museu Chácara do Céu

Santa Teresa

The collection of mostly modern works at this museum was left—along with the hilltop house that contains it—by one of Rio's greatest arts patrons, Raymundo de Castro Maya. Included are originals by 20th-century masters Picasso, Braque, Dalí, Degas, Matisse, Modigliani, and Monet. The Brazilian holdings include priceless 17th- and 18th-century maps and works by leading modernists. The views of the aqueduct, Centro, and the bay are splendid from the museum's grounds. The adjoining Parque das Ruinas (free) is well worth a visit, too, and has some spectacular views from the top floor of a once-abandoned colonial mansion.