Portela

Rio de Janeiro


Portela is a highly successful samba school with creative themes and brilliant costumes. It has been crowned Carnaval champion nearly two dozen times since its founding back in the 1920s.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Rio de Janeiro attractions

1. Basílica da Penha

4.76 MILES

Rio’s most dramatically set church, in a 17th-century double-steepled confection, offers dramatic 360-degree views from its clifftop perch. A renovated…

2. CADEG

7.03 MILES

While CADEG doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as ‘Ipanema Beach,’ this voluminous market packs a treasure trove of fruits, vegetables, meats, fish,…

3. Rio Zoo

7.58 MILES

Covering over 12 hectares, the zoo at Quinta da Boa Vista has a wide variety of reptiles, mammals and birds, mostly indigenous to Brazil. Special…

4. Maracanã Football Stadium

7.77 MILES

Rio’s Maracanã stadium is hallowed ground among football lovers. The massive arena has been the site of legendary victories and crushing defeats. Maracanã…

5. Parque Olímpico

8 MILES

This was the epicenter of the 2016 Summer Olympics and the Paralympic Games. Sadly, the facilities now sit largely abandoned and are not open to the…

6. Quinta da Boa Vista

8.02 MILES

Quinta da Boa Vista was the estate of the Portuguese imperial family until the Republic was proclaimed. Today it’s a large and busy park with gardens and…

7. Feira Nordestina

8.08 MILES

This enormous fair (32,000 sq meters, with over 600 stalls) is not to be missed. It showcases the culture of the Northeast of Brazil, with barracas (food…

8. Bosque da Barra

8.81 MILES

Covering 50 hectares of salt-marsh vegetation, this park is a refuge and breeding area for many small birds and animals, and you might spy capybaras,…