Barra Shopping Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Barra Shopping Center is the largest in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro and is one of the biggest in South America. Opened in 1981, the mall lies in the Barra da Tijuca barrio with more than 120,000 square meters of the area featuring a New York City Center, a Barra Shopping Business Center, and a Medical Center, together with a monorail and a 5,000-slot parking space. It offers more than 500 retail establishments, including Zara, C&A, Ponto Frio, and Fast Shop, as well as five movie theaters and a kids’ playground zone. At present, the mall is undergoing expansion to make room for 45 more stores and another set of parking slots.

Every year, Barra Shopping Center receives over 20 million people, a combination of locals and international visitors. Most of the hotels near the shopping mall are set along the coast of the municipality. Two of them are Brisa Barra Hotel and Windsor Marapendi, each offering a beachfront as well as a breakfast buffet along with regional and international specialties at the on-site restaurant. Another top choice in the area is Promenade Link Stay, which offers comfortable rooms with complimentary Wi-Fi. From these hotels, several places of interest are close at hand. The Gavea Golf and Country Club, an 18-hole course with a pool, gym, and a restaurant, is only less than half an hour away. Playing and relaxing on Arpoador Beach in Arpoador and appreciating the artworks at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niteroi are some of the must-do things while in Rio de Janeiro.