Catete

Catete is good for budget travelers who want to stay somewhere more authentic than the tourist areas. It has good metro connections and reasonable daytime safety, though you'll need to be careful at night like anywhere in Rio.

Catete is a residential neighborhood popular with budget travelers due to cheap hotels and good metro access to beach areas. The tree-lined central square fills with office workers during lunch and families with children after school from 3-6pm, creating good natural security during these hours. Local bakeries attract neighborhood families in the morning, showing this is a real community rather than just tourist area. Street lighting varies significantly - well-lit near the metro station and main avenue, but residential side streets become poorly illuminated after 10pm when shops close. Solo female travelers find it manageable during daytime hours but should stick to main streets after dark. The budget hotel area attracts backpackers but also creates some transient population issues.