Feira Nordestina, São Cristóvão
Most visitors to Rio shun the city's North Zone in favour of the much more picturesque Zona Sul, but the sprawling area has more to offer than just breezeblock favela and industrial estates. While much of the north is as unlovely as the south zone is beautiful, it's possible to find some excellent off-the-beaten-track attractions here - from the city zoo to the wonderfully quirky Feira do Nordestino.
The latter is a celebration of all things from Brazil's North East, held in a purpose-built, government-sponsored arena in the São Cristóvão neighbourhood.
Inside are more than 700 permanent stalls and stands, each selling products from the North East - you'll find everything from chilli peppers to leather cowboy hats here.
The arena opens non-stop from Friday morning to Sunday evening, and for a nominal entrance fee of just R$1, you can browse the stalls, eat at one of the many hundreds of restaurants, grab a drink or listen to live music.
On Saturday afternoons many relocted Nordestinos (natives from the North East of Brazil) flock here to strut their stuff on the dancefloor to the sounds of forro music. Despite the advanced age of many of the dancers, there are some pretty impressive shapes being thrown here!
The neighbourhood itself is not one of Rio's safest, so make sure you know where you're going, but the arena itself is secure and well-policed.
To get here, take a Metro to São Cristóvão and then grab a cab, or take a São Cristóvão bus from Centro and check with the driver that the route will pass the Feira Nordestino.