the most-frequented area by visitors is the zona sul, which includes the beaches of copacabana, leblon, leme, ipanema, as well as the districts of flamengo, botafogo, laranjeiras, glória and a large percentage of the city's landmark sites. many people also enjoy staying in the central area, which includes the bohemian neighborhoods of santa teresa and lapa, along with the financial, business and historical areas of rio found in centro. if sports and nature are of interest then a stay in zona norte is a must since it includes the famous maracană football stadium and tijuca forest national park. with the olympics, the demand of the suburban area of zona oeste increased seeing as it is home to many spaces dedicated to the practice of sports as well as large shopping centers - it is also has some spectacular beaches such as praia da barra, praia de grumari, and prainha.
