carnival in rio de janeiro has many aspects, all related to blocos and parades.

the hundreds of street parties can be extremely different from one another, so choosing the right ones is important.

some are small and homey, others so huge to gather nearly two million people - some are specifically for pet lovers, others and for samba aficionados, and many more touch on a variety of themes.

the four blocos that should not be missed are the banda de ipanema and afroreggae in ipanema, the bloco das carmelitas in santa teresa, the cordão de boitatá in praça xv, and the orquestra voadora in flamengo.

experiencing these four blocks guarantees a nearly complete street party experience, and gets visitors to tour four important neighborhoods in rio while doing so.