a great shopping and leisure alternative, is  downtown shopping, located in barra de tijuca - it is a lifestyle shopping center that looks like a small city with a layout meant to give visitors a feel of the downtown area of rio de janeiro, so even a stroll through to window-shop is a pleasant experience.

the shopping also features a small park nestled in a quiet corner of the complex, with trees and plants - all the conditions are put in place to make this shopping experience everything but traditional.

the original idea was to mix shopping, study, leisure and work in the same space - for that purpose, the shopping was built with 23 different areas, which look like blocks, with office spaces, shops, boutiques, restaurants and a movie theater complex with 12 cinemas, including 3d projections. 

one of the biggest attractions of downtown shopping is its gastronomy, in fact it features several bars and restaurants with international food - there are open patios to sit and sip beers while looking at the sunset and enjoying live music, especially on the weekends.