October 18, 2025
20 Things Cariocas Do That Tourists Find Weird (But Are Actually Awesome)
Welcome to Rio de Janeiro, where the beach is an office, flip-flops are formal wear, and time is more of a suggestion than a rule. If you’ve ever watched locals and thought “wait, what?” – you’re not alone. Here are 20 gloriously weird Carioca habits that actually make perfect sense once you embrace the Rio way of life.
1. Wearing Havaianas Everywhere (Yes, Even to Restaurants)
Tourists pack three pairs of shoes for different occasions. Cariocas wear Havaianas to the beach, to lunch, to the bank, and to dinner. These rubber flip-flops are the unofficial uniform of Rio, and honestly? Once you feel that breeze between your toes year-round, you’ll never go back to real shoes either.
2. Showering Multiple Times a Day
In Rio’s humidity, a single shower is just the warm-up. Cariocas shower before work, after the beach, before going out, and sometimes just because. It’s not about being clean – it’s about feeling human again after melting in 35°C heat with 80% humidity.
3. Treating the Beach Like a Living Room
The beach isn’t just for swimming – it’s where Cariocas work out, have business meetings, play sports, socialize, eat, drink, and basically conduct their entire lives. You haven’t truly experienced Rio until you’ve seen someone close a business deal while standing in the surf.
4. The Sacred Açaí Bowl Ritual
Tourists think açaí is a smoothie. Cariocas know it’s a lifestyle. Preferably eaten after a workout (or instead of one), loaded with granola, banana, and guaraná syrup, this purple sludge is basically rocket fuel. The post-beach açaí stop is non-negotiable.
5. “Já Vou” (I’m Coming) Meaning “I’ll Leave in an Hour”
When a Carioca says “já vou” (I’m coming), they mean they’re thinking about starting to get ready. Maybe. Time in Rio is wonderfully elastic. Being 30 minutes late isn’t rude – it’s punctual. Embrace it or spend your vacation stressed.
6. Walking Around in Bikinis and Sungas Nowhere Near Water
See someone grocery shopping in a bikini top? Grabbing lunch in a sunga (those tiny male swimsuits)? Completely normal. Beach attire has a 2-kilometer radius from any coastline, and honestly, in this heat, who can blame them?
7. The Coconut Water Obsession
Forget bottled water. Cariocas drink água de coco like it’s their job. Straight from the coconut, from a vendor on the beach, and it’s the ultimate hangover cure, sports drink, and refreshment all in one. Once you go coco, you never go back-o.
8. Calling Everyone “Meu Amor” or “Querido”
The bus driver, the grocery clerk, the person who just stepped on your foot – everyone’s “my love” or “dear.” It sounds romantic, but it’s just how Cariocas communicate. Don’t worry, the taxi driver doesn’t actually want to marry you.
9. Playing Frescobol at Peak Sun Hours
While tourists hide under umbrellas at noon, Cariocas are out playing frescobol (beach paddle ball) in full sun like vampires don’t exist and melanoma is a myth. The rhythmic thwack-thwack of wooden paddles is the soundtrack of Copacabana.
10. The “Cafézinho” After Every Meal
Lunch isn’t over until you’ve had your tiny cup of rocket-fuel espresso. Dinner? Same. Random Tuesday afternoon? Cafézinho. These tiny cups of intensely strong coffee appear everywhere, and refusing one is basically illegal.
11. Bringing Entire Beach Setups That Could House a Family
Tourists bring a towel. Cariocas bring tents, coolers, portable speakers, chairs, umbrellas, and enough food to survive a week. The beach isn’t a quick dip – it’s a full-day commitment requiring proper infrastructure.
12. Drinking Beer at 10 AM
It’s not alcoholism, it’s a “cervejinha” (little beer) – completely different, culturally sanctioned, and perfectly acceptable at any hour. Weekend morning at the beach? Beer. Lunch on Tuesday? Beer. The concept of “too early” doesn’t translate.
13. The Eternal Gym Session That’s Mostly Socializing
Rio has more gyms per capita than almost anywhere, but half the time is spent chatting, checking phones, and planning the post-workout açaí. The gym is social infrastructure disguised as fitness, and those perfectly tanned bodies are as much about genetics as effort.
14. Negotiating Everything (Even When There’s a Price Tag)
That price? It’s a starting point for discussion. Cariocas can negotiate at street markets, with taxi drivers, sometimes even at chain stores. It’s not about being cheap – it’s about the dance, the conversation, the relationship.
15. The Late-Night Dinner Schedule
Tourists eat at 7 PM and wonder why restaurants are empty. Cariocas eat at 10 PM or later. The city doesn’t really wake up until the sun goes down, and dinner at 9:30 PM is considered early. Night owls, this is your paradise.
16. Taking the “Geladinho” Seriously
These frozen juice popsicles in plastic tubes look like children’s snacks. But for Cariocas, they’re serious business – the perfect beach refreshment, hangover helper, and nostalgic treat all at once. Flavor debates get heated.
17. The Mysterious “Jeitinho Brasileiro”
There’s a rule? There’s probably a workaround. The “jeitinho” (little way) is the art of creative problem-solving, bending rules, and finding alternative solutions. It’s frustrating until you need it, then it’s genius.
18. Wearing White on New Year’s Eve (And Jumping Seven Waves)
Come December 31st, everyone wears white and heads to the beach to jump seven waves while making wishes. It sounds like tourist folklore, but it’s genuinely what happens. Copacabana becomes a sea of white with millions of people participating in this beautiful tradition.
19. The Biscoito Globo Addiction
These plain, slightly sweet crackers look boring. But ask any Carioca about Biscoito Globo and watch their eyes light up. It’s the taste of childhood, beach days, and home. Tourists don’t get it until they’re on their third package.
20. Living for “Samba e Pagode” at Random Times
That impromptu drum circle on Sunday? The samba blasting from a car at Tuesday lunch? The pagoda session that spontaneously erupts at a bar? Music isn’t background noise in Rio – it’s oxygen. Cariocas don’t wait for special occasions to celebrate.
The Truth: These “weird” habits aren’t quirks – they’re survival mechanisms for living in one of the world’s most beautiful, chaotic, and wonderfully excessive cities. Give yourself a week in Rio, and you’ll find yourself showering three times a day, running late while calling everyone “meu amor,” and wondering why the whole world doesn’t live in Havaianas.
Bem-vindo ao Rio. Now go get that açaí.
