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Despite Rio’s 12 miles of urban beachfront and some 300 snack shacks along the shoreline promenade, the idea of something gastronomically distinguished next to the sand just never came up. That is, till last year, when two such places emerged in Leblon: Riba and then Azur, chef Pedro de Artagão’s surfside outpost. The latter’s idea of good eating—previously sampled in renowned dining rooms Formidable and Irajá—is here adapted to the local, in the form of his famed rice with codfish and moqueca (a fish stew), for instance, or the octopus. There’s also a top-notch bar for caipifrutas and crisp gin and tonics.

Adega Pérola opened 60 years ago in the heart of Copacabana, and today the place is the same as always: The long bar is laden with Iberian-style tapas, here called tira-gostos. The octopus in vinaigrette is the most celebrated dish, but there are pickled vegetables, codfish, cold cuts and cheeses, meats, olives—in fact, some 100 options are served on trays and sold by weight. The bar is short on glamour, but the quality is nonetheless spectacular—and nothing could be more authentic. It’s tough finding a free table, but who cares? In line with Carioca custom, great conversation with a cold chopp (draft beer) or a Portuguese vintage, and a tira-gosto is a winning bet, even if you have to stand.

If you’re planning on being downtown, or in Lapa, give yourself an hour or two before or after for a recharge at this winning, circa-1923 restaurant. The Nova Capela is right in the middle of the city’s nightlife district, but at that, this Portuguese-influenced locale is the last to lock its doors, just before daybreak. Liveried waiters toil day and night, serving up the joint’s classic dishes: goat in broccoli-rice, braised octopus, plus the most-requested appetizer—the codfish bolinho de bacalhau croquettes, especially yummy here. From there, it’s time for a cold beer or a Portuguese vintage.

Who wouldn’t trade an ugly elevated highway for a ribbon of new parkland? Boston’s famous Big Dig dismantled the eyesore John F. Kennedy Expressway that long separated downtown from its waterfront and turned most of its former route into a linear park named in honor of JFK’s mother. The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway snakes for a mile and a half from Chinatown to the North End, mostly parallel to Boston Harbor. It’s a pleasant alternative to walking the city’s busy streets to get around, and you can use the park’s free Wi-Fi to plan your visit. Along the way you’ll find seven decorative and interactive fountains; a carousel where lobsters, codfish, harbor seals, and other local animals take the place of horses; and a variety of food trucks for when you need to recharge with a taco, a grilled-cheese sandwich, or a cupcake. The Greenway’s visitor center for the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area has information and ferry tickets.