Where to go for Carnival

The judged home of the Special Group parades, four elite schools a night to dawn.

Morning blocos gather around Flamengo and the Aterro on carnival weekends.

Lapa is the nightlife centre where carnival spills through bars and street corners.

The seafront circuit where trio trucks roll from Barra lighthouse toward Ondina.

Historic centre running its own carnival stages and small parades in colonial squares.

The traditional downtown circuit, more local and less tourist facing than the seafront.

The costume stage: daily mask parades and the grand final on the last Sunday.

The water parade opens carnival with decorated boats and masked rowers.

Palazzo ball venue on the Grand Canal, period costume compulsory.

The seafront circuit for all six masked parades, day and illuminated at night.

Float hangars and carnival museum showing how the giants are built.

The promenade of cafes and grand hotels facing the parade route.

The parade square for the illuminated corsos and Lou Queernaval.

Grandstands for the Bataille de Fleurs line the Promenade above the bay.

Home of the free Carnival Village between parade days.

The square where Gilles assemble, dance and throw oranges to the crowd.

The mask museum that explains the Gilles, the costume and the rules.

The town brewery, the local beer to drink during carnival.

The local parade route of ladders, picnics and family stands for the super krewes.

Mid-City stretch of Canal Street near Carrollton Avenue, a free family spot for Endymion, the biggest parade, after it leaves City Park.

The famous quarter, loudest at midnight when police clear Bourbon Street.

The judging stage every band crosses, and home of the Panorama steelpan finals.

The fete and guesthouse district west of the centre, carnival's social base.

The beach trip for bake and shark, taken before or after carnival days.

Old town seafront for the naval combat fireworks and the burning of bad humour.

Baseball stadium hosting the carnival coronation concerts.

The old town square at the centre of carnival nights and restaurant life.

The parade avenue for the Batalla de Flores and the two Gran Paradas.

The carnival museum in Barrio Abajo, best visited before parade days.

Traditional barrio of verbena street parties and carnival makers.

The sanctuary at the end of the pilgrimage route, goal of every dance group.

The grandstand avenue for the Saturday Entrada and the Sunday corso.

The central square, the city's meeting point through carnival week.

The hall for the murga contests and the Carnival Queen election gala.

The seafront avenue for the Coso Apoteosis, the great Tuesday parade.

Central square at the heart of the street carnival nights.

Home of the COAC, the official contest of chirigotas, comparsas and coros.

The market the coros circle on floats, singing as the crowd eats around them.

A classic corner for street chirigotas singing to a circle of listeners.

The seafront stretch of both night parades, widest and easiest to watch.

The old town hub where parade crowds and carnival parties concentrate.

The Street of Sin, the bar strip at the centre of carnival nights.

Where Weiberfastnacht opens street carnival at 11:11 on the Thursday.

Old town square on the Rose Monday parade route, deep in the costume crowd.

The classic Brauhaus by the cathedral for Kolsch and carnival singing.

Cathedral square where the painted lanterns are exhibited lit at night.

Central square on the cortege routes, in front of the red town hall.

The bridge linking Grossbasel and Kleinbasel across the Fasnacht routes.