Brazil: Rio de Janeiro: What to See & Do: Gardens & Parks: Tijuca National Park

Tijuca National Park

Floresta da Tijuca, Caetano Veloso’s favorite Rio spot (see Locals & Loyalists), is 3,200 acres of rain forest cascading down the Tijuca Massif into the city. In 1861, Tijuca National Park, as it’s known officially, had been saved from extinction when Emperor Pedro II ordered all coffee plantations to vacate the forest’s land and had Tijuca reforested. A hundred years later, in 1961, it was made a national park. Orchids, spider monkeys, huge butterflies and waterfalls can all be found around its trails, along with picnic areas, man-made lakes and gardens and a perfect viewpoint, Vista Chinesa. The park can be explored on foot or by car, or in more demanding hikes on infinitely more beautiful trails.