higher up in the favela is a square known as arvrão (meaning 'big tree') boasting picture postcard vistas over leblon and ipanema, as well as the lagoa rodrigo de freitas - children play on the ground below, and the archetypal favela kites fly high in the sky.

the eclectic and sprawling architecture and social fabric of the community is becoming an ever-more attractive aesthetic, particularly for foreign investors - this favela, known for its relative sophistication and urban class, is the location of a number of different celebrity homes, including the likes of vik muniz, jackie de botton, cello macedo and zaza pierec, and the entrepreneur rene abi jaoudi.

there are also an impressive array of up-market hostels, such as the hotel mirante do arvrão, which has five suites, five bedrooms and a bar, and is the largest private investment in the favela - vidigal fascinatingly integrates the traditional culture, architecture and buzzing lifestyle of rio's favelas, with a contemporary gentrified refinement.