since its opening, the parque da tijuca has become the most popular park in brazil, welcoming an average of two million visitors per year, who drop by to partake in one of the many exciting activities available in the park, or just simply to take in the lush tropical scenery decorating its terrain.

located right in the center of the city, the park touches many of rio de janeiro's neighborhoods, and has been split into four distinct sectors, which include the floresta da tijuca, the serra da carioca, the pedras bonita and gávea, and the covanca/ pretos forros .

Originally established in 1961 as the National Park of Rio de Janeiro, the name was changed in 1967 to its current name - with tijuca meaning 'dirty water', in indigenous tupi language, in reference to the nearby lagoon, the lagoa da tijuca.