famous for its crisp atlantic coastline and its iconic golden beaches, rio de janeiro's zona sul(south zone) is enriched with an abundance of tropical mountains and hills, which are dense with exotic vegetation, and steeped in historical significance, contributing to it being the most popular destination in the city.

of the more than 160 neighborhoods in rio, only 16 are in the zona sul-  botafogo, catete, copacabana, cosme velho, flamengo, gávea, glória,  humaitá, ipanema, jardim botânico,  lagoa, laranjeiras,  leblon, leme, são conrado, urca, plus the unofficial districts arpoador, largo do machado,  peixoto, and the two favelas which have developed into neighborhoods rocinha and vidigal.