the forests and parks of the city stun visitors with a vibrancy that is rarely found in other parts of the world.

tropical to their core, many of the forests and parks have been classified as national parks and areas of environmental protection, in an attempt to preserve the rich natural flora and fauna that is contained within.

the two goliaths of the city are the floresta da tijuca (tijuca forest) and the parque estadual da pedra branca (white rock state park), which between them span an incredible 16,453 hectors, and attract millions of visitors each year.