Rio has an exceptional abundance of great green expanses, including city parks, forests and state parks. Along the coast between Botafogo and Centro is a lush green expanse called 'Parque do Flamengo,' or Flamengo Park. Large, exotic trees line the path where people can be found running, exercising, skating, bicycling, walking or just relaxing.

For towering trees and exotic species, the 'Jardim Botânico,' or Botanical Garden, is the ideal location. Created in 1808 by the royal family predominantly for the cultivation of therapeutic and medical plants, the garden and greenhouses now play host to an impressively varied selection of plants - Oriental spices, such as vanilla and cinnamon, vegetables from Portugal and Guiana, and plants, trees and cacti from all over the globe.