this huge area spans across part of the exotic parque national da tijuca, as well as the expansive parque estadual da pedra branca - rio's two grand parks, and it is bordered by picturesque beaches, which hem its coast.

the west zone was one of the last areas of rio to be developed, as it was virtually bare up until the mid twentieth century, but is now home to about three million cariocas.

this number is set to rise dramatically over the coming years, as the area is the fastest growing district in the city, highlighted by the developments for the 2016 olympics.