at a glance

the local wetlands are very renowned for their diverse wildlife and grand flocks of birds. however, in the 18th century the region was predominantly used for agricultural purposes, such as sugarcane production and processing. in the next century the land owners would convert most of the production to coffee, following the commercial trends of the time.

although some residences already existed in the region back then, the real urbanization only occurred following the construction of the avenida americas, which allowed more convenient access to the western region in the 1970s.

much of the neighborhood remains uninhabited, with the local population concentrated in smaller sub-neighborhoods. hence, the main attraction of the region is the vast natural wilderness. in the east the neighborhood covers part of the pedra branca state park, the largest of its kind in rio de janeiro.