at a glance

In the park is a small canal connecting the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas to the Ocean - This canal predates the park, having been constructed in the 1920s, under the orders of Mayor Carlos Sampaio, to renew the sterile lagooon  waters in the name of hygiene, beautification and economy.

The park was designed by the landscaper David Xavier, combining typically French and art deco features, boasting romantic pergolas, piers and banks, lined by a number of exotic trees.

A square at the heart of the park contains a monument to Admiral Saldanha da Gama, an obelisk celebrating a Brazilian victory at war and a number of other sculptures. The green expanse is now very popular amongst dog walkers and martial artists.

The Curuzada São Sebastião (San Sebastian Crossing), is a housing development located to the west of Jardim da Alá, in Leblon - It was first inaugurated in 1955 as part of wide scale plan to remove all 150 favelas in Rio over 10 years.