at a glance

many fabulous parks and protected conservation areas can be found in the zona sul - some of the highlights are the parque penhasco dois irmãos, a green area of 39 hectares with an 800 meter trail that climbs the hills at the end of leblon beach offering stunning viewpoints along the way.

close by are the rocky hills of pedra bonita and pedra da gávea, which are part of the tijuca forest and offer fabulous hikes, the first being relatively easy and the second for more advanced climbers - the botanic gardens at jardim botânico are part of the brazilian historical heritage, and a unesco recognized biosphere reserve, and contain over 8,000 plants species.