the zona west of rio de janeiro is home to such natural landmarks as the parque da pedra branca, the grumari reserve, and barra beach.

easily reachable in 30-40 minutes via car from the zona sul of rio, where copacabana and ipanema are located, a trip into this part of the city can me rewarding in many ways - great hiking is one of them.

a nice gentle hike, just outside the city of rio de janeiro, is the climb up to the mirante do caeté -prainha, in one of the regions, justifiably, protected areas.