When visiting Rio de Janeiro it is impossible not to talk about the slums in the city. It is impossible to arrive here and not see a favela in Rio de Janeiro. The city has around a thousand favelas with about 2,5 million inhabitants. And while the slums in other big cities are found in the periphery, in Rio de Janeiro they are found everywhere, in the tourist areas, near the rich neighborhoods and expensive shopping malls.
This all is part of the so-called paradox of Rio de Janeiro. On one hand, you have the beautiful nature, gorgeous beaches and stunning views of arguably the most beautiful city in the world. On the other hand, there is enormous poverty, people living in difficult conditions, with daily drug and gang activity. Visiting a favela in Rio de Janeiro is high on the to-do list for a lot of people. Rightfully so, because favelas are an important part of the social structure in the city. But to visit which favela in Rio de Janeiro, that is the question. We have the answer.
Vidigal
Vidigal is the most frequented favela in Rio de Janeiro. It is pretty big with around 40 thousand inhabitants, though the official number is around 15 thousand. This is the favela where most tourists go. First reason because of the great view over the neighborhoods of Leblon, Ipanema and the lake, secondly because of the hike to the top of the mountain, the Dois Irmãos. At an altitude of 533 meter, you will experience one of the best views in town, with most of the time few people at the top. In the weekends it can be pretty busy though, since lots of locals tend to go up as well. The hike also has great views of the biggest favela in the city, Rocinha. A drink at the famous Bar da Lage is obligated. Don’t expect a favela bar, since it is one of the most popular bars in the city. Hence the R$50 entrance fee, which is not really suited for the budget of the people in Vidigal. But the view is marvelous and they have some great parties during the weekends.
Mangueira
This is one of the more unknown favelas among tourists. However it is a community with a well known name and history in Rio and Brazil. Mangueira is home to one of the best Samba schools in Rio and is the place where Samba legends like Cartola lived. This is why you can also find a Samba museum in the neighborhood. Mangueira is located next to the Maracanã football stadium. Where favelas like Vidigal saw an influx op Gringo’s and development after a pacification process in preparation of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games, this hasn’t been the case in Mangueira. And till recently there was hardly no tourism in Mangueira. We from GringoRio are the first to offer you a tour to this community in collaboration with Estrela da Favela. Estrela da Favela is an educational project that prepares children from the community for a brighter future. When you book this tour with us, your money will go to the social project.
Keep in mind that you should enter a favela with a guide. Not only for your safety, but also because a guide can provide you with the necessary information to really understand the history and daily life in the favela. There are a lot of people offering favela tours and it can be hard to select a good one. That’s why we did the work for you and have contacts with professional and experienced guides in every mentioned favela. Besides that we selected guides that are related to a social project, so your money will also leave a positive impact on the community you are visiting. You can book your tour here.
