Carioca Beach Route — From Botafogo to Grumari

What you'll see and hear

The stops on this route, in order — with audio previews where available.

1. 1

   Estátua Manequinho

   The Little Man Statue. This charming bronze statue, created by Belmiro de Almeida, was unveiled in 1908. It was inspired by a famous statue in Brussels, Belgium. Originally, the Little Man stood in Praça Floriano, but in 1927, it was moved to Botafogo Beach. It became a symbol of the Botafogo football club in 1957, when it was dressed in the team's jersey for the first time. Since then, the tradition of dressing it for championship celebrations has continued. In 1990, the original statue was stolen and replaced by a replica. In 2002, the Little Man was officially recognized as a historical landmark. An interesting tidbit: in 2008, the statue was vandalized and its penis was severed, but it was quickly restored.

   Audio preview

   ENESPT-BR
2. 2

   Urca

   Welcome to Urca, a truly historic neighborhood! This is precisely where the city of Rio de Janeiro was founded on March 1st, 1565, by Estácio de Sá. The neighborhood's development into what we see today really kicked off in the 1920s. Urca's story is deeply intertwined with the defense of the Guanabara Bay entrance. And here's a fun tidbit: the name "Urca" might actually come from a type of Dutch ship, the urca, whose shape resembled that of the hill.

   Audio preview

   ENESPT-BR
3. 3

   Bairro Peixoto

   Bairro Peixoto. This charming neighborhood traces its origins to lands acquired by the Portuguese commander, Paulo Felisberto Peixoto da Fonseca. He arrived in Brazil in 1875, and starting in 1903, he began purchasing the area that now makes up the neighborhood. In 1938, with no heirs, Peixoto donated his lands to five charitable institutions. An interesting fact is that he stipulated there should be no commerce in the neighborhood and that buildings could be no more than three stories high, creating a peaceful refuge amidst the city's hustle and bustle.

   Audio preview

   ENESPT-BR
4. 4

   Galeria de Arte

5. 5

   Parque Garota de Ipanema

6. 6

   Centro de Informações Turísticas - Praça Cazuza

7. 7

   Praça Metrô Saída/Entrada A

8. 8

   Praia de São Conrado / Pepino (Voo Livre)

9. 9

   Praia da Barra da Tijuca

10. 10

    Rotary International

    Audio preview
11. 11

    Mirante do Morro do Caeté

    Audio preview
12. 12

    Praia de Grumari — Fim da Linha, Começo do Paraíso

13. 13

    Trilha do Grumari — Mirante da Pedra Bonita