Traditional, proud and suburban: the cultural heartland of carioca identity, embraced by the world's largest urban tropical rainforest.
To discover the true carioca suburb, the soul of the people and the popular culture that shaped Rio de Janeiro, you must visit Tijuca. This is the most traditional and aristocratic neighborhood of the North Zone — a place where suburban heritage stays alive and proud, surrounded by the green embrace of the largest urban forest in the world.
Tijuca is synonymous with community. The neighborhood's commercial heart, Praça Saens Peña, is always buzzing with people, vendors and intense commerce. But it's on the surrounding streets and in the Muda area that the neighborhood shows its true character, with wonderful old mansions, hidden little squares and the most traditional botecos imaginable — where boteco food and bottled beer are served without any pretension of being gourmet.
Above all else, Tijuca is sacred samba territory. The neighborhood and its surroundings are home to some of the oldest and most revered samba schools in the carioca carnival, including Salgueiro, Unidos da Tijuca and Império da Tijuca. To visit this neighborhood is to understand where the rhythm and joy that export Brazilian culture to the world comes from — all sheltered at the foot of the monumental Tijuca Forest.
Cariocando Tip: Attend a rehearsal at the Acadêmicos do Salgueiro samba school, especially on Saturday nights in the months leading up to Carnival. The force of the live bateria, the joy of the community and the energy of the setting provide a spine-tingling, unforgettable cultural experience.
