So, you’
ve developed more than just a casual curiosity about the
favelas or, “
morros” nailed high to most every hillside around Rio. And if you’re like most people you will do the sensible thing and sign up for an official
favela tour. These tours are pretty interesting and take you in the back of a jeep through the approved areas of Rio’s most famous
favelas.
This guide however, is for the other 0.1% out there who can spare more than the 2 hour jeep tour, and want to experience these communities unscripted, without a
pre-cleared path. You know who you are.
Almost one out of every 5 citizens of Rio
de Janeiro lives in a
favela or, “
morro”. There are over 700 of these in Rio alone. People of all types, classes and races live within these areas. Most of them are governed according to their own rules – separate from the Brazilian authorities. Conflict between the official government, as well as rival drug gangs is common. These conflicts are responsible for homicide statistics that are at the high end of the scale. You don’t want to be a part of that so: use your judgement before going in. If you see a line of PM at the entrance, wait for a better day.
That said, the day you enter a
favela without a tour operator is the moment you w
ill experience a part of Brazil that very few know.
The following is a guide to get you into one of Rio’s largest and most notorious
favelas:
Rocinha.
We’re going up the backside of the
favela rather than the front entrance. This will put you at the top of the
morro right away, gravity on your side.
Before going in, let's review some rules of the road first:
- Just like anywhere else in Rio, the Rolex stays at home.
- Always get clearance before you snap photos – the locals that work with the traficantes (drug gangs) do not want their pictures taken. But relax, you can take pictures. Just be respectful and discrete.
- It’s very likely that you are going to see some heavily-armed guys along the way. They are there to protect the turf, not rob people.
Take a bus or van to Gávea. Get off near the shopping center: Shopping da Gávea. If your coming from Copacabana and are already on the 591, 592, or 593 just stay on board – these all go straight up to Rocinha. Shopping da Gávea is on Rua Marques de São Vicente, and it’s a major landmark. As you are facing the shopping center, walk to the left about 50 meters and find the bus/van-stop on the same side of the street as the shopping center.
View Larger MapYou can take a bus or a van, but the best ride is the van. Buses and vans use the same numbering system. Look for 546 or any of the 591, 592, or 593. Ask the driver if they will “
passa em
Rocinha” before committing. You are bound to get a few stares – not too many tourists ride the bus straight into
Rocinha.
Calma – you are welcome here. Most of the locals will go out of their way to help you so don’t be shy. You are on a mission!
You want to get off at the top of the hill – the stop is called “a rampa” (the ramp). Get off and get yourself a cool drink at one of the local stands – but not a beer. You will have a cerveja in hand soon. But not before you sweat a bit.
View Larger Map
You are now on rua um (officially, the "Estrada da Gávea"). The “ramp” is the nearly vertical road connecting to rua um that ascends from about where you just got off. Start hiking up. When you get to the sharp curve in the road there is a tiny bar – as of this writing it’s painted blue. Take a break here – even better, go 20 more meters up the road and find a little shack on the edge of the road overlooking what is clearly one of the spectacular views on planet earth. If the weather is clear, you are enjoying a perspective of Rio few ever see. Take it in. Engage with the locals. Advice: every once in a while there will be some guy looking for a handout or whatever. Just say não. Doing otherwise just attracts more. People will be welcoming and helpful on the whole. Just use your street smarts and avoid anyone who seems intoxicated.
From here you can either continue up the road to see some of the more tranqüilo parts of the favela – this area is called La Boréo. A short hop up the road you will find a great barzinho called “Bar do Belo” – there is no sign, so just ask a local. Inside at the bar you can order food and check out the view of the other side of the mountain and chat with owner Francisca.
When you are ready to start descending the morro, look for a moto-taxi to catch a ride if the walk back down the incline seems like too much. If you just want to get back to the place where you got off the bus (rua um) it should be a R$1 ride.
Back on rua um you are on the principal thoroughfare of the morro with nowhere else to go but down. Note that you want to continue in the direction of the ocean. Start out following this road down, being careful to stay as close to the side of the road possible, avoiding the intense flux of motorcycles.
The rest of this tour is unscripted, but the idea is to stay relatively close to this main road, knowing that you can wander off on any of the side alleys as you wish. Just be cool and ask the locals for guidance in getting back to Rua um. As long as you are descending, you can’t get too lost. Many of these alleys will show you in no uncertain terms exactly why Brazil is still classified as the third-word. One destination located deep along one of the foot-paths is the Casa Cultural da Rocinha. The only way to find it is by asking the locals. If you are just wandering that's cool also. The locals may ask you if you’re “perdido” (lost). You can tell them that all is tudo bem -- that you are just “passeando”. Stopping along the way for a drink and salgado is recommended. Take it in. You’re not lost… just altered.
As an alternative to walking, you can just ask a motoboy for a tour of via the back of the bike. “Tur” = tour, and you already know how to say “how much” – right? They tend to go too fast so just say “devagar por favor” to change that.
Officially off the map now, just keep finding your way down. The main road rua um will always take you downwards. There are a million shops, bars and places to eat all along the way. Aproveita! One of the most surprising things is to see regular banks, pharmacies and fast-food chains mixed in with it all.
As you near the bottom of the
morro there is road called Via
Viapa that will take you to the main entrance of
Rocinha. Any path downwards will end up near the main entrance though. Once at the bottom of the hill you can wander the vast shopping kiosks lined-up along the front of the
favela. When you are ready to go back, just look for the
walkway that crosses over the freeway. On the other side find a bus/van-stop where you will find transit to all points around Rio -- taxis stop there as well.
You are now officially enlightened and may find yourself wanting to explore some of the others. As long as you are respectful you will be welcome wherever you go. Highly recommended:
Morro do
Vidigal -- located on the other side of
Dois Irmãos, almost on the beach.
*For those in a hurry: There is an express tour for those with less than an hour to spare. Just catch the 546 bus (near the shopping da Gávea, or elsewhere). This bus takes a long winding tour of Rocinha. Find a a window seat and ride to the bottom, or end of the line. R$2,10 total cost.
