One of the largest urban forests in the world, was established in 1861 by Emperor Pedro II to reforest the area affected by deforestation caused by sugarcane and coffee cultivation. This sector of Tijuca National Park gather many attractives, such as the Pico da Tijuca, Pico do Papagaio and Cascatinha Taunay. This preserved area of Atlantic Forest is visited by Cariocas and tourists for the practice of sports, strolls and walking. Birds, native plants and fruitful trees compose the flora and the fauna of the Forest of the Tijuca.

The highest part of the Park is Pico da Tijuca, a 4000-feet- high peak that can be reached via a trail that starts at Cascatinha Road, in Alto da Boavista. Although it seems difficult to reach the top of the highest peak in the city, the small trail is not steep and is a pleasant stroll even for those who are not used to hiking. From the top of Pico da Tijuca, visitors can admire a panoramic view of the city, from the North to the South Zone, including Baixada Fluminense, the West Zone, Rio’s Downtown and Rio-Niteroi Bridge.

Another attraction of the forest is the Tijuca National Park Visitor Center, which has a permanent exhibition called “A Forest in Metropolis.” The exhibition is didactic and interactive and aims to foster the conscious use of public use areas and resources, in addition to addressing the trajectory of the area that today was the Tijuca National Park in three stages: Forest Original Human Intervention and finally a park .