Grande Tijuca (Greater Tijuca) is a region in the northern part of the city of Rio de Janeiro that is made up a number of bigger and smaller neighborhoods (bairros). The expression Grande Tijuca originally refers to an administrative part of the city and is part of the Northern Zone (Zona Norte) of Rio. Grande Tijuca comprises the seven neighborhoods of Tijuca, Vila Isabel, Grajaú, Maracanã, Andaraí, Praça da Bandeira and Alta da Boa Vista. They are, of course, all connected to each other and if you are visiting Rio you can spend an interesting day simply walking through the area and enjoying this beautiful, calm part of Rio de Janeiro that is mostly out of the focus of most visitors and travelers.

Grande Tijuca is a beautiful residential area with lots of commerce, restaurants, and bars. Plus, you can see the Maracanã stadium, a number of famous samba schools, the Tijuca Forest (Floresta da Tijuca) and walk around for hours getting to know several neighborhoods in one day. And if you still get confused about the different Tijuca-expressions in Rio: Grande Tijuca is a bigger administrative region. Tijuca is a neighborhood inside the Grande Tijuca region. But Barra da Tijuca is something else. Barra da Tijuca (also simply called Barra) has nothing to do with Grande Tijuca and nothing with Tijuca. Barra da Tijuca is a different neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro in a completely different part of town.

The different neighborhoods of Grande Tijuca

Grande Tijuca is made up of seven individual neighborhoods which are called bairros in Portuguese. The bairros of Grande Tijuca are of very different sizes and also have different characteristics. Some are mostly residential, others are both residential and also have a smaller or bigger commercial part. Some have very a beautiful historical architecture of the 19th and 20th century. And all of them are quite busy during the day, especially in the commercial centers. And then you have the nightlife, streets and squares full of bars, music playing on the streets, and especially in the weeks before carnaval, hundreds of people are watching open-air samba school parties in the streets in different parts of Grande Tijuca.

Maracanã

While the Maracanã bairro is quite small and not too much of a spectacular place it has the world famous Maracanã stadium that people visit to see a game or just to join a tour inside the stadium. The stadium is located just in front of the Maracanã metro station. And next to the also famous working-class neighborhood Mangueira (and its equally famous samba school) and the Quinta da Boa Vista park, where you can visit one of the palaces of the royal family which today functions as a museum (the park, however, is not part of the Maracanã bairro but of São Cristóvão, which happens to begin on the other side of the main street).

And if you like to do some sports yourself, the Maracanã stadium has something special for you. All around the stadium you will have perfectly built and maintained spaces to do some exercise. Nowadays, the stadium is a place where dozens or sometimes hundreds of people meet at night to run and do any kind of exercise. The pavement around the Maracanã stadium is a huge and heavily used public gym.

Vila Isabel

Right next to Maracanã, and actually just a few hundred meters away from the Maracanã stadium begins Vila Isabel, certainly one of the most traditional neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro. Simply a historical, beautiful and also quite a busy place. Vila Isabel is mostly residential but its main avenue, the famous Boulevard 28 de Setembro, is great to stroll around, sit in a bar or café and watch people passing by. The samba school Unidos de Vila Isabel is also located on Boulevard 28. In January and February, when all samba schools are entering into final preparations for carnaval, Boulevard 29 gets closed down at night once a week to receive the samba school plus fans and supporters for an open-air street procession (known as ensaio da escola de samba, the samba school rehearsal). This ensaio/rehearsal is a public samba party that anyone can join to sing and dance on the street or simply watch the samba school passing by.

Of great importance for the samba school is the working class region of Morro dos Macacos which is located on the hills just a few hundred meters in the back of the samba school and which occasionally gets honored in the songs of the school.

Besides the samba school, Vila Isabel is also known for being home to the famous samba musician and singer Noel Rosa. Noel, who was born in Vila Isabel in 1910, is still present in different parts of the bairro and also in other parts of Rio. At the beginning of Boulevard 28, near the Maracanã stadium, a statue reminds of Noel sitting at a table symbolizing one of his favorite activities, hanging out in bars. Also, the tunnel through Morro dos Macacos carries his name and so does one of the trams passing through the city center of Rio. Noel Rosa has left an important mark on Brazilian culture. And it was early that he passed away, at the age of 26 as a result of tuberculosis.

There is also a relatively big shopping mall in Vila Isabel that has carried different names throughout the years. Most people know it as Shopping Boulevard or its older name Shopping Iguatemi. Why does that matter? Because this is the place to cool down if you are walking through the streets in the carioca summer. Sometimes, a well-functioning air-conditioning can mean a lot…

Right at the end of Vila Isabel comes Grajaú and Andaraí. Both are quite small, each having just a handful of relatively short streets. And both are situated on the edge of the Tijuca forest which makes them kind of the final spots in the region where you can walk in but won’t find a way to walk out on the other side. This means that parts of these neighborhoods, especially Grajaú are incredibly calm and relaxed. While Andaraí is mostly residential and has nothing extraordinary to see, Grajaú is certainly among the most beautiful and calm places in Rio de Janeiro. Being located at the edge of the mountains and without any street or tunnel to pass them there is no traffic crossing the bairro, especially the part around Edmundo Rego square is such a peaceful place full of old and very well preserved residential houses and mansions. While peaceful does not mean deserted. There are many local people hanging out in small cafés and bars in Grajaú including the traditional Padaria Caprichosa bakery where a large photograph of the bairro about a hundred years ago can be viewed hanging on the wall next to the tables. Just go in there, grab a coffee and some cake and enjoy.

Grajaú and Andaraí

Walking up a few hundred meters to the Grajaú State park gives you a very nice view over the whole neighborhood. The park is very small, more of a hangout place than a real park but nevertheless a beautiful and quiet place where you can have a picnic or just sit down to relax. People also come here to climb on some of the large rocks or even enter the forest for a walk through nature. If you plan on doing that, be careful not to get lost (I really mean that!).

Tijuca

Of all the neighborhoods in Grande Tijuca, Tijuca is the biggest. It is simply huge compared to the others. While it is mostly residential there is also commerce everywhere. Especially all the main streets in Tijuca are full of stores, restaurants, bars, offices etc. And all of them are interesting to walk up and down. Tijuca is a great place.

The most populous part of Tijuca is all around Saens Pena square, right at the metro station that carries the same name. Stores, people, malls, bars, cafés restaurants. This is the heart of Tijuca. During the day and also on the weekends one can see bands playing on the big square or markets where people are selling anything from clothes to jewelry and food. And just next to the square you can taste one of the best açaís in town. They are called Bin Laden, Saddam, Talibã or Bagda and you can find them at Sabor do Árabe. Trust me, they are really good! And they have wifi. (This is one of the few places that does not accept credit cards, just debit cards, and cash. Always good to know in advance.)

In case you wonder if the place called Arab´s that is located on the other side of Saens Pena square was related to Sabór do Arabe: no, this is not the case. Arab’s has the same style, the same menu, the same design. But they are in fact a copycat. And people at Sabor do Árabe were quite upset about that. A true case of copying a successful business.

Tijuca also has a huge shopping mall (Shopping Tijuca) near Saens Pena square. One more place to refresh your mind on a hot carioca summer day.

Praça da Bandeira

Praça da Bandeira, the Banner square if you like to translate it. The name of this tiny neighborhood refers to the huge Brazilian banner placed on its central square. The bairros itself has just a few streets, mostly old residential houses and a few post-industrial compounds. Every day, thousands of people are crossing the bairro by car and bus to go to work in the center. There is an institute of higher education and a few bars and small shops. That is basically all. Nothing too spectacular.

Alto da Boa Vista

Alto da Boa Vista is, as the name states already, located in the mountains. Although it is part of the Grande Tijuca area it is hardly possible to walk there unless you enjoy walking up the mountains on the edge of the main street. It is recommended to take a bus or other kinds of transport if you are willing to go up. Technically, the neighborhood itself is quite big, some might say huge, but most of it is part of the Tijuca forest. The few streets that exist are small and mostly basic residential. And there are a few bigger houses and mansions hidden here and there in the forest. Alto da Boa Vista has one of the main streets connecting Zona Norte with Zona Oeste crossing right through the mountains. And since it is the only street from Grande Tijuca to Barra da Tijuca traffic is always stuck. The explanation is quite easy: public transportation buses are fighting their way up the mountains slowing down all traffic behind them on the single lane street. It is fun to cross with a motorbike though: you just pass all the cars and once you overtook the bus the street is all yours. However, maybe this won’t help you much since hardly anyone brings a motorbike when visiting Rio de Janeiro. (One could, of course, take into consideration taking a moto taxi, but that is a different chapter.)

Alto da Boa Vista is the place from where you can access the Tijuca forest to visit Corcovado (Jesus statue) and the Chinese View (Vista Chinesa).