Meeting: 13:00 at Rio & Learn
Cost of the activity: 200 reais
Ready to discover a different side of Rio de Janeiro and learn more about the communities that are an important part of the city’s identity? Join our RioLIVE! Santa Marta Favela Tour and explore one of Rio’s best-known communities while practicing Portuguese and learning about its history, culture, daily life and local initiatives. Located in Botafogo, on the slopes of Morro Dona Marta, Santa Marta offers much more than incredible views. Walking through the community gives us the opportunity to better understand Rio’s social and cultural diversity, meet local residents and discover stories that are an essential part of the city.
History, community, art, music and Portuguese practice, all while discovering Rio beyond the traditional tourist routes!
Santa Marta is one of Rio de Janeiro’s most famous favelas and is home to thousands of residents. Like many communities in Rio, it developed on the city’s hillsides and became part of the social and cultural landscape of the city. Today, Santa Marta is known for its strong community identity, colorful houses, street art, local projects and spectacular views over Rio.
It also became internationally famous after Michael Jackson filmed part of the music video for They Don’t Care About Us here in 1996, bringing worldwide attention to the community. According to him, the idea was to show a part of the world that no one actually wanted to see. Michael Jackson thought that the idea completely matched the lyrics, and that was how Santa Marta got in the spotlight.
Check out this amazing video and discover what Favela Santa Marta looks like!
Our adventure begins at the entrance of the community, where we’ll start exploring Santa Marta and learning more about its history. One of the interesting features of the community is its funicular, which helps residents move between different levels of the hillside. As we make our way through Santa Marta, we’ll see how the neighborhood is organized and discover what everyday life is like in this unique part of Rio.
We’ll walk through the narrow streets and alleys of Santa Marta while learning about the development of the community, its residents and local culture. This is also an opportunity to observe a side of Rio that is very different from areas such as Copacabana or Ipanema and better understand the contrasts that are part of the city. Throughout the tour, remember that Santa Marta is first and foremost a residential community, so we’ll explore it respectfully and follow the guidance of our local hosts.
Art is an important part of Santa Marta’s identity. Throughout the community, we can find murals, graffiti and colorful spaces that tell stories and bring life to the neighborhood. We’ll discover some of these artistic expressions while talking about Brazilian culture, community initiatives and the role of art in Rio’s urban spaces.
In 1996, the singer filmed scenes for the music video They Don’t Care About Us in the community, directed by Brazilian filmmaker Spike Lee. Today, the location has become one of Santa Marta’s best-known landmarks, with a statue and mural honoring the artist. Here, we’ll learn more about the story behind the video and its connection to the community.
Santa Marta’s location on the hillside gives us some spectacular views of Rio de Janeiro. From different points in the community, we can admire parts of the South Zone, Botafogo, Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer, giving us another perspective of the city.
It’s the perfect moment to take photos, enjoy the landscape and see just how diverse Rio can be.
At RioLIVE!, Portuguese goes beyond the classroom and into the real world. During our Santa Marta tour, you’ll have the opportunity to practice Portuguese with your teacher, classmates and local residents while learning vocabulary related to community, daily life, Brazilian culture, history, art and the city.
Listening to local stories, asking questions and interacting respectfully with the people we meet are great ways to experience Portuguese naturally.
Community, history, street art, music, incredible views and a completely different perspective of Rio — our RioLIVE! Santa Marta Favela Tour is an opportunity to learn more about the city beyond its beaches and famous landmarks.
Come with curiosity, respect and an open mind, and get ready to discover another important part of Rio de Janeiro.
See some of our last visits at Santa Marta:
Yasmin Teixeira is Rio & Learn’s RioLIVE! Supervisor, bringing a strong background in hospitality, tourism, and event operations, which makes her a perfect match for leading unforgettable experiences in Rio. With hands-on experience coordinating corporate events and service teams in major hotels, she’s skilled at planning logistics, ensuring high service standards, and delivering smooth, guest-focused execution from start to finish. Her international experience in Germany and a natural talent for welcoming and assisting people means she knows how to create a warm, organized, and engaging environment for our students. Yasmin blends professionalism, energy, and attention to detail, exactly what RioLIVE! needs to run with excellence.
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