Riotour guide to Santa teresa

Guide to Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa - Rio de Janeiro

One of the Streets of in Santa Teresa

Getting to Santa Teresa
There are so many pathways to Santa Teresa that they will not be mentioned here.
In the writing of this, the train to Santa Teresa is not working due to accidents.
Most common direction is either via car or via the stairs of Selaron.

As with most places the most efficient way to experience Santa Teresa is by car.
By car one both gets an impression of the neighbourhood and easy access to the main view spot in Santa Teresa - Park of the Ruins (Centro cultural Parque das ruinas).
This viewspot (closed on mondays) gives a great view of downtown of Rio de Janeiro and the marina of Gloria.
It is far from as important as Sugarloaf, Corcovado (Christ the redeemer) or even Dona Marta but it is still a great place to visit.

If you prefer to walk up Santa Teresa on your own a good startingpoint is the stairs of Selaron.
Another option is to follow the street of Francisco Muratori in Lapa until you get to the rail tracks and then just follow them.
Using the tracks can be a good way to find your way up or down to the archs of Lapa.

Walking up to Santa Teresa is a quite demanding if you are not young or used to walk uphill.

History and pictures of Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro

Selaron in red working on the stairs
Selaron and Selaron stairs Rio de Janeiro

Selaron Stairs, Rio de Janeiro

Stairs of Selaron
In 1990, Selarón began renovating steps that ran along the front of his house.
Project that have been ongoing ever since and have eventually turned into a tourist visitor spot.

On the left is a picture of my latest visit to the stairs, with Selaron dressed in Red working on the stairs.

Jorge Selaron was born in Chile in 1947 and eventually arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1983.
His stair decorations now form a connection point between Lapa and the area of Santa Teresa.
If you head towards Santa Teresa from Rua Lapa you will find the stairs two blocks behind the main street.
Just ask "Selaron" or "Escadas do Selaron" and anyone will be able to help you in the right direction.

History of Santa Teresa: Until the beginning of the 19th century the neighborhood was an area for the rich and privileged.
Originally Rio de Janeiro got developed from the city center towards what now is northern zone of Rio de Janeiro.
In such a framework - Santa Teresa is a great location with overview of the city.
As the development went more towards the coast and the southern parts of Rio, with also a larger infrastructure investments to these areas - Santa Teresa turned more in to a middle class neighborhood with a lot of historical atmosphere.

Some buildings are very well kept like this one

Example of Santa Teresa Architecture

Generally the buildings in Santa Teresa have a more "shady look".

Santa Teresa

One place which requires a visit when in Santa Teresa is Centro Cultural Parque das Ruinas (closed on Mondays).
Parque das Ruinas - located at Rua Murtinho Nobre was originally residence of Laurinda Santos Lobo (1878-1946).
After her death the building fell into ruins (hence the name) before it got adapted to serve as a view point.
From the top of Parque da Ruinas you get to see marina da Gloria and city center with the Cathedral and the Archs.

A picture I took on my last visit to Parque das Ruinas in Santa Teresa.
This picture is from the top of the view point.

Rio de Janeiro Center
Catedral Metropolitana in the center (the cone shaped building).
The white stripe to the right is "Arcos da Lapa".