The immense tropical jungle that embraces the city is not an untouched gift of nature, but the largest urban reforestation project on the planet.
When flying over or walking through Rio de Janeiro, the immense and lush green patch of the Tijuca Forest seems to be an untouched gift of nature. What most tourists and even many locals don't know is that this huge tropical jungle that embraces the city and cools our climate was actually "planted by hand".
In the 19th century, much of Rio de Janeiro's mountains had been severely deforested to make way for vast coffee plantations and logging. The result was an ecological disaster: springs dried up, and the city faced a severe water shortage crisis. Realizing the urgency, Emperor Pedro II took a drastic and pioneering attitude, ordering the expropriation of farms and the reforestation of the area.
For over a decade, in a Herculean effort, a group of just six enslaved men, under the passionate command of Major Archer, planted over 100,000 seedlings of native Atlantic Forest trees. Today, the Tijuca Forest is considered the largest and oldest successful urban reforestation project on the planet!
Cariocando Tip: Go beyond traditional viewpoints. Enter the Tijuca National Park and visit the Taunay Waterfall or the Açude da Solidão. You'll be able to see up close the water sources and the density of the forest that saved the city from collapse in the 19th century.
