São Conrado (

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: /sɐ̃w̃ kõˈʁadu/) is a neighborhood in the South Zone of the city of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. It is nestled in between the neighborhoods of

Barra da Tijuca Barra da Tijuca () (usually known as Barra) is an upper-class neighborhood or bairro in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, located in the western portion of the city on the Atlantic Ocean. Barra is well known for its beaches, its many lake ...

to the southwest and

Leblon Leblon (Portuguese: /leˈblõ/) is a neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is also the name of the local beach. The neighborhood is located in the South Zone of the city, between Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Morro Dois Irmãos and the Jardim ...

to the northeast. The neighborhood takes its name from a small church, Igreja de São Conrado (''Church of São Conrado''), which was constructed early in the 20th century by Conrado Jacob Niemeyer (1831-1905). São Conrado, which ranks as one of the areas with the highest

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income indicators, wh ...

in Brazil, presents a stark contrast to

Rocinha Rocinha (, ''little farm'') is the largest favela in Brazil, located in Rio de Janeiro's South Zone between the districts of São Conrado and Gávea. Rocinha is built on a steep hillside overlooking Rio de Janeiro, and is located about o ...

on its border, which is one of the largest and poorest

favela Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of working-class neighborhoods in Brazil. The term was first used in the Providência neighborhood in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was built by soldiers who had ...

s in Brazil. São Conrado is famous for its

hang gliding Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...

(popular with locals and tourists alike), Fashion Mall which houses over 150 stores carrying national and international designers, and golf course. The neighborhood, or '' bairro'', is made up of sophisticated residential buildings, night clubs, and elegant restaurants. The famous Morro Dois Irmãos, or Two Brothers Mountain, featured in movies, television shows, and postcards from the city, separates the neighborhood from the rest of the South Zone. It is also noted for the mansions on the foot of the

Pedra da Gávea Pedra da Gávea is a monolithic mountain in Tijuca Forest, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Composed of granite and gneiss, its elevation is , making it one of the highest mountains in the world that ends directly in the ocean. Trails on the mountain wer ...

, the largest seaside granite rock on Earth, which separates São Conrado from the West Zone. The House at Canoas (''Casa das Canoas''), the private home of

Oscar Niemeyer Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho (15 December 1907 – 5 December 2012), known as Oscar Niemeyer (), was a Brazilian architect considered to be one of the key figures in the development of modern architecture. Niemeyer was ...

(1907-2012), is located on Estrada das Canoas and is considered a masterpiece of Mid-century modern residential architecture. São Conrado has been the most expensive and sought-after address in Rio, with celebrities such as

Xuxa Maria da Graça Xuxa Meneghel ( ; ; born Maria da Graça Meneghel, 27 March 1963) is a Brazilian television host, film actress, singer, model, and businesswoman. Known as "Queen of Little Ones", Xuxa built the largest Latin American children's e ...

and even the mayor calling the area home. Real estate in the neighborhood is some of the priciest in South America.

Notable residents

* Marcello Alencar, Governor of Rio de Janeiro (1995-1999), Mayor of Rio de Janeiro (1983-1986, 1989-1993) Praia de São Conrado - Rio

References

External links

Hang-Gliding in Sao Conrado Off Pedra Bonita - HD Video Narrated in English

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Conrado, Rio de Janeiro Neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro (city)