São Conrado ( Portuguese: /sɐ̃w̃ kõˈʁadu/) is a neighborhood in the South Zone of the city of

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. It is nestled in between the neighborhoods of

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

to the southwest and Leblon 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 statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

in Brazil, presents a stark contrast to Rocinha on its border, which is one of the largest and poorest

favela Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil. The term, which means slum or ghetto, was first used in the Slum of Providência in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was b ...

s in Brazil. São Conrado is famous for its

hang gliding Hang gliding is an air sports, air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised, fixed-wing aircraft, fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium al ...

(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 A ''bairro'' () is a Portuguese language, Portuguese word for a Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter or a neighborhood or, sometimes, a district which is within a city or town. It is commonly used in Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, ...

'', 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 were ...

, the largest seaside granite rock on Earth, which separates São Conrado from the West Zone. The

House at Canoas A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

(''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 b ...

(1907–2012), is located on Estrada das Canoas and is considered a masterpiece of

Mid-century modern Mid-century modern (MCM) is a movement in interior design, product design, graphic design, architecture and urban development that was present in all the world, but more popular in North America, Brazil and Europe from roughly 1945 to 197 ...

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 on 27 March 1963) is a Brazilian TV host, actress, singer, and businesswoman. Nicknamed "The Queen of Children", Xuxa built the largest Latin and South American children's ente ...

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 Marcello Nunes de Alencar (August 23, 1925 – June 10, 2014) was a Brazilian politician and lawyer. Alencar served as the Governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro from 1995 until 1999, as well as two tenures as Mayor of Rio de Janeiro from 1983 t ...

Governor of Rio de Janeiro This is a list of ''governadores'' ( Portuguese "governors"), ''interventores'' ("inspectors") and presidents of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Governors First Republic (1889–1930) Vargas Era (1930–1945) ...

(1995–1999),

Mayor of Rio de Janeiro This is a list of mayors of Rio de Janeiro. History The city of Rio de Janeiro was founded in 1565. It was the seat of the Crown captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, a district of colonial Brazil under Portuguese rule. In 1763 Rio de Janeiro city becam ...

(1983–1986, 1989–1993)

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)