Rio de Janeiro Trip Overview
The Little-Known History of Little Africa in Rio de Janeiro’s Port is about Over four million Africans who were brought to Brazil as enslaved along the 300 years of slavery in the country.
The city of Rio was the world’s largest African slave market in the Nineteenth Century. One out of five enslaved of the modern era in the world step into Rio.
Not by chance, today more than half of Brazilians identify themselves as black.
Samba, carnival, food, music and religion, African culture is everywhere in Brazil.
This Walking Tour covers the impact of the African diaspora and its legacy in Brazil.
Moreover, in our Little Africa Walking Tour, you’ll get to know the highlights of Saúde Neighborhood, in fact, the headquarter of all of our visited sites.
Therefore, Morro da Conceição, Cais do Valongo, Pedra do Sal, Largo de São Francisco da Prainha, Praça Mauá, Rio Art Museum, street art galleries… are all at Saúde.
Additional Info
Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes
Starts: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Rio de Janeiro Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Little-Known History of Little Africa in Rio de Janeiro’s Port is about Over four million Africans who were brought to Brazil as enslaved along the 300 years of slavery in the country.
The city of Rio was the world’s largest African slave market in the Nineteenth Century. One out of five enslaved of the modern era in the world step into Rio.
Not by chance, today more than half of Brazilians identify themselves as black.
Samba, carnival, food, music and religion, African culture is everywhere in Brazil.
This Walking Tour covers the impact of the African diaspora and its legacy in Brazil.
Moreover, in our Little Africa Walking Tour, you’ll get to know the highlights of Saúde Neighborhood, in fact, the headquarter of all of our visited sites.
Therefore, Morro da Conceição, Cais do Valongo, Pedra do Sal, Largo de São Francisco da Prainha, Praça Mauá, Rio Art Museum, street art galleries… are all at Saúde.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Matriz da Paroquia de Santa Rita, Largo Santa Rita s/n, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro 20091-006 Brazil
Parada Santa Rita /Pretos Novos (Santa Rita Stop / New Blacks)- One of the Light Rail Vehicle (LRT) stations in Rio de Janeiro. Originally the name of the station was just Santa Rita. Santa Rita/Pretos Novos pays homage to archeological facts from the 18th century, discovered during the construction of the VLT line, in front of the Church of Santa Rita.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Morro da Conceicao, Travessa do Liceu Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro 20081-180 Brazil
Morro da Conceição (Conception Hill) at Saúde Neighborhood – A historical neighborhood (1590). Uniquely full of hilly cobblestone streets, charming colonial Portuguese architecture houses, and numerous artist homes galleries. Saúde was elected by Time Out a famous destination guide, one of the 49th coolest places in the world.
Come with Florencios to discover Why is that?!
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Cais do Valongo, Avenida Barao de Tefe Saude, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro 20220-460 Brazil
The Valongo Complex and its history reveal a close connection and a landmark in the relationship between the city of Rio de Janeiro and the Atlantic world at the time of the transatlantic traffic of Africans, which turns it into a gateway to the Atlantic, the link between the regions of capture and the ports of embarkation on the African continent with the ports of Rio de Janeiro and other slaveholding areas in Brazil, especially the entire central south and southeast, which made Rio de Janeiro the largest slave port in the Americas.
– Jardim Suspenso do Valongo (Hanging Valongo Garden)
A 1.530 square meters garden at 7 meters above street level (1906). In fact, it was built in the mold of French parks of the 19th century to erase slavery history from the area. Despite the Garden being part of the African heritage route, replicas of the statues of the gods Minerva, Mars, Ceres, and Mercury are displayed in the garden where once there was the fattening house.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Av. Barão de Tefé, 75 – Saúde, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20220-460, Brazil
Armazém Docas Pedro II / Docas André Rebolças (Warehouse Docas Pedro II / Docas André Rebouças).
Built between 1871 and 1876, by the Afro-Brazilian engineer André Rebouças (1838-1898). In fact, the building was a railroad station by the dock to increase the export of coffee. Therefore, it is a landmark in the history of the country and the black movement.
The building will house a Reference Center for the Celebration of African Heritage, which will be under the responsibility of the Palmares Cultural Foundation.
The Archaeological Site of the Cais do Valongo not only represents the main Africans enslaved arrival port throughout the Americas, as it is the only one that has been materially preserved, on this side of the Atlantic.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Cais do Valongo, Avenida Barao de Tefe Saude, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro 20220-460 Brazil
Cais do Valongo (Valongo Wharf Archaeological Site)
A world heritage site. It is in the former harbor area of Rio de Janeiro in which the old stone wharf was built for the landing of enslaved Africans reaching the South American continent from 1811 onwards. An estimated 900,000 Africans arrived in South America via Valongo. The site is composed of several archaeological layers, the lowest of which consists of floor pavings in pé de moleque style, attributed to the original Valongo Wharf. It is the most important physical trace of the arrival of African slaves on the American continent.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Instituto de Pesquisa e Memoria Pretos Novos – IPN, Rua Pedro Ernesto 36, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro 20220-350 Brazil
After Valongo Wharf and Warehouse dock Pedro II/André Rebouças we walk about 10 min towards IPN – Another very important Archaeological Site. It is a Memorial to the Newly arrived African enslaved in Rio de Janeiro. African arrived in Rio between the mid-eighteen century and late nineteenth. IPN is a Memorial Museum located on the Archaeological Site of the “New Blacks Cemetery”.
Since 2005, the IPN has endeavored to publicize the memory of the cemetery and those buried there, as well as the history of the enslaved and their descendants in the locality. It is for this purpose that it regularly promotes Afro-Brazilian cultural activities and offers wide audience workshops on the history and culture of African descent. The seriousness of its work has led to recognition by the State, which has made it a Culture Place since 2009.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Boulevard Olimpico, Praca Maua, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro 20081-240 Brazil
Ethnicities is a 3,000 square meter mural. The amazing colorful Mural painting area is located in one of the most famous areas of Rio de Janeiro, the Zona Portuária (Saúde).
Moreover, inspired by the union conveyed by the Olympic hoops (the mural was made for the Olympics that took place in the city of Rio in 2016), which represent the five continents. The famous Brazilian artist Kobra decided to bring together representatives of five tribes, one from each continent: Huli (Oceania), Mursi (Africa), Kayin (Asia), Supi (Europe), and the Tapajós (America). More than 3,000 spray cans, 700 liters of colored paint, and 1800 liters of white paint (used to make the background) were used. It took two months of work to complete the mural, working 12 hours a day.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Saude, Saude, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro
The Largo de São Francisco da Prainha
Popularly known as Largo da Prainha is located at the foot of Morro da Conceição, district of Saúde, in the Central Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before the construction of the Port of Rio de Janeiro, there was a small beach there, which extended to what is now Praça Mauá.
Due to successive landfills in the region, the beach disappeared. The square received its name for being located near the Church of São Francisco da Prainha, built-in 1696, by order of Father Francisco da Motta. In a Jesuit baroque style, the church was donated in testament to the Third Order of São Francisco da Penitência, in 1704.
At Largo da Prainha you’ll see the Mercedes Baptista Statue. In fact, she was the very first African-Brazilian ballet dancer to enroll in the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro’s ballet group in the late 1940s. Fun, ice beer, samba, and black music are always in the air.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Pedra do Sal, Largo Joao da Baiana Saude, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro 20081-120 Brazil
After Largo da Prainha we walk towards Pedra do Sal (Rock of Salt) A Rio’s Heritage Sacred Site and the birthplace of urban carioca samba The place got its name because it was the place where among other things, imported salt from Portugal was discharged by the Africans enslaved who worked in the mooring docks and wharves. The steps were carved in stone by the black men themselves and there was founded the first ranchos carnival, afoxés and ritualistic places in the second half of the nineteenth century. After work, sambistas (samba singers and dancers) longshoremen gathered for the samba circles in the houses of Bahian Aunts. Big names in music, such as Pixinguinha, frequented the place, which still receives samba circles and other cultural events.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Maua Square, Avenida Rodrigues Alves 1, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro 20081-250 Brazil
Praça Mauá / Muá Square marks the beginning of Avenida Rio Branco avenue (financial center) and also of the Port Region. From 1910 on, with the inauguration of Porto do Rio (“Rio’s Port”), began an important place to welcome ships that brought products and tourists to the city. Around the square there are important buildings, such as the Rio Art Museum (MAR) and the Museum of Tomorrow, as well as the A Noite building, the first skyscraper of the city, built in 1930. In the middle of the square, there’s the statue of Barão de Mauá, Irineu Evangelista de Souza, a great businessman from the time of the Empire.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Avenida Rio Branco 45 Between Nilo Pecanha e a Presidente Wilson, Rio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro 20090-908 Brazil
Avenida Rio Branco, the main route through the center of Rio de Janeiro in a north-south direction. Notably, Av. Rio Branco reached the second decade of the 21st century, starting a new stage of its centenary existence with the installation of the VLT. the avenue was
Inaugurated on November 15th, 1905, under the name Avenida Central and with the intention of being the main postcard in Brazil, it was the first street in the city to officially receive public electricity. it was born with the mission of erasing the colonial past and illuminating the destiny of the young Republic established in the country.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Windsor Guanabara Hotel, Av. Pres. Vargas, 392 – Centro, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 20071-000, Brazil
Av. Presidente Vargas
The avenue is 80 meters wide and four kilometers long, connecting the center with the peripheral neighborhoods of the northern part of the city.
Back to Windsor Guanabara Palace Hotel – End of our Tour
PS. Important to say:
We offer others Experience, and traditional tours as well such as Food Tour Crowl Street Fair Experience, Santa Teresa Rio brazil, Santa Teresa & Lapa Samba Food Crowl Tour Rio de Janeiro Pantanal Carioca Tour, Mangrove & Jungle, Christ the Redeemer Tour, Boat Tour in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro Sugarloaf Mountain Tour, Community Base Tourism, Homemade Brazilian Food Event Experience – Celebrations Packages include:
Simple Decoration
One birthday Cake
Brazilian tradition Party Snacks (Salgadinhos)
Brazilian Party Sweets (Docinhos)
Drinks
Get in touch for more details. 🙂
Duration: 15 minutes
