All around Rio de Janeiro are very crowded neighborhoods with houses built on top of one another. The houses are not made very well and use bricks, plywood and sheet metal. You can see them as you drive through Rio and fly over Rio. Many are near the old harbor docks or built on some of the craggy hills and mountains that Rio is built around, many on public property. I was curious about these crowded neighborhoods so I have read 4-5 articles about them. Did not go near any, but here is what I read.
They are called favelas, which is a shantytown or slum. They are not planned streets or neighborhoods developed by the city, but were built by people who moved to the big city and could not afford the high property prices. These favelas were built without water, sewer or electricity, but most houses now have power and a TV with illegal wiring running house to house. When the land was used somebody built another layer of houses on top of the previous layer. The favelas are crowded neighborhoods that have local gangs, little police control and are associated with crime, poverty, illegal activities, drugs and drug lords.
Several articles said that there are over 800 favelas in Rio, many of these are built very close to rich neighborhoods and famous tourist spots. The largest favela in Brazil is called Rocinha and is located just above the Ipanema Beach area, about 3 miles from Copacabana Beach.
A tourist should probably not explore the favelas alone but there are now guided tours in some of the favelas. Much safer. I was told to expect smells, open sewage and trash in the streets.
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