PortoMaravilha

When we arrived at the revitalization project located in Rio de Janeiro's port area – the Porto Maravilha Boulevard Project - we came across a beautiful project, compared to what we knew before: a dirty place, with an overpass that made the environment dark and dangerous, even with the number of people who passed through there.

Image description: This is a photograph of an aerial view of Avenida Perimetral, with the city center in the background. On the left, we see a large body of water, possibly a river, with a few boats floating on it. Along the river, there is a road that curves gently, forming an arc that extends toward the center of the image. In the center, historic buildings with red roofs and white walls stand out, surrounded by green trees. On the right, the city center is made up of several modern skyscrapers, some with green and blue facades.

Even though it was one of the city's entry points - due to its proximity to the bus station and the port - robberies were constant, thanks to the area's neglect before the revitalization. There were a few businesses and many bars, the famous “pés sujos” (dive bars), which were quite popular with those who passed through there daily.

Today the situation is different: there are museums, a Ferris wheel, an aquarium and events that happen periodically. It's a brighter place, but it's still quite hot. We believe there was no proper landscaping project to ease the heat and bring shade and better ventilation.

We saw some businesses, but something more is missing: there's a lack of human warmth, restaurants, bars, and life in that place, so that it can be used daily by the population and by tourists, since it's an area that certainly has great tourism potential. To our disappointment, we saw that we don't have access to several places. Almost everything has gates blocking entry, even for students seeking knowledge about the area. There are taxi drivers playing the role of tour guides and fake tour guides with fake badges and maps guiding some tourists who venture out alone through the city.

Video produced by the group

When we took the tour, it was the first day of the ship arrival season. It was completely empty, and the only place available to eat something was a street vendor selling a few snacks and soft drinks.

It's beautiful, but there is still a lot to be done, the complete "revitalization" is scheduled for 2026, we hope that by then this place will improve and be more occupied by bars, restaurants, and also by sports and leisure activities for the population - not only through expensive events.

Image description: This is a photograph of Porto Maravilha, in Rio de Janeiro. On the left side, we see a modern building with white triangular structures. In front of it, there is a large open space with people walking and gathering. In the center, there is a prominent statue. In the background, we see the sea and a long bridge crossing the horizon. The landscape is lit by a clear blue sky.