Tour through Santa Marta favela: the Michael Jackson route

In 1996 Michael Jackson and director Spike Lee chose the Santa Marta favela, in Botafogo, to film the music video for "They Don't Care About Us". Since then the community has become one of the most visited places in Rio, and today honors the artist with a bronze statue and a mosaic mural on the terrace where he filmed his most famous scenes. The meeting point is at Praça Corumbá, in Botafogo, next to the funicular station (inclined plane). We go up by funicular to the top of the hill and walk down with a guide who lives in the community. We follow Michael Jackson's route: the Michael Jackson Space, with its statue and mural, and the alleys that appear in the video. Along the way we pass through Praça Cantão, with its colorfully painted houses, discover urban art and the community's social projects, and stop at viewpoints overlooking Cristo Redentor, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Guanabara Bay. It's a respectful and authentic experience: part of what you pay stays in the community through the local guide.