The funicular and the stairs
The plano inclinado, a small rail car on a steep track, opened on 29 May 2008 and stops at five stations on the way up, as RioOnWatch reported. Favela Top Tour includes the ticket. Without it, the hill is a long climb on narrow steps, and the tour with Copacabana pickup warns in its listing that it is not suitable for people who have trouble with stairs or for wheelchair users.
Michael Jackson on the laje
In 1996 Michael Jackson filmed part of the video for “They Don’t Care About Us” on a rooftop terrace in Santa Marta. In 2010 a public space with a bronze statue of the singer opened on that terrace, the Laje do Michael Jackson, and it has been one of the community’s best-known stops ever since. The van tour from Copacabana lists it as part of its route.
A small favela with a long history of tourism
The 2010 census counted 3,908 residents in 1,176 households, according to Wikifavelas. In November 2008 Santa Marta became the first favela in Rio with a Pacifying Police Unit (UPP), and visitor numbers grew in the years after. Residents started guiding visitors themselves. Favela Top Tour says on its listing that it was created by residents and supports Santa Horta, a community garden. Gilson Fumaça calls his work social and community tourism; in another description of the same tour he says half of the price goes to residents’ projects. For Marco Antônio Rocha Martins, the listing makes no statement about where the guide lives.
Questions worth asking before you book
In 2015 a Santa Marta guide told RioOnWatch that jeep tours came into the favela without a local guide and without respect for residents, which is one reason this site lists walking tours only. What to look for in a responsible tour sets out the criteria behind the table. If a stop at a craft shop or a residents’ association matters to you, check that it is on the route before you pay; the van tour from Copacabana lists both. Bring some cash for tips and for anything you buy along the way.
