Viral drone videos showing tourists dancing through a metal door on a rooftop called "Porta do Céu" (Gateway to Heaven) have transformed a terrace in Rio's Rocinha favela into the city's hottest tourist attraction. One January video garnered nearly 50 million Instagram views, drawing tens of thousands of visitors from China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Ukraine, and across Latin America, Africa and Europe.
The rooftop sits above a family home in Rocinha, reputedly Latin America's largest favela. Tourists queue for hours to film themselves on the improvised catwalk while drone operators capture their videos against Rio's mountainous backdrop. Favela guide Vitor Hugo Oliveira da Conceição escorts groups through the community. Victor Hugo de Jesus Ferreira, a 19-year-old drone operator, films about 100 tourist videos each day. He claims the favela now ranks above Christ the Redeemer as Rio's most talked-about attraction.
A neighbouring terrace serves as a waiting area where visitors drink beer and guaraná while viewing Rio's beaches and forests. After filming, tourists can eat at barbecues run by local residents.
The surge has created income for favela residents. Conceição, 35, worked in the drug gang ruling Rocinha before turning to tourism. He now supports his family through tours and is learning Castilian to accommodate Spanish visitors after a YouTuber promoted his work.
Marcelo Freixo, president of Brazil's tourist board Embratur, visited last week and reported a two-hour queue. He said the government will train young guides in eight communities including Rocinha, Mangueira and Providência. Brazil received a record 9 million visitors last year, up from 6.7 million in 2024, with Freixo crediting global demand for "joyful, profound experiences" after the Covid pandemic.