Zona Central, Rio de Janeiro
Zona Central is a geographical area that is the historical, administrative, commercial, and financial centre of the city of Rio de Janeiro and of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It is one of the four zones of the municipality and is administered by a subprefecture, the subprefecture of Centro and Centro Histórico. The subprefecture administers the administrative regions of Portuária, Centro, Rio Comprido, São Cristóvão, Ilha de Paquetá and Santa Teresa, and includes all their neighborhoods, which are: Gamboa, Centro, Lapa, Saúde, Cidade Nova, Santa Teresa, Estácio, Catumbi, Santo Cristo, Paquetá and Glória. Other neighborhoods are also included in the subprefecture, although they belong to the North Zone, such as: Caju, Benfica, Vasco da Gama, São Cristóvão, Mangueira, Rio Comprido and Praça da Bandeira. The limits of the Central Zone are: Catete, Flamengo and Laranjeiras in the South Zone; Alto da Boa Vista, Cidade Universitária, Maracanã, Praça da Bandeira, Vila Isabel, Caju and Tijuca in the North Zone. Since 2009, the region has been undergoing revitalization by the public authorities through programs such as Choque de Ordem, Porto Maravilha and Morar Carioca. In 2023, the neighborhood of Glória, which previously formed part of the city's South Zone, became one of the neighborhoods of the Central Zone through a decree signed by the municipal government.
Getting around Zona Central, Rio de Janeiro the local way
- Get inFrom the center of the state capital, it is possible to go to Niterói by urban bus, van and ferry lines.
- Get inThe ferries depart from Praça XV station.
- Get inThe ferry between Rio and Niteroi is a pleasant and affordable trip.
- Get aroundTo get to the Oceanic Area you'd better have a car, otherwise take a municipal bus at the Bus Terminal next to the Ferry Station.
From Wikivoyage: Niterói, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Arne Müseler (CC BY-SA 3.0 de), Wikimedia Commons.