History
Roberto Burle Marx and his brother acquired the property in 1949 to house and experiment with his botanical collection. The landscape architect lived there from 1973 to 1994, donated the estate to the Federal Government in 1985, and after his death it came under IPHAN administration. Since 2021, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape.
What you can see
['Approximately 405,000 m² of cultural landscape', 'A collection of around 3,500 tropical and subtropical species', 'Roberto Burle Marx’s home and studio', 'The 18th-century Capela de Santo Antônio da Bica', 'Lakes, nurseries and experimental gardens', 'A museum collection of more than 3,000 pieces']
What you can do
['Guided visit along the historical and landscape route', 'Observe the plant combinations created by Burle Marx', 'Discover aspects of the artist beyond landscape design', 'Personal photography during the visit according to current rules']
An interesting fact
Burle Marx was also a painter, sculptor, designer, ceramic artist and collector; the Sítio reveals the full breadth of his work.
My tip
Book before organizing the rest of your day. I would combine the Sítio with Barra de Guaratiba, Prainha or Grumari, without overloading the itinerary.
The guided walk is on foot, covers about 1.8 km, and gains roughly 45 m in elevation. I would make it the main activity of the day: confirm the booking and route conditions, arrive with time to spare, and plan your return from Barra de Guaratiba before setting out.
