Lapa is a neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. It is located in the centre of Rio and is famous for its historical monuments and nightlife.

But what i really, really wanted to see was Escadaria Selarón, a set of world-famous steps in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They are the work of Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who claimed it as “my tribute to the Brazilian people” Check out Snoop Dogg’s music video of ‘Beautiful’, then you’ll see what I’m talking about..

Running from Joaquim Silva street and Pinto Martins street, officially known as Manuel Carneiro street, the steps straddle both the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro. There are 250 steps measuring 125 metres long which are covered in over 2000 tiles collected from over 60 countries around the world.

The work has featured in many famous magazines, newspapers, travel shows, documentaries and commercials. National Geographic Channel, American Express, Coca-cola, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Time and Playboy are just some of the media that the steps have appeared in/on. It has also featured in numerous video clips such as Snoop Dogg’s Beautiful and U2 also filming there. It is also considered an iconic tourist attraction of Rio de Janeiro with travellers from across the globe visiting it every day. In 2009 the steps were featured in Rio’s emotive 2016 Olympic bid video clip “The Passion Unites Us”. The steps was also featured in the show The Amazing Race 18 where teams are tasked to find a tile resembling a route info sign.