The canal
Sea to lagoon.
Donatas Dabravolskas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Donatas Dabravolskas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Donatas Dabravolskas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Donatas Dabravolskas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Donatas Dabravolskas — CC BY-SA 4.0
Jardim de Alah is a park on the border between Ipanema and Leblon in Rio de Janeiro, lining both sides of a broad navigable canal that links the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon with the Atlantic, with a metro station of the same name beside it. It takes its name from the film «The Garden of Allah», starring Marlene Dietrich and Charles Boyer and released in 1936, two years before the park was built. The area takes in two squares: Praça Almirante Saldanha da Gama near the beach and Praça Grécia near the lagoon. The design was French-inspired, with romantic pergolas and many benches, almond, beach apricot and sibipiruna trees, and jetties on the canal for boarding boats; there were even plans for gondola trips on the lagoon, and the city bought two gondolas. Today the park is a quiet green strip linking beach and lagoon, good for a walk or a seat in the shade, popular with local families and their dogs. The nicest way to see it is to start at the beach and walk along the canal to the lagoon, then carry on along the lagoon path.
Sea to lagoon.
French style.
Starts here.
On the border of Ipanema and Leblon, Rio de Janeiro
Ipanema BeachIpanema is Rio's stylish beach, between the Arpoador rock and Leblon, made world13 minutes walk4.8
Rodrigo de Freitas LagoonRodrigo de Freitas Lagoon sits in the Lagoa district of Rio's South Zone, behind15 minutes walk4.9
Rio de Janeiro Botanical GardenPrince Regent John, later King John VI, founded Rio's Botanical Garden in 1808 t21 minutes walk4.6
Casa Museu Eva KlabinOn the shore of the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon stands the house where the collect23 minutes walk4.6From the film «The Garden of Allah», released in 1936, two years before the park was built.