Mythbusting Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas

The entrance to Rocinha, Brazil’s largest favela. When I told people I was coming to Rio de Janeiro in the months leading up to my trip, I always got the same response - Isn’t it dangerous there? There seems to be a looming stigma about Rio concerning its safety, which can largely be attributed to the city’s slums, called favelas, which are built on the hills which are scattered throughout the various bairros of the city.