Tucked away in Cosme Velho, the neighborhood next to Laranjeiras, Largo do Boticário is a small square of colorful old houses, stone paving and lush greenery, with the air of an old town. It is one of Rio’s most charming — and least known — corners.
It is named after the apothecary (boticário) Joaquim Luís da Silva Souto, who lived here around 1831. The houses you see today were remodeled between the 1920s and the 1940s in neo-colonial style, with façades, doors and windows that recreate the feel of colonial Rio.
Beside the square, the Carioca River runs in the open — one of the few stretches where you can still see the river that gave the city’s people their name, “cariocas”. It rises in the mountains of the Tijuca Forest and flows down through Cosme Velho and Laranjeiras, but almost all of its course now runs in channels beneath the streets.
After years of neglect, some of the houses were restored and now host a hotel, opened around 2022, which has brought the place back to life. The square has also been a film location: it appears, for example, in the 1979 James Bond film “Moonraker”.
The highlight is the atmosphere: the sound of the water, the trees and the old houses make the square a quiet haven just steps from the bustle. Cosme Velho was also home to the writer Machado de Assis, who lived there until the end of his life and was nicknamed “the Wizard of Cosme Velho”. The Corcovado Train station is very close.
Tips: this is a short visit, perfect to combine with a trip up to Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado Train. Go during the day, take your time and respect the peace of those who live and stay there. There is no ticket office or visitor infrastructure: the charm lies in walking slowly and noticing the details.