Urca (Rio de Janeiro)

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Urca is a traditional and exclusive residential neighborhood with nearly 7,000 inhabitants (2000 census) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Considered one of the calmest and safest areas in the city, its architecture consists of mainly small residential buildings and houses.

It is located next to Botafogo and borders the Guanabara Bay with its Praia Vermelha (English- Red Beach). The Sugarloaf Mountain is situated at the end of the neighborhood and marks the end of the Guanabara Bay. An Aerial tramway ("bondinho") to Sugarloaf Mountain is located in front of the Círculo Militar, a military base located in Urca. Leading up to the first of Sugarloaf Mountain's two peaks is the Pista Cláudio Coutinho, a shaded walking trail equally popular with tourists, families, and runners.

It is home to the campus of the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), a Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) campus, Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME) [1], army and navy schools, and the Instituto Benjamin Constant, a school for the blind.