It is a recent development, with no skyscrapers, and the area also contains jungles atop rocky cliffs and hills.

[citation needed] Another version says that many of the newcomers were from São Paulo, the city from which the Bandeiras departed in colonial times, and therefore Paulistas are associated with them.

[citation needed] Still another version states that Recreio was the first (or last) resting place with fresh water for Bandeirantes traveling between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

[citation needed] Development in the area began in 1959, and only more recently, have well-to-do residents discovered and made Recreio their home.

Recreio has an organized association of residents who communicate online with tips and news about the neighborhood.