Tijuca National Park

This beautiful National Park can be considered one of the first protected areas in the world, once it was declared as Protected Forest in 1861 by D. Pedro II (from the Royal Portuguese Family – Brazil´s colonizers) more than 10 years before the first National Park in US, Yellowstone. This area of the city used to suffer with a great monoculture of coffee in the 19th century and timber extraction. When it started having an impact on the city´s water supply, D. Pedro II removed all the farms and implemented a protection and recovering project of the Atlantic Rainforest, that fortunately, helped to form the largest urban forest in the world that we can see today. Only in 1961 it was declared as Tijuca National Park, composed by the mountain chain of Corcovado (where Christ The Redeemer is located), Paineras, Tijuca, Gávea Pequena, Trapicheiro, Andaraí, Três Rios, Parque Lage, Serra dos Pretos Forros and Morro da Covanca.

Serra dos Órgãos National Park

One of the most stunning landscapes in Brazil! The mountain range of Serra dos Órgãos was declared a National Park in 1939 embracing the mountains of Teresópolis, Petrópolis, Magé and Guapimirim, with over 200km of trails and climbing routes. There are several hiking and trekking options that allow visitors to adventure inside the beautiful mountain´s peak, such as the Escalavrado and Pedra do Sino hikings or the 30km crossing Petrópolis-Teresópolis. Among the climbing routes, the Dedo de Deus is considered one of the most important for the climbing start in Brazil and the Agulha do Diabo, considered by many specialists as one of the best 15 climbing routes in the world. Recently, a group of researchers discovered the highest waterfall in Brazil, called Neblina Waterfall with 450m height, during a 10 days expedition inside the PARNASO mountains.

Christ The Redeemer

Biggest and most famous monument Art Déco of the world, Christ The Redeemer is located on top of Corcovado mountain (710m above sea level), inside Tijuca National Park and has 38m height. It was proposed by the french priest Pierre-Marie Boss, for the 100 year celebration of Brazilian Independence, in 1922, but is was only built and finished in 1931. The Christ creators are the designer Heitor da Silva Costa, the painter Carlos Oswald and the arms and head were built by the french sculptor Maximiliam Paul Landowsky. To reach the mountain top where The Christ stands facing Guanabara Bay, visitors take a pleasant tram ride crossing the Atlantic Rainforest until one of the most stunning panoramic views of the Marvelous City.

Transcarioca Trail

The Transcarioca Trail has 180km starting at Barra de Guaratiba until Sugarloaf mountain, crossing Tijuca National Park and connecting another 9 conservation units. It can be done in parts or the whole trail in 12 days. Based on other long-term trails, like the Appalachian Trail in US, is was idealized by the researcher and conservation unit´s manager Pedro Cunha e Menezes, in order to increase environmental education, safety and conservation, by connecting protected areas and improving their management for public use. Besides, of course, the stunning landscapes!

For more info: https://trilhatranscarioca.com.br/

Sugar Loaf

The Sugar Loaf is composed by three hills: Babilônia, Urca and Sugar Loaf. The tour by cable trams has two stops, the first part to Urca mountain top and the second part takes up to the Sugarloaf top, 396m above sea level. There are many theories about the name, the most accepted one is that the mountain looked like the container used for transporting the sugar cane from Brazil to Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the first cable tram built in Brazil, by the brazilian engineer Augusto Ferreira Ramos, in 1912, with the help of hundreds of climber-workers. Two of the most beautiful lookouts of Rio de Janeiro and a must-go tour for those visiting the city!

Rio de Janeiro Highlights - 4 days / 3 nights

Rio de Janeiro+Tijuca & Serra dos Órgãos National Parks+Transcarioca Trail I want to go deep!