Rio de Janeiro: Cidade Maravilhosa
Cidade Maravilhosa means marvellous city. And I think you’d have to agree that Rio de Janeiro really is. Marvellous beaches, marvellous people, marvellous nightlife and marvellous views!
Even without the upcoming Brazil World Cup and the next Olympic Games, there is plenty of Rio to make the most of. It was one of the last stops on a South America trip I did and is one of the most stand out beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. It’s a city of contrasts with beaches, mountains, urban sprawl and jungle all in one. It’s a bit greedy really!
Between a Rock and Rio: Morro da Urca
One of the best local tips I got in Rio was to not go up Pão de Açúcar (or Sugarloaf Mountain). It seems a little crazy given that going to the top of this small mountain is ranked no. 1 in most people’s must-do lists… The genius behind this tip is that you can enjoy pretty much the same views from Pão de Açúcar as you can from the smaller and not so well known peak between it and the city proper – Morro da Urca. You can also do that for free!
Beach view of Pão de Açúcar and Morro de Urca
Photo by Camilla Carvalho CC taken from Praia Vermelho. Morro da Urca means Urca hill (in Brazil, Pão de Açucar is also reffered to as a ‘morro’). Morro da Urca is the peak on the far left of this picture cut off so you don’t see it completely.
The most common way to reach both peaks is by cable car (bondinho in Portuguese). There are actually two cable cars: the first goes from Praia Vermelha to Morro da Urca and after a short walk, you can take the second cable car going to Pão de Açucar. If you’re happy to skip the cable car ride and do a bit of hiking, you can save yourself the R62 return ticket (the ticket price includes both cable cars) and just go up Morro da Urca.
I actually love a good cable car ride but I also love hiking and this is a fantastic way to experience a bit of Rio’s more jungle side. It’s also a hike that is relatively easy to do… So although there is inevitably some uphill walking to do, it shouldn’t take much more than 30-40 minutes to reach the summit and you should be able to do them in a pair of trainers if you don’t have hiking boots. Doing the walk will also mean you’ll have more chance to spot local wildlife… like this marmoset monkey!
Just a few Rio residents… Marmoset monkeys
Marmoset monkeys spotted on the walk to Morro da Urca
And here’s another sticking his tongue out
I totally missed seeing any monkeys when I walked up so it is worth taking your time and looking around for them if you do it. These fab photos were taken by Celso Roberto de Abreu Silva and Lazlo Ilyes.
At 220 metres high, Morro da Urca is a little over half the height of Pão de Açúcar. It also has a wider summit so you’ll actually find more space to move around including a green trail. Both summits have snack bars, toilets and plenty of spots to take a seat to soak up the views.
You can easily spend a few hours up here so I’d suggest going in the late afternoon so you can walk up during the day, stay for the sunset and to see Rio’s lights go on (including a brightly lit Cristo). The cable car is free to take after sunset so you can catch that back down (do check the times of the last cable car though). I wouldn’t recommend going down the path at night… If you do want to walk up and down, go earlier so you can walk down in daylight. There aren’t any lights on the trail!
Views after sunset
Sunset
There’s even a helicopter pad out here
Another view from Morro da Urca
You’ll get a good view of Sugarloaf Mountain too!
At night
A lit-up Christ the Redeemer in the background
Walking to Morro da Urca
The walk up starts from a path called Pista Claudio Coutinho. You’ll find the start of this on the left side of the beach (Praia Vermelha). It’s basically an extension of the paved walk that stretches the length of the beach so it’s really easy to find. Its entrance is also signposted so you’ll know you’ve found it.
Pista Claudio Coutinho is a nice and easy start to the walk – paved and flat, it hugs the coast so you have the sea to your right. At about 400 metres, you should see the start of the uphill walk to Morro da Urca on your left. Again, you’ll see a signpost by it. This next bit of the trail is more like a dirt track through the jungle. And it’s beautiful!
Pisto Claudio Coutinho
The start of the trail through jungle
It’s unlike me but I didn’t manage to take any photos whilst on the trail so here are a couple by Celso Roberto de Abreu Silva and Google’s streetview.
If you continue ahead on the paved path, you’ll meet a dead end. It’s not very far though so you can easily go back to find the proper trail. This trail is fairly straightforward and is moderately steep. It’s also mostly under shade, which you’ll be thankful if the hot Rio sun is out in full force.
Once you’ve reached the top, the walk will have been more than worth it. This is truly one of the best ways to enjoy the Cidade Maravilhosa at its best. It also helps that you can avoid queues for the cable car to go up Pão de Açúcar too!
You can actually also hike and climb all the way to the top of Pão de Açucar but you’ll need climbing gear and it’s highly recommended that you do it with a guide. Check in at one of the city’s tourist information points for info about rock climbing tours available.
The trail is open from 6.00am to 6.00pm.
Taking the cable car up to Pão de Açúcar and Morro da Urca
Cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain and Morro da Urca
Photo by Celso Roberta de Abreu Silva
Even if you choose to take the cable car, I would still recommend stopping and exploring Morro da Açúcar. However, do this after visiting Pão de Açúcar first. Like I said – it’s no. 1 for most people so you’re likely to find queues… Rio is a tourist favourite at anytime but it’ll be even more so during the World Cup and Olympics!
You can catch the first cable car towards the right side (or south side) of Praça General Tiburcio. It’s worth booking your ticket online in advance – especially if you’re going during big world events. For more information and to book your tickets, visit: www.bondinho.com.br/site/en/
Adult tickets are R62. Concession tickets (including young people from 6-21 years old, older people 60 years or older and students) are R31.
Getting here…
If you’re driving, there are several car parks around Praça General Tiburcio – one right by the cable car station down here and another close to the beach and start to Pisto Claudio Coutinho.
By public transport, there are several buses you can get. The easiest is probably to take 511 from Ipanema or Copacabana beaches or the 512 from Botafogo (which is a metro station so you can take a metro first). The stop you need is Urca/Pão de Açúcar. You can find more information on public transport in Rio by going to: www.rioguiaoficial.com.br/informacoes-turisticas/transportes