There are many places offering astounding views over the grand metropolis that is Rio de Janeiro. What makes this sight memorable is being able to immerse yourself in nature with the occasional marmoset crossing your path before getting lost in the sensational view over Rio. The combination of a short hike followed by taking a cable car the second stretch made Pão de Açúcar my favourite experience in Rio. Wondering about the different ways of exploring Sugarloaf Mountain, how much it costs, and what on earth marmosets are? Read on for a quick guide to Pão de Açúcar Mountain.
Post Contents
A QUICK GUIDE ON EXPLORING PÃO DE AÇÚCAR MOUNTAIN
Opening Times: 8 am to 7.50 pm
Time Needed: Maximum half-day
Sugarloaf Mountain is located on the Urca Peninsula at the edge of Guanabara Bay in the South of Rio. Right next to the sugarloaf shaped rock is Praia Vermelha. A beach that you can happily skip for many reasons.
Cable Car Ride All The Way.
Do you want to reach the top as fast as possible with minimal effort? Then board the huge cable cars and enjoy two short rides all the way to the top.
Once you have reached the second station you can purchase food from the vendors before queuing for the second ride taking you high into the sky whilst the boats become smaller beneath you.
Hike Pão De Açúcar.
Ok, it is a stretch to call the 30 – 45-minute walk to the second cable car station a hike. The steadily steep incline up Urca Hill will spike your heartrate nonetheless if only because of the heat. This is one of the best and most definitely the easiest “hike” in Rio.
The shaded trail up Morro da Urca leads you over slippery roots through thick Atlantic Forest vegetation. The path away from the city noises is quiet with more butterflies dancing through the air and lizards crossing your path than fellow tourists.
There are several spots on the way to the top to take in the view. Be mindful of the marmosets. These small creatures aren’t timid and will attempt to snap food out of your hands whilst you are captivated by their unusual facial features.
Once you have reached the top of Morro da Urca you can take a rest, have a snack, and enjoy the view. From there you can only continue by cable car. The ticket to the top of the rock can be purchased at a small booth opposite the cable car entrance.
Why Hike When You Can Rock-Climb?
The more adventurous can climb to the top of the 400-metre steep rock. There are over forty, yes forty, different climbing routes taking between 4 – 6 hours depending on your skill level.
The Costao route is the easiest and recommended to unexperienced climbers. This rock-climbing pitch is only short and most of the trail will be hiked. The more advanced climbing pitches are Cepi and Italianos Com Secundo.
Prices for this adventure start at around R$250 pp for two people and R$380 for a single climber with a guide. Experienced climbers only need to rent the equipment.
Fly High In A Helicopter.
Do you want to treat yourself to a different experience and take a helicopter ride?
You have two options here, either taking the cable car to the first stop or hiking to Morro da Urca. From there you can embark on your helicopter adventure over the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ de Redeemer, and the bustling Rio de Janeiro beaches.
The price of this costly but memorable helicopter flight is around $300/ two people.
THE VIEW FROM SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN
I’m not going to lie Rio will never be my favourite place in Brazil, but this never-ending view is worth seeing.
Not only does the panorama stretch over the boat filled Guanabara Bay, busy Copacabana Beach, the Corcovado Mountain, but you can also catch a distant glimpse of Rio’s most iconic sight the Christo Rey Statue. It also lays a calmer side of Rio in front of you. Make the most of this experience by watching the sun disappear into the ocean from the top of the rock.
And while you are there, watch the airplanes land at what must be one of the world’s shortest runways! Looking back at how long we spent watching planes land I am now wondering if this is a weird thing to be fascinated by?
An alternative to Sugarloaf Mountain is the Two Brothers Hike or the Vidigal favela. Having visited both Vidigal and Pão de Açúcar Mountain, two places offering similar views, I decided against it.
A QUICK GUIDE ON TRANSPORT TO PÃO DE AÇÚCAR MOUNTAIN
There is no metro station in walking-distance of Sugarloaf Mountain. The closest station is Botafogo, reachableby metro L1/ L2, R$4.60. I recommend getting a rechargeable metro card for convenience.
Botafogo Station Exit ► follow the signs to the Integration Express Bus Stop. Take exit “Saida E – Onibus Expresso” ► turn to your left and cross the street ► Bus 513 URCA, 45-minutes, R$3.60. When paying the driver ask them to indicate the stop for Pão de Açúcar.
Another option for anyone staying in Botafogo, Flamengo, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon would be a 20 – 30-minute Uber ride for around R$25.
ENTRANCE TICKET FOR SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN
The entrance fee is a lavish R$ 110 if you want to take the cable car all the way. Anyone who decided to hike to the second cable car station only pays R$ 65. There is a student discount.
Tickets for Sugarloaf Mountain can be purchased online or at the entrance. Queues were moving relatively fast and cards are accepted!
WHAT TO PACK
There are food stalls, and ice-cream bars but to save some money I suggest bringing snacks. Make sure to keep them in a bag the monkeys cannot get to. Else you might have to share!
Bring at least 1L of water. Make sure to apply sun cream and mosquito spray. Any footwear works when taking the cable car, but wear trainers if you decide to walk the first half.
Did I do a good job of sharing this quick guide to Pão de Açúcar Mountain? Also, did I mention that I love marmosets? You probably guessed at this point! They are small monkeys with a long tail and fur features that remind me of a make-up brush. Unfortunately, they feed of native birds’ eggs.
Now go ahead and explore! Try not to lose your towel.
