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Sugarloaf Mountain.
Honestly, I have to admit, I had never heard of it. I have seen pictures of the beautifully shaped, towering mountain, but I guess I never realized what a popular attraction it was in Rio de Janeiro. Maybe had I watched the Simpsons episode (Blame It On Lisa) where Lisa’s kidnappers met with the family for an exchange between two cable cars, I might have had it all figured out!
On my second morning in Rio, I was up early and Ubering to the cable car station at Praia Vermelha, ready to see what this place was all about.
Sugarloaf Mountain is actually one of several monolithic granite and quartz mountains rising straight from the water’s edge around Rio de Janeiro. Declared a World Heritage Site in 2012, the peaks of Sugarloaf…Morro da Urca and Pão de Açúcar…are reached by glass-walled cable cars (teleféricos) and are visited by thousands of visitors every day there to take advantage of the incredible hiking trails and unparalleled views.
After purchasing my ticket, I took my place in line hoping to get a good spot in the teleférico. Luckily, I was one of the first in and snagged a position in the front of the car, heading to the top of Urca Hill, 220 meters above sea level. This part of the ride offered me my first aerial views of Copacabana and Ilha Cortunduba just off the coast. After I disembarked, I walked around for a few minutes, inspecting the two cable cars displayed here…the first cable car from 1912 and a more modern version. There are a number of trails that run through the thick vegetation, however, I decided continue my journey upward after getting my first views of Niteroi Bridge and Guanabara Bay and my second viewing of the Christ statue standing proud on its peak.
Boarding the next, larger teleferico on Urca, I was once again lucky enough to have a good position in the cabin for the three minute ride. Upon my exit, the view from the top of Sugarloaf was incomparable to any other I had ever seen. With a 360 degree view of the area, I gazed upon the whole of Rio, Niteroi and the blue waters of the Atlantic and Guanabara Bay and inland to the tropical forested mountains, including the peak, Dedo de Deus (God’s Finger), located 50 miles from Rio. Spying a low-flying airplane, I followed its descent until I located the Santos Dumont Airport in the north.
Deciding to have lunch at the restaurant overlooking the ocean, I took a seat and prepared to order. After waiting a while, I noticed that the staff was a extremely busy and no one had yet to take my order, wasting precious time. Yet, all was not lost…having come down to this area, I discovered a trail. Walking among the beautiful trees and tropical growth on the well-paved path, I noticed that I was being followed. A marmoset was running on the handrail next to me! As I stopped to watch, two more joined him. An amazing spectacle, they preened and posed and then I was fortunate to hear them call to each other. Truly priceless!
After making a few souvenir purchases in the gift shop, it was time to make the journey down again.
Although my time in Rio was brief, there are many things to see and do and finding time to squeeze them all in was paramount. Without having prior knowledge of Sugarloaf, I may have timed my visit a little differently. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the jaw dropping views during the clear morning, I understand that evening is the prime time to visit for viewing the colorful sunsets.
Ah yes. Sunsets on Sugarloaf. That will have to wait for another time. But for this night…in the words of the song by the band, The Guess Who, there was No Sugar Tonight.
Next visit.
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Sugarloaf Mountain
- http://www.bondinho.com.br/en/informacoes-gerais/
- Address: Avenida Pasteur, 520 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro – RJ 22290-240
- Hours: 0800-1950, daily
- Admission: R$80 (about $21.50 US), Ages 6-21 R$40 (about $10.75), Children under 6 years, free.