SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN

Description

Essentials about Sugarloaf Mountain in brief

Together with Corcovado Mountain and its statue of Christ the Redeemer, it is the world famous landmark of Rio de Janeiro and probably the most famous small mountain in the world – Sugarloaf Mountain. The mountain owes its name to its unusual shape, reminiscent of a sugar loaf (the Brazilians call it “Pão de Açúcar”, which translates as “Sugarloaf”). A ride on the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain is an absolute must-do on a trip to Rio. From the observation deck of the mountain you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view over Rio de Janeiro, the Guanabara Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

The location and first ascent of Sugarloaf Mountain

The 396 meter high and very steep-sided mountain is located on the Urca Peninsula at the western entrance to Guanabara Bay. It was formed over millions of years by the shell-like desquamation of the coarse gneiss in the hot, humid climate of Rio.

Until the 19th century, Sugarloaf was considered unclimbable. Then British nanny Henrietta Carstairs proved the male mountaineering world wrong. She succeeded in making the first ascent of Sugarloaf Mountain in 1817. Finally, in 1972, the steep side of the Sugarloaf Mountain was climbed for the first time by a German-Austrian rope team.

The Sugarloaf Mountain cable car

Fortunately, nowadays you don’t need climbing equipment to get to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Since 1913 there is “O Bondinho” (“The little train”), a cable car that leads in two stages up the mountain. The first section is about 530 meters long and leads from the bottom station at the Praça General Tibúrcio to the middle station on the Morro de Urca. Here, cable car riders can expect a theater for up to 1,100 people, several restaurants, souvernir stores and even a discotheque. From the Morro de Urca, a second cable car with a length of just under 740 meters takes riders all the way up to Sugarloaf Mountain. Because of the cramped conditions at the top of the mountain, there is only a viewing platform and a few kiosks next to the top station itself.

The ride in the glassed-in gondolas is an incomparable experience. As all James Bond fans know from the movie “Moonraker”, the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain has no carrying supports. Those who get sick a little faster are therefore warned that the gondolas of the cable car can occasionally sway a little in the wind.

The view from Sugarloaf Mountain

From the observation deck of Sugarloaf Mountain you have a magnificent panoramic view over Rio de Janeiro, the Guanabara Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. To the north, you can see over the districts of Botafogo and Flamengo, Guanabara Bay with Governador Island and the Rio Niterói Bridge, all the way to Dedo de Deus Hill near Teresópolis. Towards the southwest, one can enjoy the view of Praia Vermelha and the world-famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema to the impressive Pedra da Gávea rock. And to the west, of course, the view falls on the Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer with his outstretched arms.