Brazil - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 243

avenues lined with immense imperial
palms that date from the garden's
inauguration in 1808. A number of
sculptures are dotted throughout, notably
the Greek mythology-inspired Ninfa do Eco
and Caçador Narciso (1783), the first two
metal sculptures cast in Brazil.

than any artificial light show, enhanced by
your position at Jesus's feet.
Most people reach the statue by the
Corcovado cog train (daily every 30min
8.30am-7pm; R$45 return including
entrance fee; W corcovado.com.br), which
leaves from the station at Rua Cosme
Velho 513 (take any bus marked “Cosme
Velho” or take the Metrô Superficie bus
from Largo do Machado station) and
proceeds slowly upwards through lush
forest as it enters the Parque Nacional
da Tijuca (see box below). Taxis (R$30
one-way from Largo do Machado) can
drive almost to the mountaintop, at
which point you pay the entrance fee
(R$20) and switch to a shuttle bus. You
can also walk from Parque Lage (above)
but it's a steep and gruelling two- to
three-hour climb; there hasn't been a
robbery along the trail for some years,
but it's still advisable to walk in a group.

Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer
The unmistakeable Art Deco statue of
Cristo Redentor , gazing across the bay from
the Corcovado (“hunchback”) hill with
arms outstretched in welcome, or as if
preparing for a dive into the waters below,
is synonymous with Rio de Janeiro. The
immense statue - 30m high and weighing
over 1000 metric tonnes - was scheduled
for completion in 1922 as part of Brazil's
centenary independence celebrations.
In fact, it wasn't finished until 1931.
In clear weather, it's every bit as
awe-inspiring as you'd imagine - the
journey up to the statue is breathtaking
day or night - though what ought to be
one of Rio's highlights can turn into a great
disappointment if the Corcovado is hidden
by cloud. By day the whole of Rio and
Guanabara Bay is laid out magnificently
before you; after dark, the flickering city
lights of this vast metropolis create a
stunning visual effect far more impressive

3

Maracanã Stadium
Sports fans will not want to miss the
Maracanã (Metrô Maracanã; Linha 2)
- probably the world's most famous
football stadium, steeped in soccer
history and with a new reformed
capacity of 90,000 for the upcoming
sports mega events. The real name of this

PARQUE NACIONAL DA TIJUCA
The mountains running southwest from the Corcovado are covered with forest, representing
the periphery of the Parque Nacional da Tijuca (daily 8am-6pm; free). The park offers
sixteen walking trails and some excellent views of Rio, and makes an appealing day retreat
away from the city. The trails are steep and not for the unfit, but if you have the energy
climb 2-3hr for staggering views from coastal Pedra da Gávea (842m; guide essential), or
in the far north of the forest, Pico da Tijuca (1021m) above popular picnic spot Bom Retiro.
Public transport to the park is not especially convenient so it's most easily visited by car,
taxi or on a tour. Alternatively, take the metrô to Saens Peña at the end of Linha 1 and catch
bus #221 or #233 towards “Barra da Tijuca”, asking to be let off at Alta de Boa Vista right by the
park entrance. Also accessible on foot from here is the Museu do Açude (Est. do Açude 764;
Wed-Mon 10am-4pm; R$2; W museuscastromaya.com.br), built by the man responsible for
the reforestation of the park, and containing wonderful Chinese bronze sculpture, painted
vases and, outside, well-maintained forest trails interwoven with art installations.
Excellent small-group hiking tours are run by Rio Hiking ( T 21 9721 0594, W riohiking
.com.br; full day from R$160/person). For a bird's-eye view take a tandem flight with a
hang-gliding instructor from the Pedra Bonita ramp above São Conrado near Pedra da
Gávea; an experienced and reliable operator is Go Up Brasil ( T 21 9177 9234; W goup.com.br;
R$250), with daily flights when weather permits; price includes pick-up and drop-off. If you
want to cycle , enter the park in the Zona Sul at Rua Pacheco Leão, which runs up the side of
the Jardim Botânico to the Entrada dos Macacos and on to the Vista Chinesa, from where
there's a marvellous view of Guanabara Bay and the Zona Sul.