Of all the places in the world that can surprise tourists, Sugarloaf Mountain is one of the leading places on the list. The area where it is located is so picturesque that it is incredibly difficult to convey all the beauty with words. Why the mountain was named that way, no one knows for sure. Of the working versions, two can be distinguished:
- From afar, the shape of the hill resembles the form in which sugar was cast in ancient times.
- The name of the rock was given by local tribes, and its original name came to us through the centuries.
The country in which the Sugarloaf Mountain is located is Brazil. The rock is located near the most beautiful and famous city of Rio de Janeiro in these places. It is located in that part of the peninsula where Guanabara Bay separates land from the Atlantic Ocean.
A bit of history
Historians have reliable information that in 1565 at the foot of the village several settlements of the Portuguese appeared at once, which united into a tiny village. This village in the future was destined to turn into a modern city, one of the best and most beautiful in the country - Rio de Janeiro. Henrietta Carstairs was the first to formally conquer the peak of a cliff in 1817 and hoist the flag of England on it .
In the first decade of the 20th century, the government began to build a cableway, which, despite its considerable age, is working properly now, bringing considerable financial income to the state treasury. Among the local population, the combination of concepts "Sugarloaf Mountain - Rio" is inseparable. It is almost one piece. Since ancient times, it was believed that the rock is a symbol of protection and guardian of the city.
Cableway
Modern equipment, which had to be installed instead of the old, opens up new possibilities for viewing landscape beauties from a height of 400 m. The road can serve 72 passengers in one flight. Despite the considerable age of the funicular (more than a hundred years), for the entire period of its existence there have never been any emergency situations on it.
Local residents have taken care of the variety of leisure for tourists. On the top of the mountain you can climb the route that connects Moro da Urca and Praia Vermella. According to historical facts, this mechanism was unique in its own way at the time of its creation (1912). In the country, it was the first cableway, and the third in the world.
Interesting fact: Sugarloaf Mountain is one of the most visited places in Brazil, and the cable car has to serve up to 30 million travelers a year. The most amazing thing is that specialists who monitor the state of the cable car manage to make scheduled repairs with such an influx of tourists.
How to get on an excursion
Once in Rio de Janeiro, the first place a traveler should go is the Sugarloaf Mountain. Anyone will tell you how to get to this miracle of nature: from small to large. Scala is the pride of local residents and also brings considerable financial replenishment to the budget. Getting to the mountain from the central square of the city is very simple. Tourist buses run to the peninsula. In order not to confuse the route numbers, it is best to immediately remember or write it down. It’s easiest for people living in different parts of the city to get to the center by taxi; from the central square, you can get to the foot of the cliff in half an hour on a tourist bus.
Tour cost
In Brazil there is something to see: the Statue of Jesus Christ, the famous bridge of Niterói, Sugarloaf Mountain. Rio de Janeiro is rich in beautiful and unique places, so tourists will not be bored here. From a geological point of view, it is impossible to call a quartz-shaped rock a mountain. Sugarloaf is a monolith that arose during the formation of the earth's crust. Its location, most likely, is a series of fortunate circumstances. This hill offers a beautiful panoramic view of the city, the ocean and the peninsula, but there really is something to see here.
Mount Sugarloaf is 396 m high. You can climb this hill by cable car. For children under six years of travel on the funicular is free. Older children will have to pay 26 USD for the tour, but for adults it will cost twice as much. Tickets are sold at special ticket offices in the central square of the city and at the foot of the mountain, however, the queue will have to endure rather big.
What else can you see in Rio de Janeiro
Millions of travelers annually come to Brazil, and during the carnivals, the number of tourists increases several times. Crowds of onlookers from different countries are simply dumbfounded by the action that takes place on the streets of the city. The best place to see Rio is Sugarloaf Mountain, or rather, plastic transparent booths that slowly rise up and then just as slowly lower.
But there are other places in the funicular route:
- PraiaVermelha, or Red Beach. Actually, this is a translation of the name of a small town, next to which there is a beach for vacationers. The views that open up from a bird's flight are amazing. Landscapes arise in front of a tourist: incredible whiteness of beach sand and the blue of the ocean. This can only be seen from the cover of famous glossy publications.
- Mount Urka (220 m). Although the elevation is inferior in height to the Sugarloaf, nevertheless there is something to see. Landscapes will leave an indelible impression on the rest of your life. It is here that they equipped an amphitheater, where they organize various entertainment shows, prepare for carnivals, and show dance programs.
What to bring
Brazil is a country of contrasts and bright colors, which you can’t see here. I would like to carefully consider and photograph everything. For convenience, it is best to have a backpack: you can put all the necessary things in it to free your hands for a video camera or camera. If at the same time your equipment has good optics, there is no doubt that in the pictures you can see everything to the smallest detail.
You can also rent good optics: a spyglass or binoculars. They will help you find the objects you need for your shots. Make sure the batteries are charged and have a spare battery pack with you. Take care of the internal drive (flash drive) with a good amount of memory. In addition to documents and a certain amount of money, you need to prepare a couple of sandwiches: for yourself and your children - fresh air and adrenaline will cause a feeling of hunger.