The Sugarloaf mountain is one of the most well known tourist spots in Rio. The mountain looking like a sugarloaf out in the water is an impressive view. It rises 396 meter above the surface and gives you a magic view out over Copacabana beach in the south of Rio and the Botafogo beach closer to the city. If you are an airplane geek you will also like the view of the RJ Santos Dumont airport.
The rope way to Sugarloaf mountain
The rope way up to Sugarloaf mountain is divided in to two sections. The first one goes from Praia Vermelha up to Morro da Urca and is 600 meter long. Here you can make a stop, admire the view and get something to drink before you take the second rope way with a distance of 850 meter up to Sugarloaf Mountain.
When you reach the top you have al of Rio below your feet. Its an amazing feeling and a great view. Yes there is other tourists but its not as crowded as it is at Christ the Redeemer. When we took a coffee on the top the cafe was almost empty and our closest neighbors was the birds and monkeys.
Walking down
Because the Sugarloaf mountain is surrounded by water you cant walk down directly from the Sugarloaf. However it is possible to walk down from Morro da Urca to Vermelha beach. The train ain’t to hard and most people will make it. Just remember to get some real shoes with you. When you follow the trail you get a glimpse of the South American nature. Maybe not as wild and beautifully as the real djungel but still nature and much more conveniently to reach.
Rio is normally a very warm city, so remember to take some extra bottles of water with you. When you walked down from the Sugarloaf mountain you will be happy to see Vermelha beach where you can stop and take a refreshing bath. The good part with this beach is that it looked like it was most locals how used it. Making it much more peaceful then Copacabana.
How to get to Sugarloaf mountain
We stayed at the Novotel hotel in Leme and made a 45 minutes walk from there. Another and maybe more comfortable ways is to take the metro to Botafogo station and from there you will take bus 513 direction Urca. If want to avoid public transport at al, take a cab or Uber, its relative cheap in Rio.