Brazil Vacations Tips: All About Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf Mountain Cable Car

Brazil Vacations Tips: All About Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf Mountain Cable Car

Rio de Janeiro has plenty of things to brag about: pearly white beaches, plenty of sunshine, great food, music, and nightlife plus one of the safest cable cars in the world. The Rio cable car line to Sugarloaf Mountain has the sweeping views to compete with the the London Eye overlooking the Thames River and the traditional Tyrolean lifts over the Alps. A Sugarloaf Mountain cable car ride is one of the best ways to soak in the beauty of Rio de Janeiro during a Brazil vacation.

The Sugarloaf Mountain cable car was built in 1912. It was a rickety wood contraption that held 24 passengers. The cable line ascended nearly 600 meters not quite to the summit, but impressive enough. The cable car line had to wait until the 1960s and 1970s to a facelift, and the popularity of the cable car ride continued to grow. In 2002, the cable car line got its newest rehaul.

The cable cars, called bondinho in Portuguese, were manufactured by Italian designers. The cars have windows on all sides. Each car holds about 65 passengers. From the base of the mountain, travelers head to a smaller peak called Urca, then transfer to another car to go all the way to the summit. Each leg of the journey takes about 3 minutes.

Standing 1299 feet tall, this granite mountain has received millions of first-time visitors to Brazil as well as a few celebrities such as Albert Einstein, John F Kennedy, Sting, and Robert de Niro.

In Portuguese, the name for the mountain is Po de Acar, meaning loaf of sugar. The name presumably goes back to the colonial times, when immigrants thought the mountain resembled a pack of sugar standing straight up. The founding of Rio de Janeiro in the 16th century took place right at the foot of Sugarloaf.

Although not as tall as its neighboring mountain, Corcovado, which is a 2329-foot-tall mountain with the famous Christ the Redeemer statue at its peak, Sugarloaf boasts unsurpassed views of the harbor and it is home to rare species of orchids and other native plants. Sugarloaf is also a bit more peaceful that Corcovado.

There are plenty of observation decks and trails from which to enjoy the surrounding views. At both the Urca peak and the summit, its possible to see Copacabana, the harbor, and more. There are also plenty of choices for eating and shopping. Rock climbing is also possible from this granite face. Sugarloaf Mountain invites you to stay awhile, linger at an outdoor restaurant while watching the sunset over the bay, and enjoy your Brazil vacation to the fullest.

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