• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Halfway Anywhere

Halfway Anywhere

  • About
  • Blog
  • PCT
  • CDT
  • Hikes
    • Arizona
      • Arizona Trail
      • Buckskin Gulch/Paria Canyon
      • Royal Arch Loop
    • Australia
      • Outback Bicycle Tour
      • New South Wales
        • The Coast Track
      • Tasmania
        • Federation Peak
        • Frenchmans Cap
        • Mount Anne Circuit
        • Overland Track
        • Western Arthurs Traverse
    • California
      • Cactus to Clouds
      • Kings Canyon High Basin Route
      • Southern Sierra High Route
      • Trans-Catalina Trail
    • Brazil
    • Japan
      • Alps Traverse
      • Fuji Area
      • Hokkaido
      • Hokuriku
      • Kansai
      • Kita Alps
      • Kyushu
    • Nepal
      • Everest Base Camp
      • Three Passes Trek
    • New Zealand
      • Ball Pass Route
    • Oregon
      • Timberline Trail
    • Washington
      • Wonderland Trail
  • Gear
    • Current Gear List
    • Gear Reviews
    • Gear Lists
    • PCT Gear
    • Best Backpacking Quilts
    • Best Satellite Messengers
    • Best Sun Hoodies
    • Best Thru-Hiking Shoes
    • Best Thru-Hiking Socks
    • Deals & Discounts
  • Surveys
    • PCT Survey
      • PCT Survey Results
      • PCT Gear Guide
      • PCT Resupply Guide
      • Women’s Gear Guide
      • Couples’ Gear Guide
      • Demographic Breakdown
      • PCT Horror Stories
      • PCT Hiker Advice
      • PCT Social Issues
      • All PCT Survey Articles
      • PCT Survey Sign-Up
    • CDT Survey
      • CDT Survey Results
      • CDT Gear Guide
      • CDT Resupply Guide
      • CDT Horror Stories
      • CDT Hiker Advice
      • All CDT Survey Articles
      • CDT Survey Sign-Up
    • JMT Survey
      • JMT Survey Results
      • JMT Gear Guide
      • All JMT Survey Articles
      • JMT Survey Sign-Up
  • Contact
    • Say Hello!
    • Support

5 Awesome Hikes in Rio de Janeiro

By Mac 9 Comments

Rio de Janeiro is more than beaches and samba.

The city is surrounded by, and quite literally in the middle of, the Floresta da Tijuca (The Tijuca Forest). There are many amazing hikes in Rio de Janeiro and spectacular vistas awaiting your exploration, so get out of your catatonic, cachaça induced state and explore what else the Cidade Maravilhosa has to offer.

PEDRA DA GÁVEA

Pedra da Gávea
You go to the top. Excellent.
  • DIFFICULTY: Strenuous
  • TOTAL HIKING TIME: ~5 hours
  • DETAILED GUIDE

Of the hikes listed here, this one is by far my favorite (also the most challenging). Around seven hours roundtrip, the trek includes over 2,700 feet (~842 meters) of vertical gain and some of the best views the city has to offer. About an hour from the top there is a section where you need to scale a small rock face (this may be difficult for some hikers), but if you make it that far it would be a shame to turn around.

MORRO DA URCA

Morro da Urca
More fun than a cable car.
  • DIFFICULTY: Easy
  • TOTAL HIKING TIME: ~50 minutes
  • DETAILED GUIDE

Morro da Urca is the smaller mountain hill located to the iconic Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). You can take a cable car to the top (and then up to the top of Pão de Açúcar), or you can hike up (it is actually more of a pleasurable uphill stroll). The top of Pão de Açúcar can be reached via a reduced price cable car from the top of Morro da Urca, so combining the activities may be a wise investment of your time.

You can find the trailhead by following a path between Praia Vermelha and Sugarloaf until you see the trail entrance plunging into the forest on your left.

PEDRA BONITA

Pedra Bonita View
Pedra
  • DIFFICULTY: Moderate
  • TOTAL HIKING TIME: ~1.5 hours
  • DETAILED GUIDE

Interested in hang-gliding? Then Pedra Bonita is the place for you. Everyday (weather permitting) dozens of adventure seekers in Rio de Janeiro launch themselves off the mountain with hopes of somehow safely drifting to the beach below. And you can hike up to where it all goes down.

The trailhead is a bit tricky to get to (a car is ideal), but you can reach it without problem by following Estrada da Canoa up to the “Trilha da Pedra Bonita” sign.

MORRO DOIS IRMÃOS

Dois Irmãos
Sadly, you cannot swim to the top.
  • DIFFICULTY: Moderate-Challenging
  • TOTAL HIKING TIME: ~2.5 hours
  • DETAILED GUIDE

Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers) are the two iconic hills at the western end of the Ipanema/Leblon beaches. You can reach multiple vistas offering views of Leblon and Ipanema. If you want to hike to the summit of Dois Irmãos, you will have to find the trailhead at the top of Vidigal (the favela just after Leblon (facing the ocean). You can walk to the trailhead or take a moto-taxi (R$2 and a lot of fun). Many people in Rio would likely recommend against doing this hike without a guide, but I see nothing wrong with doing it on your own.

CORCOVADO

Corcovado View
All the way up there.

WARNING: There have been a large number of assaults on people hiking the trail to Corcavado in the past couple of years.

  • DIFFICULTY: Moderate-Challenging
  • TOTAL HIKING TIME: ~2.5 hours
  • DETAILED GUIDE

Don’t want to have to deal with the hassle of taking the tram (or sketchy van) up to the top of Corcovado to see the Giant Stone Jesus? Me neither. Hiking up Corcovado is the way to go if you want to make a proper pilgrimage to Cristo. The hike up Corcovado starts in the beautiful Parque Lage (near the pond in the back/middle of the park). One small sign reading “Corcovado” is affixed to a tree at the beginning of the trailhead.

However, unless you have bought a ticket to enter the monument and then made your way all the way back to the trailhead and hiked up, getting into the monument will be challenging. You could try hopping the wall near the bathrooms, or you could pay for a van to take you to the bottom where you can then buy a ticket and pay to go back up…I know, the inefficiency is ridiculous. Regardless, the hike is amazing, and I am sure you will figure you a way to get in or down once you make it up. Just another reason why I never plan ahead of time.

You'll Like These Too:

Share this post:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on WhatsApp Share on Email

Brazil Brazil Hikes,  Lists,  Rio de Janeiro

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
guest
9 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Primary Sidebar

Most Recent Posts

  • Building Out a Van: An Exercise in Being Overwhelmed
  • Hayduke Trail Grand Canyon Itinerary
  • The Best Pacific Crest Trail Moments in 2022
  • Hayduke Trail Permits: A Detailed Guide
  • The Most Popular Thru-Hiker Trail Names
Backpacking Gear Pacific Crest Trail Continental Divide Trail Mac's Backpack

Footer

STAY IN TOUCH

You've made it this far, you're either into this site or you're still looking for something. Either way, best to sign up for my newsletter, yeah?

NAVIGATION

  • Recent Posts
  • Backpacking Gear
  • Continental Divide Trail
  • Pacific Crest Trail
  • Brazil Trekking
  • Japan Trekking
  • Nepal Trekking
  • New Zealand Trekking
  • Tasmania Trekking

LEGALESE

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright © 2023 · Halfway Anywhere