Image via Wikipedia
Board the cable car that ascends this 390-foot granite mountain, which offers superb views of the city.
Traveler Reviews
Amazing at all times of the day, but especially sunset
Reviewed by AbbieDabbyDu07 on Jul 1, 2010
My husband and I arrived around 3:30 - 4PM to meet a huge line that lead down the street and wrapped around the corner. As we resigned to wait in line, someone who worked there told us that if we were not cariocas, there was a separate line for us closer to the gate. We decided to give it a shot and walked straight into the ticketing area with about 6 people ahead of us. I thought something had to be wrong, so I asked again and was told the same thing. Rather than waiting in line for what I'm sure would've been an hour at best, we got our tickets within 15 minutes and were to the top in 20 more minutes.
I have no idea why there are two lines, but we ran into some other non-cariocas at the top and they said the same thing happened to them. Before heading to Sugar Loaf, you may want to research if this is the case everyday or only at certain times of day, etc because we never figured it out, but felt very lucky! We arrived to the top of Sugar Loaf just in time to get a few pictures with the sun all the way up in the sky. Soon afterwards, the sun began to set and city began to light up. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets/cityscapes I have ever seen in my life.
If you can work it out, I strongly suggest planning your visit to catch both the daylight, sunset, and night views of Rio all in one trip from the top of Sugar Loaf. Someone suggested this to us and they were 100% right! We stayed at the top of Sugar Loaf until around 7:45ish and caught one of the last cable cars down.
Breathtaking! A Must Do in Rio de Janiero
Reviewed by kmabello on Jun 19, 2010
Going to the peak of Pao de Acucar is a breath-taking and wondrous experience. The view from the peak is just amazing. You can see Rio de Janeiro and it beaches. You can see how the buildings are laid out across the landscape, and how they contrast to the ocean that surrounds the island. There are viewing decks in the first and second mountains. Each one offers a slightly different, but all very magnificent view of Rio de Janeiro.
There are restaurants and shops around. Personally, I liked the stuff that was being sold there :) There is also a hiking trail on top of Pao de Acucar. It is very peaceful there, and it is a nice place to relax and get your mind off things. The sounds are amazing --- you can hear the wind almost all the time (because of the altitude), the ocean pounds below, the leaves of the trees are constantly rustling, and the birds are always noisy.
If you're lucky (like me!), you might even see some wild monkeys playing! But really, the best part for me was being able to relax because it is very silent there :) I went there on budget, so I did not take the cab. Instead, I rode bus 511 from Copacabana and spent just R$2,50 going there. I bought cable car tickets for R$44,00 which was really worth it.
Great Views
Reviewed by horshamsussex on Jun 17, 2010
Go early in the morning, say 9am to avoid the Q and don't forget your camera. Set aside at least 2 hours to get up and back enjoying the view at both points.
The best view I've ever seen
Reviewed by brasilka on Jun 16, 2010
It's one of 2 main attractions in Rio, the second one is Christ the Redeemer. I asked my Brazilian friend which one she recommended and she said: Pao de Acucar as this is the city front view, while Cristo Redendor is back view. She was right, the view was amazing. I've seen a lot of places in Brazil, but the moment when I saw Copacabana from the upper hill, was unforgettable. I saw many people speechless with delight, just as me. I could have spent whole day there, just watching the panorama of the city. If you had time to see just one place in Rio, you must choose this one.
You have to visit Sugarloaf Mountain aka Pao de Acucar
Reviewed by ShonStarr on Apr 6, 2010
Sugarloaf Mountain or Pao de Acucar in Portuguese is one Rio de Janeiro, Brazil?s top tourist attractions. It got its name from looking like a loaf of sugar due to the way sugar was traditionally packaged during the time of the Portuguese. Sugarloaf Mountain is a definite must see when you come to Rio and unless you?re a mountain climber there is only one way to the top and that?s by cable car. There are actually two mountains that make up the trip to the top of Sugarloaf. The first is called Urca Mountain and the second is Pao de Acucar or Sugarloaf. The current price for the cable car trip is around $12 per mountain or $24 for the complete trip.
Don?t be cheap and make sure you buy a complete ticket for both mountains it?s definitely worth it. The view from Urca Mountain is pretty nice, but the scene from the top of Sugarloaf is the best part and the icing on the cake. The original cable cars were built in 1912 and were updated in 1973. The height of Sugarloaf is about 1300 feet. Take a look at my photo of the bright yellow original cable car ? pretty scary right? Can you imagine traveling up 1300 feet in that? Unlike Corcovado Mountain and The Christ Redeemer Statue there is a lot to do on Sugarloaf. There are many shops, a few places to eat, a bar and many laid back areas with seating to just fall back and enjoy the view. You can literally spend hours up there taking pictures and just relaxing.
For the animal and nature lovers there is a small trail area where if you?re lucky you can see monkeys, all types of birds, and I even saw a 3ft lizard once while I was walking the trail. Of course if you go when it?s super busy and noisy you probably will not see much, but early in the morning is a great time to go especially before it gets too hot.
There is even a live music venue and disco on top of Sugarloaf that plays host to some great concerts and events during certain times of the year. I don?t think there is a disco in the world that has a better view. The 360-degree view of Copacabana is amazing, especially while enjoying a caipirinha or ice cold cerveja and listening to some good live music.
