Tijuca Forest & National Park

See Corcovado Mountain,
Rio De Janeiro
Southwest Brazil
Brazil

Type: Park

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It is rare for a national park to have an urban setting and that’s what makes Parque Nacional da Tijuca unusual, since it is only 15 miles from the center of Rio. It covers almost 8,000 acres and has within it eight different forest areas, Corcovado Mountain, scores of waterfalls, grottos, chapels, historic points and well-marked hiking trails. There are hundreds of species of flora and fauna, all typical of an Atlantic rain forest and many of them endangered. The park, which was created in 1961, is dense, but roads within it are well paved and lead to a variety of sights. Its most mountainous part is called Alto da Boa Vista. The highest point of the paved road, Largo do Bom Retiro, has an information center with an assortment of maps showing the hiking trails that lead to Tijuca Peak and Papagáio Peak, highest in the park.They are signposted. The most important part of the park for visitors is Tijuca Forest, home to Corcovado Mountain, beautiful viewing points and a stunning waterfall. If you drive, enter the park at Praça Alfonso Visen and follow the paved road. At 1,300 feet, Vista Chinesa (Chinese View) observation point is marked by a green pagoda with fearsome dragon heads. (In the early 19th century, Chinese immigrants worked on a tea plantation nearby.) Stop here for great views of Corcovado, Ipanema, Leblon and south zone beaches. Mesa do Imperador (Emperor’s Table) is the next stop, 200 feet higher and with different views. The name came from Emperor Dom Pedro I, whose family picnicked here to escape the heat of the city below. Here too you’ll find Mayrink Chapel, which was part of a coffee plantation in the 16th century. It has murals by a well-known Brazilian artist, Candido Portinari. Follow signs to the Taunay Waterfalls, which drop 500 feet. It’s a cool and lovely spot for a picnic. If you continue to climb into the park, you’ll reach the parking area for the Christ The Redeemer statue.