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July 27, 2016

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Seven Rio hikes that will take your breath away

Source: Agencies | July 27, 2016, Wednesday | Print Edition

GET into the spirit of the Games with this selection of seven of Rio’s most spectacular hikes, many of which offer unique views of Olympic venues.

Christ the Redeemer

Every year, about 3 million people visit the statue of Christ the Redeemer, an Art Deco masterpiece that looks over the teeming Olympic city from the 710-meter peak of Corcovado mountain.

The trail starts from Parque Lage, an ornate Austenesque garden next to the Jardim Botanico. From here it’s a steep, tiring but manageable walk of 90 minutes to two hours through dense forest to the top of Corcovado, crossing the cog-railway that most tourists use for their visit.

Morro da Urca

If you want to get to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain without using the cable car at all, you’ll have to get out the ropes and crampons. But for those who aren’t mountain climbers, there is a tempting halfway option; a 40-to-50-minute trail that leads from the beach up to the cable car’s first hilltop stop on the Morro da Urca. From here, you can then pay a reduced price to go by cabin car up to Sugarloaf itself; alternatively, stay here for an excellent vantage point over the Olympic sailing events.

Parque da Catacumba

Until the 1960s, a favela stood on the slope of this gentle hill on the eastern shore of the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. Now it’s home to a sculpture park and a small outdoor activity centre popular with children and families. A 30-minute walk from the entrance takes you to the Mirante de Sacopa, looking out over the lake and the neighborhoods of Ipanema and Leblon on the far shore. Come here for the Olympic rowing and the canoe sprint events and you’ll have some of the best seats in the house.

Pedra do Telegrafo

With a hike here, you’ve come to the furthest reaches of Rio 2016, just beyond the point where in August the road cyclists will be completing their arduous time trial and the racewalkers will be doing their stuff.

So-called Telegraph Rock was home to a military communications post in World War II and is located to the west of Grumari, where the outskirts of Rio give way to endless deserted beaches and subtropical rainforest.

Little known until last year, the trail to the rock has found international fame on social media; an optical illusion makes it the perfect spot for impressing far-off friends and families with images of your death-defying adventures in the Olympic city.

Morro Dois Irmaos

On a hike to the top of the Dois Irmaos, the twin peaks that look over Ipanema and Leblon beaches, you can combine an authentic, non-exploitative look into favela life with some of the most spectacular views in Rio.

Alternatively, take a minivan or mototaxi from the entrance of Vidigal up to the beginning of the trail; from here it’s about 50 minutes of fairly steep walking to the top, taking in stunning views on one side of the city’s largest favela (Rocinha) and on the other of its most up-scale neighborhoods. No other hike offers such an insight into the exhilarating diversity of the Olympic city.

Pedra Bonita

The name translates as “beautiful rock” and it’s hard to argue with that. At the division between southern Rio and the western region of Barra da Tijuca, the location of the largest cluster of Olympic venues, Pedra Bonita offers superb views of the city in all directions.

The best way to access the trail is from the Estrada das Canoas, the steep road that rises from Sao Conrado beach into Tijuca Forest, the world’s largest urban forest.

Pedra da Gavea

The flat top of the 844 meter high Pedra da Gavea is one of the city’s most recognizable sights. Towering above Pedra Bonita, this granite monolith is the most challenging hike in Rio and has the most spectacular views to match. It’s best accessed from Barra da Tijuca, location of Barra Olympic Park and the athletes’ village.

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