Botafogo, Urca and Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf) in Rio de Janeiro

Pão de Açúcar, or the Sugar Loaf, looms over the perfect wine-glass bay of Botafogo, the next of the Guanabara Bay coves after Flamengo. Huddled around the boulder's flanks is the suburb of Urca, home to a military barracks and the safest middle-class houses in Rio. Remnant forest, still home to marmosets and rare birds, shrouds the boulder's sides and a cable car straddles the distance between its summit, the Morro de Urca hill and the houses below, making one of the continent's most breathtaking views easily accessible. Urca and Botafogo have a few sights of interest and make convenient bases with decent accommodation and restaurant options, particularly in the lower price ranges.

Ins and outs

Botafogo has a metrô station. Buses run between Copacabana and the centre stop in Botafogo. Alternatively, walk 10 minutes northeast from behind the Rio Sul shopping centre to the cable-car station, which lies on Praça General Tiburcio, next to the Rio de Janeiro federal university. The rides themselves go up in two stages, the first to the summit of Morro da Urca, the smaller rock that sits in front of the Sugar Loaf, and the second from there to the top of the Sugar Loaf itself. Allow at least two hours for your visit.

Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf)

The western hemisphere's most famous monolith rises almost sheer from the dark sea to just under 400 m, towering over Botafogo beach and separating Guanabara Bay from the open Atlantic Ocean. The views from the top, out over Copacabana, Ipanema and the mountains and forests of Corcovado and Tijuca are as unforgettable

as the view from New York's Empire State Building or Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. The

cable car

, www.bondinho. com.br

, runs to the top where there are extensive paths,

plentiful shade and snack bars. Come early for the clearest air, best views and smallest crowds.

Paths up and around the Sugar Loaf

There is more to Sugar Loaf than the views from the top. The surrounding rocks hide secluded little beaches, remnant forest and small colonial suburbs well worth seeing. The best place to begin is at

Praia Vermelha

, the beach to the south of the rock where there is a simple restaurant, the

Círculo Militar da Praia Vermelha

with wonderful views. The walking track,

Pista Cláudio Coutinho

, runs from here along the waterfront around the foot of the rock. You'll see plenty of wildlife at dawn, especially marmosets and colourful tanagers, along with various intrepid climbers scaling the granite. About 350 m from the beginning of the Pista Coutinho is a turning to the left for a path that winds its way up through the forest to the top of

Morro de Urca

, from where the cable car can be taken. You can save even more money by climbing the

Caminho da Costa

, a path to the summit of the Pão de Açúcar. Only one stretch of 10 m requires climbing gear; wait at the bottom of the path for a group going up. You can then descend to Morro de Urca by cable car for free and walk the rest of the way down. There are 35 rock-climbing routes up the boulder. The best months for

climbing are April to August.

Botafogo

The Funai-run

Museu do Índio

, www.museudo indio.org.br,

preserves some 12,000 objects from more than 180 Brazilian indigenous groups, including basketry, ceramics, masks and weapons as well as 500,000 documents and 50,000 photographs. Very few are on display and the museum's few rooms are mostly devoted to information panels and short film shows. The garden includes a Guaraní

maloca

and there is a small, well-displayed handicraft shop and a library of ethnology.

The

Museu Villa-Lobos

, www.museuvillalobos. org.br,

is a block east of the Museu do Índio. Such was the fame and respect afforded to Latin America's most celebrated composer that the museum was founded just one year after his death in 1960. Inside the fine 19th-century building is a collection of his personal objects including instruments, scores, books and recordings. The museum has occasional concerts and temporary shows and supports a number of classical music projects throughout Brazil.

The

Dona Marta viewpoint

, which sits in the forest immediately above Botafogo and is connected by road to Corcovado, offers the best views of the Sugar Loaf in the city. Do not visit after 1730 as robbers from the nearby

favelas

frequent the roads.

This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF

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