The Tijuca Forest in Rio de Janeiro
Few cities in the world can boast of being located in a natural enclave as surprising as Rio de Janeiro. To its magnificent beaches we must add the gigantic urban forest located in the heart of the city, the Parque Nacional da Tijuca, more commonly known as the Floresta da Tijuca. An amazing space that allows you to go from the rush and congestion of a large metropolis to the peace and tranquility of the tropical forest, in just a few minutes.
Parque Nacional da Tijuca (The Floresta da Tijuca National Park)
The Floresta da Tijuca National Park, with its almost 4,000 hectares, is the largest urban forest in the world and plays a fundamental role in the life of the city. It is the main green area of Rio de Janeiro, and it is in charge of preserving the water springs that supply the city, controlling both atmospheric and acoustic pollution, preventing erosion, avoiding floods, regulating the climate and, of course, give shelter and protection to hundreds of species of flora and fauna (especially monkeys and iguanas), many of them endemic and in danger of extinction.
Despite its current importance, there was a time during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when the entire area was practically deforested and razed by the exploitation of wood and the installation of farmland, especially coffee. It was the Emperor of Brazil, Don Pedro II, who in 1861, in a pioneering conservation initiative, ordered the expropriation of the land and its complete reforestation.
The recovery process lasted 17 years, during which more than 130,000 trees were planted and the forest was transformed into a space for public use, including the incorporation of exotic species, bridges, lakes, fountains, viewpoints and rest areas, all with the help of the French landscaper Augusto Glaziou, the same one who designed the gardens of Quinta da Boa Vista.
The Floresta da Tijuca was declared a National Park on July 3, 1961, at present it is part of the Rio de Janeiro Biosphere Reserve and is the most visited National Park in all of Brazil. The Tijuca National Park is divided into four sectors that are home to the highest peaks of Rio de Janeiro and one of its greatest tourist attractions, the Christ the Redeemer of Corcovado. Within each sector there are several paved roads and rustic trails that go into the thick vegetation, ideal for lovers of trekking (hiking), ecological tourism and adventure sports.
One of the best ways to get to know the National Park, at least its most important areas, is by taking a jeep tour. The excursion allows you to make several stops at the main viewpoints, take short walks to feel the majesty of the tropical forest, take a bath in one of the waterfalls when the weather allows it and, if you are lucky, see some of the animals that inhabit the area.
The Tijuca Forest
It is the best known sector and with the greatest infrastructure of the Tijuca National Park, which includes a restaurant, children’s play areas, roads and well-marked trails.
Within the Floresta da Tijuca is the highest peak in Rio de Janeiro, the Pico da Tijuca. At 1,022 meters high, it offers spectacular views of the city and is one of the favorite places for lovers of mountaineering and climbing, since it is possible to reach its top in both ways.
Another important rocky massif is the Pico do Papagaio (989 m), a granite formation whose shape resembles the peak of a parrot, hence its name. It is one of the most frequented places in the park since from its top you can see several of the city’s beaches, especially Barra da Tijuca and Recreio dos Bandeirantes, with the descent to Jacarepaguá.
La Floresta da Tijuca is also home to the Lago das Fadas, the Taunay Waterfall, a 30-meter high waterfall, the Excelcior Viewpoint, which can be reached on foot or by bicycle, along a rustic path and a specialized Visitor Center. in the environment.
Serra da Carioca
The main attraction of the Serra da Carioca is the emblematic Corcovado hill with its famous Christ the Redeemer, declared in 2007 as one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World. But in addition to this world-famous viewpoint, Sector B of the Tijuca National Park has other viewpoints that offer privileged views of the city and the bay. One of them is the so-called Mesa do Imperador (Table of the Emperor) which was the favorite place of Emperor Pedro II on his walks through the Floresta da Tijuca. Originally, in this place there was a gazebo made of bamboo and wood, surrounded by vegetation, where the emperor and the nobles who accompanied him, used to rest and enjoy the image of the bay.
Two other beautiful viewpoints in this sector are the Vista Chinesa (Chinese viewpoint), with an oriental-style pavilion, and the Mirante Dona Marta (Doña Marta Viewpoint) located 364 meters high, at the Entrada das Paineiras. These two viewpoints are a mandatory stop on jeep circuits through the Floresta da Tijuca.
The Mirante Dona Marta is the first tourist point on the ascent to Corcovado and is also one of the places from where helicopters take off that make panoramic flights over the city of Rio (you must find out before, since sometimes departures from here).
The Parque Lage is also part of this sector, with its mansion and its European-style gardens. For the more sporty, a path of medium difficulty begins from the park that almost reaches the Christ the Redeemer.
Pedra Bonita and Pedra da Gávea
The name of this sector is due to the two most characteristic rocky massifs in the area and it is distinguished from other areas because it offers the possibility of practicing various types of sports such as hiking, climbing and hang gliding.
Pedra da Gávea is a rock formation different from the others that can be seen in Rio de Janeiro. While most of the rocky peaks in the city end in a point, the top of Pedra da Gávea (842 meters high) is a mostly flat plateau, which is why it became a point of reference for sailors.
But the Pedra da Gávea, holds other surprises. Viewed from Pedra Bonita, at the end of the plateau you can see the shape of a huge “giant’s head” carved in the stone.
This granite “sculpture”, the product of erosion caused by wind and rain, awakens the imagination of those who observe it. There are even those who point out that at the other end of the plateau, seen from the sea, there is another gigantic but unfinished head, thus increasing the mystery that surrounds the massif.
It is also said that at the top of Pedra da Gávea, on the side of the “giant’s head” there are mysterious inscriptions that seem to correspond to some ancient alphabet. Expeditions have been organized over the years to analyze these mysterious inscriptions, without reaching conclusive results.
While some scientists claim that the mysterious inscriptions are nothing more than the result of the erosion of the stone, others believe they identify Phoenician characters, suggesting that the ancient Phoenicians could have arrived in Rio de Janeiro long before the French and Portuguese.
Beyond the mystery, Pedra da Gávea is one of the favorite places for hikers, and the trekking route that crowns its peak has become increasingly famous. However, it must be taken into account that it is a long route and with sections of high difficulty, so it is recommended for those who have previous experience and are in good shape.
Pedra Bonita, with its 696 meters high, is an excellent natural viewpoint that is very easy to reach through a winding path covered with vegetation, called Estrada das Canoas. The path passes by the “Casa das Canoas”, a residence designed by Oscar Niemeyer.
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