After the Olympics, Go Hiking in Rio de Janeiro

Tijuca National Park includes the city’s urban forest and sprawling mountains, where peaks overlook the colorful cityscape and offer stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Established in 1961, Tijuca was Brazil’s first national park. It is the most visited park in the country and covers 9,768 acres. According to the visitor center, more than 2 million people per year make their way along the 125 miles of pathways.

Tijuca National Park is part of the 1,500-square-mile Atlantic Forest that hugs the shoreline of Brazil from the state of Rio Grande do Norte in the north to Grande do Sul in the south. The park is divided into three sectors: Setor Floresta, Serra da Carioca and Pedra Bonita/Pedra Gavea.

Tijuca peak is the highest point in the Atlantic Forest, reaching 3,350 feet into the sky. A steadily rising pathway in Setor Floresta leads to the summit. At the top, a panoramic view of Rio unfolds along the horizon.

One of the city’s most iconic high points rises proudly on top of Corcovado Mountain. In the Serra da Carioca sector, the arms of the Christ the Redeemer statue stretch 92 feet. The left arm points north. Travelers can ride the Corcovado Rack Railway to reach the statue; the more adventurous can hike a 1.5-mile winding path up to the peak.

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