It does get a bit crowded at peak times at Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro.
Only a few hundred visitors can fit at the same time on the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain. However, at Urca Hill (the hill half way to Sugar Loaf), which is much more spacious, fits well over one thousand people.
Lots of visitors reach the summit of Sugar Loaf and then come down to Urca Hill to take their time. Although Sugar Loaf is the most famous, Urca Hill is the most spacious, hence why tourists prefer to spend some time there on the busiest days.
In fact, as safety bars are much longer at Urca Hill, it is unlikely that you would find yourself looking for room among other tourists to take a photo. At Sugar Loaf Mountain on the other hand, you may have trouble in finding an empty spot by the safety bars, specially at sunset in the high season (high season in Rio is from December through February — mainly).
To avoid hassle and learn important travel information on how to visit Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, get a copy of Sugar Loaf: the definitive guidebook to visiting the Rio de Janeiro’s most famous hill.