Upon disembarking the Sugar Loaf Mountain cable car (gondola) at Praia Vermelha (Red Beach) in Urca area, you can easily take a yellow taxi to Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, or to any other district in Rio de Janeiro. There are two yellow taxi stands right there. Otherwise, you can just hail a taxi on the street, since taxis arrive all the time to drop off passengers. As Copacabana is very close to Praia Vermelha in Urca district, you get back to your…read more
When talking about hiking SugarLoaf up you need to understand that there are two hills that are part of the Sugar Loaf complex: Sugar Loaf: 396 meters (1,306 feet) above sea level, which you can hike up most of the way through the forest, but at some point you will need to climb the rock to get to the summit of Sugar Loaf. If you are a beginner, you should hire a guide to take you to the easiest path…read more
There are many curiosities about Rio de Janeiro Sugar Loaf, in Brazil. Curiosity 1 (year 1933) – Paulina Sampaio was born on the summit of Sugar Loaf. Her father, José Maria Sampaio, worked and lived with his family at the meteorological post on the top of the rock. Curiosity 2 (year 1967) – The German Brueder brothers drove a motorcycle on the cable between Urca Hill and Sugar Loaf. Curiosity 3 (year 1977) – American high-wire walker Steven McPeak, armed…read more
There are several interesting facts about Rio de Janeiro Sugar Loaf and its cable cars. Year of inauguration: 1912 Years to build the stations, the cars and install them: a bit more than three years Number of passengers each car holds: 65 Departure time: every 20 minutes Sugar Loaf height above sea level: 396 meters (1,306 feet) Opening hours: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Other important facts about Sugar Loaf in Brazil are: It is the second most visited tourist…read more
The entrance fee to the Sugar Loaf cable car in Rio de Janeiro includes a round-trip on both cable cars. After buying the ticket, keep it at hand as it will be requested from you several times (before getting in on each cable car – total of 4 times). The car ride takes only 3 minutes and there are no seats. Each car holds 65 people and departs every 20 minutes. The ticket you receive is good for any cable…read more
Sugar Loaf: The Definitive Guidebook (e-book in Adobe PDF format) is not a climbing guidebook, but has useful information on hiking as well as contact information of recommended guides you can hire to climb Sugar Loaf with you as well as provide you with the necessary climbing gear and tips on getting to the Sugar Loaf summit the most adventurous way. If your goal is to only hike up Urca Hill, then you don’t need a climbing guidebook neither an expert guide,…read more
Visiting Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is not dangerous at all — you won’t feel any danger. Sugar Loaf is a huge rock located in Urca Neighborhood, which is a military area. The summit of Urca Hill (the hill half way to Sugar Loaf) presents no danger either – it is guarded during the opening hours. And finally, the Sugar Loaf summit is not dangerous either as it is also guarded by private guards hired by the…read more
There is no train line that can take you to the bottom of Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, neither there is a train that takes you to the top. In fact, trains in Rio connect mainly the business district and the suburbs, and they are very crowded on weekdays. The best way to get to the bottom of Sugar Loaf Mountain is by taxi, or if you are on a budget, by bus # 511. Once you get to the bottom…read more
There is no subway to Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro. In fact, the Rio subway, which is mostly underground, has only three lines that basically crosses the city. If compared to other major cities in Europe, Rio has actually few stations. The closest subway station to Sugar Loaf is Botafogo Station, but you would need to walk approximately 20-25 minutes to get to the Sugar Loaf cable car ticket office in Urca Neighborhood. If you are on a budget, instead…read more
A taxi to Sugar Loaf Mountain is easy to catch on any street of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There are 32,000 taxi drivers in Rio and not as many passengers at any regular day. So, you won’t find any difficulty in getting a taxi to Sugar Loaf, except on Carnival days, where Rio welcomes approximately one million tourists from all over Brazil and the world. A taxi ride to Sugar Loaf Mountain costs approximately R$15-30; US$7.50-15; €6-12 depending on your departure point…read more
