Sugarloaf
Pão de Açúcar
Sugarloaf, or Pão de Açúcar, is a mountain peak Rio found on a peninsula at the mouth of Guanabara Bay, rising out of the ocean to 396m. This is probably Rio’s second most popular attraction after White Jesus, and something that is guaranteed to be on everyone’s itinerary.
Sugar?
The name has to do with the unusual shape of the mountain, which looks just like a sugarloaf - the form in which sugar was produced and sold back in the colonian times, before we got granulated sugar and sugar cubes. After refining, the sugar would be poured into moulds in the shape of a cone with a round top.
The Cablecar
While everyone refers to the entire complex as Sugarloaf, there are actually two peaks - Morro da Urca (the smaller one) and Pão de Açúcar (the taller one and the actual Sugarloaf). The two peaks are connected with the ground level by two cablecar lines. The first is between the base station and Morro da Urca, and the second is between Morro da Urca and Pão de Açúcar. Each journey takes around 3min and the cablecars run frequently, every 20min or so. The price of a return ticket for the entire journey is around 120BRL (~£17), which is on the high side for Rio de Janeiro.
The first cablecar was built in 1912 and the current generation (with fancy glass doors all around) was introduced in 2009. Try to secure a spot at either end if you can, for a great view of the ascent or descent. The cablecars run between 08:00 and 19:00 or so. Because the sunrise is much earlier than that, it’s not something you can ever experience from Sugarloaf, but you can go there for the sunset.
When to go
Sugarloaf gets very busy mid-day. Unlike in other places, I wouldn’t say that big crowds would make your visit less enjoyable. There is ample space on either peak, and the views are unobstructed by others. However, even though the cablecar service is frequent, the queues can get quite long. We visited at opening time and it was rather empty, but large queues started to form soon after. If I were to do this again, I would probably visit around sunset.
Do check the skies and weather forecast before visiting. A ride up to Sugarloaf doesn’t come cheap, and if the surrounding scenery (and possibly Sugarloaf itself) is going to be covered in clouds (which is not uncommon), there is no point in going at all. Do this on a clear sunny day, if you can!
The View
The view from the top of Sugarloaf is stunning and definitely one of the very best in Rio de Janeiro. You see Praia de Botafogo, Morro da Urca, Praia Vermelha, Copacabana and all the way to Dois Irmãos and Pedra da Gávea. There are facilities with toilets and places to eat and relax at the top of both peaks.
Tours
Much like Cristo Redentor, this experience is very straight-forward and safe to do on your own. The neighbourhood of Urca is safe and easy to reach by Uber from anywhere in Rio. Of course, all the tour operators offer group/private tours to Sugarloaf, and prices usually start at 200BRL per person - note this does not include the cablecar ticket (120BRL), something that isn’t always clear when you book. We needed a driver/guide to take us around Tijuca National Park later in the day and the combo tour that included Sugarloaf was similar in price, so we went for it. It was nice having someone around to tell us interesting stories about Rio, but you absolutely do not need a guide for visiting Sugarloaf. Other places - maybe.
Rock climbing
The cablecar really is your only option for reaching the top of Sugarloaf. There is a trail that goes to Morro da Urca and I’ve heard it is relatively easy (note you wouldn’t be able to see this one on Google Maps). Assuming this route is open, you might be able to save on price by doing the first part of the journey on foot. Maybe you will even see some cute marmosets on the way! A hiking trail all the way up to Sugarloaf does exist and you will find it on maps, however it is more of a climb than a hike and is very dangerous (you-fall-you-die kind of hike), so not really suited to the general public. Unless you are an experienced climber and come prepared, it’s not an option. Sugarloaf is in fact a very popular destination for rock climbing and there are many routes available.
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