The hills have eyes in Rio - at least Pedra da Gávea does! Plus a tall forehead, and a nose sculpted by wind. The Sugarloaf and the Corcovado may get more credit. But this was the first mountain ever named in the Portuguese language! Gávea is the term for the highest sail on the ship. This was back in 1501 in an expedition headed by Captain Gaspar de Leme. It does not make sense when you look from this angle, but we will illustrate. This is the view you get from Pedra Bonita, in São Conrado.

There are guided tours to Pedra Bonita. The access is not difficult, it is only a short hike uphill. About a half hour or so. But it is always safer to go with a group and relying on instructions from some dated paper guide. Wear proper shoes, never fail to protect your skin.

To get there you go past the point where there is a hang-glider's ramp. And yes, if you are the more adventurous type you may consider a tandem flight. Paraglide and para-sail your way down to the beach! The view is worth the effort.

Wikipedia has some interesting info about the geological nature of the granite gnaisse.

Understanding the View

Once you are on top of Pedra Bonita the "face" of the giant is looking at you. To your left there's São Conrado, with its luxury condos, golf clubs, Praia do Pepino (where hang-gliders land). The looming mountain is the twin hill Dois Irmãos. The sprawling community on this part of the hill is Rocinha - one of the largest in Rio.

The road along the coast of Dois Irmãos is Ave. Niemeyer, originally the only connection to São Conrado. Past the hills there's Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, and the strip of sand farther is part of Ipanema and Arpoador beaches.

Out west there's Barra da Tijuca all the way to Recreio. You are uphill at the border of the South Side and West Side with a view to both! Barra is about 17 km of white sand. It starts at Pepê, a favorite spot with surfers, and stretches to Reserva, Recreio dos Bandeirantes, and to other beaches including Macumba, Prainha and Grumari.

Barra da Tijuca was a planned neighborhood. Tall residential condos surround the interconnected lakes that still preserve some of the original wildlife - including an occasional aligator.

Pedra Bonita is a nature walk off the beaten path, yet easy to do and there are tour operators that offer them on a semi-regular basis. If you are staying in Rio long enough to do some optional activities, this will only take a morning! If you're traveling with a friend that is more shop oriented spend the rest of the day at Barra Shopping - the largest in Latin America.

Mountain Climbing

You can climb your way up to Pedra da Gávea, but it is not as easy as it sounds. Some parts are actually quite difficult., the stones may be slippery, this is an activity we only recommend to more experienced climbers. And obviously you need a local guide with you.

Make sure you are dealing with a reliable company with licensed guides. Know well your psychological limitations, and discuss any issues with your guide - preferably before you start your experience. If weather conditions are not favorable it was not meant to be.

Other Mountains & Beaches

Well, if you want to see Rio from different angles you should do both the Sugarloaf and the Corcovado, of course. There's also an overlook on top of Parque do Leblon at the beginning of Ave. Niemeyer. The vantage point from Arpoador, and Forte de Copacabana or Pedra do Leme. Rio is so picture friendly that you just have to choose!

This is what Pedra da Gávea looks like from Barra da Tijuca. If you use your imagination, you may see a the profile of the stone giant. Just to give you a confusing reference, the eyes of the giant you see at Pedra Bonita are the nostrils of the profile on left.

We mentioned beaches, and once you go past Barra da Tijuca, Reserva, and Recreio dos Bandeirantes (actually the same long beach), there's more. The first one is Praia da Macumba with a large rock you can walk to - when the tide is low.

Prainha is a preserved beach, small, and waves are great - meaning most of the regulars are into the surfing scene. Grumari is another lovely preserved beach that even deserves a page of its own! Right in the beginning of it there's the only naturist beach in Rio, Praia do Abricó!

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