RIO DE JANEIRO - BRAZIL
Excursions and activities in Rio de Janeiro

CORCOVADO AND TIJUCA FOREST
Approximate Duration: 4 hours

Once the tour participants have been picked up from their hotels, we sally forth to Rio's trademark statue: Christ the Redeemer surmounting the hunch-backed peak of Corcovado. To reach our destination, we ride along the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, a natural salt-water lagoon surrounded by luxurious homes, and head for the tunnel Rebouças which runs beneath Corcovado. We see light at the end of the tunnel in the Cosme Velho District. Before boarding the Corcovado cog train, we take a step back to the early 19th century: The Largo do Boticário is a quaint square bearing witness to neo-colonial architecture.

After this look back, the steep cog railway takes us up to Christ. Our journey aboard the miniature train that runs 3.8 kilometres (2.4 miles) through a luxuriant tropical forest affords stunning glimpses of Rio from different angles. The 90,000 seedlings that were planted between 1861 and 1874 gave birth to the world's largest urban forest covering today some 3,300 hectares. Tijuca forest is home to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife and has been declared part of Brazil's national heritage.

From the upper railway terminus, 220 steps lead us to 1,145 tons of concrete taking shape of God's son. Since 1931 Christ has been stretching out his arms and keeping a watchful eye on Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and the French sculptor Paul Landowsky were the fathers of the massive statue which rises - 710 metres (2,329 ft) above sea level - 30 metres (98.4 ft) up into the sunny skies of Brazil and extends its arms horizontally; its fingertips covering a distance of 28 metres.

So close to heaven, and so far away from the world's problems … what enviable position!

We have approximately an hour to enjoy the divine views of Rio and to spot its sandy beaches, rocky islands, granite peaks and several outstanding man-made attractions. Besides the city's symbolic monument, Corcovado Mountain also features a small chapel in the statue pedestal and some secular phenomena: a café and souvenir shops.

Thereafter, the Corcovado cog train will take us back to Cosme Velho through the thick, exuberant Tijuca forest. Getting on our private coach again, we traverse the Rebouças tunnel and on our right side we will catch a glimpse of the Hipódromo, the city's horse-racing track, designed in Louis XV-style. Before returning to our hotels, we bend right towards the exclusive São Conrado District and stop at the tranquil Pepino beach. While we may try some coconut water straight from the shell, an ideal thirst-quencher and praised for its numerous positive effects on health, we can raise our heads towards the hang-gliders who fly overhead. They take off at Pedra Bonita, one of Rio's giant rocks, and touch down at Pepino beach.

But now it is high time to direct our steps towards home. Our coach will first call at the hotels on Ipanema Beach and then proceed along Copacabana.

See more activities to do in Rio de Janeiro...

BASIC PROGRAM TO VISIT RIO DE JANEIRO

DAY 1 - Arrival to Rio de Janeiro Airport and transfer to Hotel. 03 nights of accommodation with breakfast

DAY 2 - City Tour to visit the city and Sugar Loaf

DAY 3 - Excursion to Corcovado and Tijuca Forest

DAY 4 - Transfer to airport

This is a basic program to visit Rio de Janeiro. Please visit our tour list to see more tours combining this area and others place in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile

See More Tours | Request Price |

RIPIO TURISMO - Incoming Tour Operator Argentina & Chile- Leg. 10.687 Secretaría de Turismo de la Nación Argentina.
info@ripioturismo.com.ar

Ripio Turismo Website: www.ripioturismo.com.ar
Argentina-Guide.com.ar is a website of Ripio Turismo EVT - www.argentina-guide.com.ar

Design & General Idea: Nuevas Ideas© Consultora Turística - 1999-2005