Sugarloaf Mountain

Pão de Açúcar

A 396-metre granite peak reached by two cable-car legs via Morro da Urca; from the top you can watch the sunset over Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana and Guanabara Bay, Rio's most beautiful dusk.

Sugarloaf Mountain is a 396-metre granite monolith at the entrance to Guanabara Bay. It is named for its resemblance to the conical moulds used to shape sugar in the colonial era. The cable car, opened in 1912, is one of the world's oldest sightseeing cable cars. The ascent takes two stages. First, take the cable car from Praia Vermelha station in the Urca district to the 220-metre Morro da Urca, which has a restaurant, an observation deck and a helicopter sightseeing pad. Then transfer to the second cable car to the summit of Sugarloaf. Each stage takes about 3 minutes, and the cabins have glass on all four sides. From the top you can see Copacabana Beach, the sailboats of Botafogo Bay, the Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado and Niterói across the bay. At sunset, as the city lights come on, it is the most beautiful moment in all of Rio. A round-trip ticket costs about BRL 190 (2025). Book a time slot on the official website, bondinho.com.br; there are discounts for early and late slots. Opening hours are 08:00–21:00, with the last ascent at 19:50. To save money or get some exercise, walk the Claudio Coutinho trail (a flat 1.2 km seaside path beside Praia Vermelha beach, free, with small monkeys to see), then climb Morro da Urca midway (about 40 minutes, with some scrambling) to the first station, and buy a one-way ticket to the top. Sugarloaf itself is a world-class climbing site. The summit has shops and bars, and a visit takes about 2 hours. On weekends and holidays, queues get long after 4 pm, so buy tickets online in advance. Bar Urca in Urca is where locals sit on the seawall in the evening drinking beer, a good stop to make on the way.

Sugarloaf Mountain

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby