Please welcome guest blogger, Cornelius, from MonkeyBrewster.com…
We all know about the infamous statue of my main man J.C., which stands poised high above the streets of Rio de Janeiro resting atop Corcovado. You can Google search thousands of images of people posing in front of the statue, arms stretched out wide. It almost compares to the Tower of Pisa, where of course you must pose like you are holding it up. Touristy and iconic as the statue may be, few ever get to truly explore the mountain on which it stands.
The tourist hops in a taxi, rides the train up to the top of Corcovado, treks up the difficult stairway in order to pose for a few pictures before returning only moments later. But no, not you… you are a hardcore traveler and can’t be bothered with such tourist attractions right, but what if you throw in a non-touristy twist?
Hiking through Tijuca National Park to the top of Corcovado is a new way to see an old tourist trap. This isn’t a simple walk through the park. Here no equipment is needed*; but keep in mind that the higher you go up the steeper it becomes so skip out on the havaianas today. This is a rare occasion where in the heart of a sprawling city you can explore the wonders of a rainforest. Here you get to explore all that Rio has to offer and finish your hike high above the city with a view that if you have any left, will take the remainder of your breath away.
You still have to pay to get through the gated stairway if you want to spread your arms out in front of the Christ Redeemer statue, but you will be able to see so much more of what Rio has to offer before you ever reach the top. Even if you don’t plan on taking that final hike up to see the statue, I still recommend you bring a camera because there are plenty of great views along the way. This includes a great backside photo op. of the soap stone savior; sorry the front view is reserved for those souls who dig a little deeper. If you decide not to pay the toll, you can always stop at the salgadinho shop/gift shop at the base of the statue and buy yourself a postcard and some açaí. For those of you perusing through postcards note that if the scenic view has the statue facing you, it’s been photoshoped if you don’t believe me take three steps outside the store and take a look for yourself.
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*There are more difficult treks where rock climbing is included off the steep peak, yet these need to be set up through a company.
