Climbing & Hiking in Rio

To go climbing or hiking in Rio de Janeiro is something I highly recommend. The views are spectacular and the intense experience of nature is a nice break from the pulse of the city. I have some sub sections with more detailed info on where it´s possible or recommendable but first I will present you with some background.

More Information
On this page you have some general information. If you want more specific intructions on the trails available for hiking in Rio just go to Hikes in Rio and you´ll find some useful stuff. For climbing and things related just click Climbing in Rio and you will end up on a page specifically dedicated to that.

The Tijuca National Park
It is not by chance that the worlds largest urban forest sits in Rio de Janeiro. In the second half of the 19th century a man called Manuel Gomes Archer foresaw a future shortage of fresh water and wanted to replant big parts of the atlantic rainforest that then had disappeared. The king Dom Pedro II approved his idea and in 1861 the project started. It was successful and the hills of Rio was again covered by a lush green forest. In 1961 it was turned into a national park.

The Flora and Fauna
A side effect of this was that the plant and animal life of the Atlantic rainforest was preserved, in many other parts of Brazil it vanished as the coast of the country got settled. Today it´s an invaluable source for biologists and zoologists that get access to the Atlantic rainforest that used to cover the coast line of Brazil. Today less than 10% of this unique environment still exists. Today it´s under threat from expanding citys and towns. In Rio, it is the rapidly growing favelas that are the biggest threat and every year more and more of the green on the hills of Rio disappear.

Big Hills
Not only does Rio have the Atlantic rainforest to make it pretty. In combination with some dramatically shaped peaks you have a beauty that makes it one of the most beautiful cities in the world. For a rock climber or a hiker it means you will be offered views of a modern city that you can´t find anywhere else.


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