| With an altitude
of 704 meters (2.310 feet), the Corcovado Mountain
provides a great challenge and an awesome way to
see the forest scenery. The
tour starts in the Santa Teresa neighborhood,
with a constant climb to the Dona Marta Belvedere.
After resting and enjoying the views from this
viewpoint, we will bike our way to the top of
the Corcovado Mountain, until we reach the Statue
of Christ. After spending some time enjoying the
magnificent view, we will bike down and across
Paineiras, where we will stop for a refreshing
shower.
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Passing through the
entrance to the Tijuca Forest, we will come down
the road that leads to the Mesa do Imperador and
Chinese view belvederes. The tour ends biking
on the beach biking path until your hotel.
Mountain biking on any PNT trail is forbidden,
so we use the paved roads across the forest that
offer a wonderful way to experience the park.
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CURIOSITIES
The Statue of Christ sits atop the Corcovado Mountain,
part of the Tijuca National Park. The area was previously
used as a view point area before the arrival of the
statue in 1931, accessed by train.
Statue of Christ was designed in Brazil, but was built
in France. It was transported in blocks to the top using
the trains, and completely assembled on the hilltop.
Statue facts:
Height 38 meters (120 feet)
Distance between hands: 30 meters (90 feet) of hug
Design Artist: Polish Paul Landowski
Legend says that Corcovado Mountain derives its name
from its hunchback (corcunda – corcovado) shape,
therefore Corcovado.
The Vista Chinesa (Chinese View) gets its name from
the settlement of Chinese immigrants in this location
by the Portuguese King D. João VI.
Tijuca is a native Tupi-Guarani word meaning swamp.
Many areas of Rio, including the neighborhood Tijuca,
Barra and Lagoa, contained several swamps and marshes
that have been filled as the city expanded.
The national park was created in 1961 as the “National
Park of Rio de Janeiro”. It got its present name
only in 1967, when additional land was incorporated
to the park. The new name, Tijuca National Park, was
a reflection of the Tijuca Peak.
The park was mostly deforested in the early 1800’s,
mostly for coffee plantations. Coffee plantations were
preeminent in the area during the 18th and 19th century,
while sugar cane operations were preeminent during the
17th and 18th centuries. Many city neighborhoods, mostly
in the north zone, are named after the sugar cane period.
In 1860’s and 1870’s, due to the extreme
water shortage in the city, the Imperial government
used eminent domain to remove all coffee plantations,
and reforested the area with native vegetation.
PNT Fauna: 300 species of insects, birds, mammals, and
lizards.
PNT Flora: 600 species of native and non-native Atlantic
Forest vegetation.
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