Tijuca National Park

The Tijuca forest is the green heart of Rio, a vast swathe of Atlantic rainforest that covers the mountains rising behind the beaches and wraps around Corcovado itself. It is the core of the Tijuca National Park, the most visited national park in Brazil, and one of the largest urban forests in the world. What makes it remarkable is its history. By the middle of the nineteenth century coffee plantations had stripped these slopes, and the city's water supply was failing; in the 1860s the imperial government ordered the forest replanted, and over the following decades tens of thousands of trees were planted by hand, many of them by enslaved workers. The forest that grew back is now dense, tall and full of life, with capuchin monkeys, marmosets, toucans, coatis and countless butterflies, and its trails, waterfalls and viewpoints are part of everyday life in Rio. The park covers several sectors, but most visitors know the Floresta da Tijuca sector, reached by road from Alto da Boa Vista, and the Serra da Carioca sector around Corcovado and Paineiras. A good half-day tour in an open jeep, like the one linked here, follows the winding mountain roads to the main sights: the Cascatinha Taunay waterfall, a tall cascade a short walk from the road; the small pink Mayrink Chapel, with copies of panels by the modernist painter Candido Portinari; the Mesa do Imperador, a stone table where the imperial family is said to have picnicked, with a view down over the South Zone; and the Vista Chinesa, a Chinese-style pagoda built in the early twentieth century as a tribute to the Chinese tea workers who once farmed the hillsides, looking out over the lagoon, the Botanical Garden, Ipanema and Leblon. The tour includes easy walks on forest trails and hotel pickup from the South Zone and the centre.

For hikers, the park offers much more. Pico da Tijuca, at just over a thousand metres the highest point of the park, is reached by a well-marked trail of about an hour and a half each way that ends in carved stone steps and a chain handrail; the view on a clear day takes in the entire city and the bay. The Pedra Bonita launch ramp, used by hang-gliders who land on the beach at Sao Conrado, has an easy trail to a summit with an extraordinary view of Pedra da Gavea and the coast. The Paineiras Visitor Center, in a restored early twentieth-century hotel near the top of Corcovado, has a restaurant, an exhibition on the forest and a bar with a viewpoint, and is the departure point of the official vans to Christ the Redeemer.

How to visit well: the forest is safest and most rewarding with a guide or in a group, especially on longer trails, and you should never hike alone or start a trail late in the day. The national park has occasionally reported robberies on less-visited paths and roads, so keep to the popular routes on weekends, when they are busiest, or join a tour. Bring insect repellent, water and a light rain jacket, as the forest is humid and showers come quickly, and wear shoes with good grip. Entry to most of the park is free; some sectors and attractions charge a fee.

Who it suits: nature lovers, families with children old enough for short trails, and anyone who needs a break from the beach and the heat. A jeep tour is the easiest way to see the highlights in a few hours; hikers should plan a separate day for Pico da Tijuca or the bigger climbs.