Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro can be visited on a half-day shore excursion when your cruise is in Rio. Sugarloaf, or Pao de Acucar in Portuguese, looks like a large granite bullet, but is named for a mold used to refine cane sugar.
Stretching almost 1300 feet into the sky, the top of Sugarloaf is reached via two 75-person cable cars on rides of less than five minutes each. These modern Italian cable cars are very stable and fast, but visitors have been taking a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf since 1912. The first cable car goes to Urca Peak, which has a sightseeing helicopter pad, restaurant, restrooms, and souvenir shops. The second cable car goes all the way to the top of Sugarloaf, which has a smaller viewing area, but still has a refreshment stand, souvenir shops, and restrooms. The views from both peaks are spectacular if the day is clear. You can see Corcovado Mountain, the Rio beaches, and the city below.
Images 1-12 of 12
- Graphic Index
- Text Index