Tijuca National Park – RioLIVE! Weekend

Have you ever been to the Tijuca National Park? If you haven’t, then you must go on a Tijuca Forest Tour with us. There is an entire forest within the city of Rio de Janeiro filled with beauty, history and nature. The Tijuca National Park is the largest urban forest in the world! There are viewpoints, lakes, historic sites, scenic hiking trails and easy paths. An ideal place to learn new vocabulary in Portuguese while enjoying the trails, ponds, waterfalls and caves.

Meeting: 09:00h at Rio & Learn
Cost of the activity: 180,00 reais
Bring some snacks for the picnic 🙂

Next Tijuca Forest Tour: 24 Apr. 2022

The park was created in 1961 and declared a national park that same year. Among the many wonders within the park area, one that stands out the most is the remarkable, gigantic sculpture of Cristo Redentor, at the top of the Corcovado hill. But we can’t fail to mention one of the highest peaks, the incredible Pedra da Gávea; the largest monolithic rock next to the ocean in the world.

Some recommended attractions are the Cachoeira do Horto, Cascatinha Taunay, which is the tallest waterfall in the forest; the Mayrink Chapel; and the Vista Chinesa (Chinese View) a belvedere where you can see the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, the Guanabara Bay and Niterói. There’s a large picnic table that can be found in the park called the Emperor’s Table where the Royal Family used to sit on occasion for breakfast. And we are going to do the same! Don’t forget to bring your snacks and drinks 😉

Destinations on the Tijuca Forest Tour

Additionally, the fauna and flora found here provide an intense connection with nature, allowing direct contact with several native species, as well as a variety of waterfalls to visit! For those who enjoy hiking, the most popular destinations in Tijuca Forest National Park are:

• Cachoeira da Diamantina: It’s not a difficult trail, it takes about 10 minutes to walk, and at the end you’ll find one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world!
• Bico do Papagaio: The peak reaches an altitude of 989 meters and is one of the most frequented trails in the park. Its name comes from its resemblance to a parrot’s beak.
• Pico da Tijuca: It is the highest point of the Tijuca National Park, at 1022 meters above sea level. Accessible by trail or climbing, reaching the top allows a 360º view of the city. It is one of the great references in Rio de Janeiro in the practice of mountaineering.
• Tijuca Mirim: It has this name because it is the smallest summit right in front of Pico da Tijuca! Mirim means small, and is 917 meters tall.
• Circuito das Cavernas: Another trail for beginners! Here the objective is to go through the main caves of the park, such as Paulo and Virginia, Belmiro, Bernardo de Oliveira and Morcegos.
• Mirante do Excelsior: Considered a light level of difficulty, it takes around 1 hour to walk. The name Excelsior is a tribute to Longfellow’s novel of the same name.
• Mirante da Cascatinha: From this viewpoint, you can admire the Conde, Andaraí Maior and Tijuca hills from a beautiful wooden deck. Chic, no? 😛
• Caverna dos Morcegos: Remember the Circuito da Caverna? This grotto is the final destination, and has an opening of more than 100 meters downwards!

All of these attractions make the Tijuca Forest a must-see on every tourists’ itinerary. As if it couldn’t get any better, the forest is complete with easy access entrances all over the city and a diverse repertoire of recreational activities which make it an absolute oasis within the city!

The Tijuca Rainforest, Rio de Janeiro

There are many ways to get to Tijuca Forest. Seeing as the forest is very large, the most important thing is to decide is where you want to start. The easiest access points are Rua Pacheco Leão, near the Botanical Garden or Afonso Viseu Square. But no need to fear, we have all of this covered on our tour.

The Tijuca National Park is open every day of the week from 8am to 5pm, so there’s enough time for us to spend our day exploring and relaxing. Come to Rio & Learn and practice Portuguese while having a lot of enjoyable moments with our RioLIVE! Activities. Let’s live, laugh and learn! 😉

Click on the links below to see how our last visits were on the Tijuca Forest Tour