Tijuca National Park

Tijuca National Park covers almost 4,000 hectares of Atlantic forest in the mountains that run through the middle of Rio de Janeiro. It was created by decree on 6 July 1961, took its present name in 1967 and is managed by the federal conservation agency ICMBio together with the state and city governments. The forest is often described as one of the largest urban forests in the world, a claim also made by Johannesburg.

Much of the forest is the result of an early reforestation programme. In 1817 Dom João VI ordered the protection of trees around the springs of the Carioca River, and in 1861 Emperor Pedro II brought the area under federal control and ordered replanting. Between 1861 and 1887 more than 100,000 trees were planted under the direction of Major Manuel Gomes Archer, with the work done by a small team that included six enslaved people. Native hardwoods were favoured, and today the forest is home to more than 230 animal species, including capuchin monkeys, coatis, agoutis and marmosets, as well as about 30 waterfalls.

The park is divided into sectors. The Floresta da Tijuca sector, entered through Praça Afonso Viseu in Alto da Boa Vista, holds the Cascatinha Taunay waterfall, the Mayrink Chapel with a triptych by Cândido Portinari, the Açude da Solidão and the Excelsior viewpoint, as well as trails to Pico da Tijuca, at 1,022 metres the highest point in the park. The Serra da Carioca sector contains Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer, Parque Lage and the Vista Chinesa, a pagoda-style gazebo with views over the city. Another sector takes in Pedra Bonita, with its hang-gliding ramp, and the great rock of Pedra da Gávea. Further attractions include the Mesa do Imperador, a giant granite table.

The park received more than 3.3 million visitors in 2016, many of them at Christ the Redeemer. According to Portuguese Wikipedia it opens daily from 08:00 to 17:00, extended to 18:00 in summer, so plan walks to finish before closing.

Since the 2012 UNESCO listing of Rio's mountain and sea landscapes, the park has also been part of a World Heritage Site.

Combine the forest with Parque Lage or the Corcovado train in the Serra da Carioca sector, which give an easier taste of the park for those short on time.