Sugarloaf Mountain

Sugarloaf mountain is a peak situated at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean and it raises 396 meters (1,299 ft) above the harbor. Its name is said to refer to its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined Loaf sugar.

This mountain is only one of several monolithic granite and quartz mountains that rise straight from the water's edge around the city. Visitors can crest via a glass-walled cable car that runs along a 1400-meter route between the peaks of Pão de Açúcar and Morro da Urca every 20 minutes.

Getting there

There are two cable cars that transport passenger all the way to the summit. The first ascends to the shorter Morro da Urca, 220 meters high. The second car ascends to Pão de Açúcar. The Italian-made bubble-shaped cars offer passengers 360-degree views of the surrounding city. The climb takes three minutes from start to finish. Departures are available every 20 minutes between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm and the fare is R$62 for an adult and R$31 for children ages 6-21 round-trip ticket to Pão de Açúcar.

It is no longer possible to hike halfway up to Morro da Urca and then take the cable car up to the top of the mountain. The Morro da Urca ticket office closed December 10, 2013. Hikers who attempt to ride the cable car at Morro da Urca will be turned around and told to hike all the way back down to the bottom station to purchase a ticket.

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References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarloaf_Mountain_%28Brazil%29