RIO DE JANEIRO - PÃO DE AÇÚCAR (SUGARLOAF)
Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) is one of Rio de Janeiro's most visited locations. This very tall narrow rock has a big view of the city, bay and the beaches. There is a network of two trams to take you from the bottom to the top, with a smaller peak being the junction of the two trams. Unfortunately, it was a bit hazy...but a lot could still be seen.

First, a view of the 2 peaks (Pão de Açúcar on the left and the smaller peak on the right) on a less hazy day from Botafogo (to the west of Pão de Açúcar)...



Other views of Sugarloaf though from the day when I went to the top...







Approaching the peak from the tram...



Approaching the lower peak station (the junction of the trams)...



A view of the bay (and downtown) from the peak...



Close-up of downtown (in the haze)...



Another bay view, but from the lower first peak...



Looking almost straight down at a small peninsula extending into the bay...



A couple views to the west (towards most of Rio, which is of course broken up by mountains). Note the lower peak in the foreground...





Looking south into the Atlantic Ocean (with coastal islands)...



Close-up of an island...



View to the east (the slope is less steep with more vegetation)...



View to southwest looking towards Copacabana...



Some of the cliff vegetation (in a more dense location)...



The bottom of a cliff (near the beach) with less dense more xerophytic vegetation...



A native trunked cactus...probably Pilosocereus arrabidae...



A lush garden (albeit with some introduced species) on the east side of Pão de Açúcar...



And finally, one last look...from the beach, where you can see both the lower peak (with the tram station junction) and Pão de Açúcar...



All of the above pictures on this page were taken in October/November 2010 by Brandt Maxwell.

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