Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil until 1960, and it is still country's main port. This city is really big and very populated, so the number of sights that our visitors can visit is significant. Due to its incredible geographical position, Rio is adorned not only with cultural institutions, monuments and churches, but also with numerous tourist attractions that are located on the surrounding hills, from where an incredible view of the city is offered. Browse our list of sights and get to know Rio de Janeiro.
Christ the Redeemer, or Cristo Redentor in Portuguese, is a colossal statue of Jesus Christ at the top of Mount Corcovado. Christ the Redeemer statue was completed in 1931 and is 30 meters tall, and horizontally stretched arms are 28 meters long. The statue became a recognizable symbol of Rio de Janeiro and the entire country. The statue of Christ is made out of reinforced concrete and placed on a high pedestal of 8 meters. The statue is the largest of its kind in the entire world. It was made in Art Deco style.
Corcovado Hill, or Morro do Corcovado in Portuguese (Morro in Portuguese means “hump”) is a sharp rocky top (704 meters), part of the Carioca chain from where an incredible view of Rio de Janeiro can be seen. Mount Corcovado got its name “hump” because of its shape. There is an impressive statue of Christ the Redeemer at the top of its narrow top. The statue is an incredible 30 meters high and can be seen from all parts of the city. The statue of Christ the Redeemer is the most famous symbol of Rio de Janeiro.
Sugarloaf Mountain, or Pao de Acucar in Portuguese, is a peak located above the city of Rio de Janeiro, at the estuary of Guanaraba Bay. The peak is located on an uphill of 396 meters, and the name is related to the shape of concentrated sugar. There is an incredible view of the whole city from the Sugarloaf Mountain, and you can reach it by a cable car, which you will surely enjoy riding. This hill or mountain is of many that surround Rio, and rises straight from the ends of the water around the city. Sugarloaf Mountain has been a part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage since 2012.
Tijuca National Park, or Parque Nacional da Tijuca in Portuguese, was founded in 1961 with the goal of protecting Tijuca mountain range which includes Pedra da Gavae, Corcovado, and the highest peak is located at 1022m. Tijuca is considered to be the largest urban forest in the world, covering an area of about 39 km2. The Tijuca Forest, and then the Tijuca National Park, was created by afforestation ordered by the then mayor Manuel Gomez Archer, who, together with numerous workers, planted over 60.000 endemic species and exotic plants.
Saint Sebastian Cathedral or Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian is the main cathedral in the city, and it’s the center of the Catholic Church and the Brazilian diocese. The church is dedicated to Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of the city of Rio de Janeiro. At first glance, the cathedral in Rio is reminiscent of the ancient Mayan pyramid, and it was designed so that it would not look like any other church, but just an ancient extinct civilization. Because of this, the unique conical shape of the cathedral actually has a flat top, which is identical to the Yucatan pyramid and is designed to symbolize the closeness of people to God. The cathedral was designed by Edgar de Oliveira da Fonseca.
