Sugarloaf Mountain, Granite and gneiss mountain in Urca, Brazil.
Sugarloaf Mountain is a granite and gneiss inselberg that rises 395 meters above the water in Urca, forming one of the most recognizable landforms along Guanabara Bay. Two peaks make up the formation, with the lower Morro da Urca serving as an intermediate station before reaching the taller main summit.
Portuguese sailors used the peak as a navigation marker when entering Guanabara Bay during the 16th century. The cable car system opened in 1912, becoming one of the first aerial tramways in the world to carry tourists to a mountain summit.
Local residents often refer to the peak simply as Pão de Açúcar, using the Portuguese name that evokes the molded sugar cones once common in Brazilian kitchens. When you see the rounded granite dome from the bay, the comparison to those old sugar shapes becomes clear.
The cable car station at Urca sits at the base and can be reached by bus 513 from Botafogo or on foot from the Urca neighborhood. Early mornings and late afternoons often offer clearer air for viewing across the bay.
The cable car connects three stations across two peaks, offering shifting perspectives of Rio as you rise through different elevations. The middle station at Morro da Urca allows a walk along the summit before continuing to the higher peak.
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