Morro Dois Irmãos, Twin-peaked mountain in Vidigal, Brazil
Morro Dois Irmãos is a granite mountain formation featuring two distinct peaks located between the neighborhoods of São Conrado and Leblon. The higher summit reaches approximately 533 meters above sea level and both peaks are visible from various parts of the city.
The lands around the peak served as pasture and farmland in the 15th and 16th centuries, then as sugarcane fields until the 19th century. They were subdivided for urban occupation in the 1930s, and the houses and buildings raised there formed Alto Leblon. In 1992 the Parque Natural Municipal do Penhasco Dois Irmãos was created over 39.55 hectares, and since 2011 solar panels make the park energy self-sufficient.
The peak appears in Chico Buarque's song "Morro Dois Irmãos" and in Antônio Cícero's lyrics for Marina Lima's "Virgem". Adriana Calcanhotto said the hill's artificial lighting, installed around 1995 or 1996, inspired her song "Âmbar", commissioned by Maria Bethânia. The duo Pouca Vogal, formed in 2008 by Humberto Gessinger and Duca Leindecker, also name the hill in their song "Pouca Vogal".
The trail starts near Campo do Vidigal and the Anfiteatro Vila Olímpica and runs 1.5 km to the summit, about 50 minutes on foot. A mototaxi from Avenida Niemeyer to the trailhead shortens the approach, and riders are given a helmet. Go in daylight with sturdy shoes and water.
From the summit on clear days, you can see multiple famous locations of the city at the same time, including the beaches of Leblon and Copacabana. The view also takes in the Christ statue, the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, and the Rocinha community all in one panorama.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,816 contributors worldwide.
