Corcovado and The Christ Statue

Through the years millions of people have visited the Christ statue on Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro. In 2008 it was elected as one of The New Seven Wonders of The World. This article is about will tell you the story about it.

In Portuguese the statue is called O Cristo Redentor (En: Christ The Redeemer) and it is now synonomous with the hill Corcovado which it stands upon. It was a tourist attraction long before it had a statue though, the train to the top was inaugurated already in 1884 - Christ came in to place in 1931. The original design was made by Heitor da Silva Costa and then several artists were involved until it was finished. The core is steel and concrete and the surface is covered in soap stone standing almost 40 meters tall and 750 meters above sea level.

Corcovado means humpback in Portuguese, it refers to the resemblence from a distance. The mountain itself is one of those beautiful dramatic hills that make Rio so beautiful. Covered by a thick carpet of Atlantic Rainforest it also makes part of a national park - The Tijuca Forest. On the train ride to the top you are offered not only spectacular views of the city below, but also a of the dense vegetation. Monkeys and exotic birds are common.

Well at the top a escalator will bring you the last bit to the top. The experience is amazing, it´s almost a 360 degree view of the city. You literally have Rio de Janeiro at your feet. If the weather is good the photos you can get will probably be the best from your journey.

Before going there it is highly recommended to check if there is visibility, since the statue is visible from almost all parts of Rio that is easy - if you can see him you are good to go. A tip is to try to go really early - Not only is the crowd smaller, morning tends to have clearer views from the top. Bring a sweater since it can get quite chilly up there.

There are a few options to go to the top. The most common is to take the train from Cosme Velho. The price is 45 R$ (May 2009), half the price children 5 to 12 years and under 5 for free. Taxi to the train station is convenient, local buses from Copacabana and Ipanema are 583 or 584 and from Largo do Machado 422 or 498. There is also a van service about halfway up the road to the top, it is possible to arrange a deal with a cabbie and save a bit of money skipping the train - only viable if you are three or four persons. The entrance at the van station is 12 R$ per person.

For some great exercise and a nice nature experience you can hike up the hill. The trail starts inside Parque das Ruinas by Lagoa. It´s a pretty steep hike, bring water and mosquito repellent and watch out for snakes. Since hikers occasionally get robbed, leave your valubles at home. What you need at the top is 12 R$ to get in.

Gringo-Rio - Corcovado
This is the page about Corcovado on the Rio de Janeiro travel site Gringo-Rio.