Pedra Bonita Trail - Rio de Janeiro

Touring Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is full of wonderful hiking trails, but this one turns out to be one of my favorites, I love this place, both for its ease and for the view.
This turned out to be the last trail of 2013 and could be the first of 2014 too!
It's just that at the end of the year I arranged with the backpackers on Facebook to present the Pedra Bonita trail!

I really enjoyed it, I met some great people and of course I posted photos of the day and in these photos the beautiful bloggers Diana from Histórias da Di and Liliane from Passionate about Travel were very excited and wanted to do it too!
Then the date came up to go back, but this time to meet them and gossip a lot!
I had already met Di and exchanged a few words at the Salgueiro Experience, but it wasn't until the day of the hike that we actually spoke.
The plan was for everyone to meet in the parking lot of the flight ramp, but something super important was remembered: THERE IS NO CELL PHONE, so we exchanged messages along the way and decided to stop at the Zona Sul market in São Conrado.
I arrived with Igor and we got something to eat, then Lili came and Di followed, it was love at first sight! All three of them smiled and said hello!
We finished eating and moved on, after all it was a very hot day and we didn't want to let it get any hotter.
But there was one thing we hadn't imagined, when we arrived to go up to the Flight Ramp parking lot....
Shiiiiii, a queue of cars, we were a few minutes late because of this mishap!
After some time, we finally managed to stop our cars and the parking lot attendant charged us 5 reais per person.
We were finally going to start the trail, uhuuullll, but first there was a pit stop at the flight ramp, which is just above the parking lot and we took the first pictures!

It's a good thing we did that, because all the others we left with red faces and sweating too much, the day felt like it was ending at a very tense 50º hhehehehe
Well, we finally went on the trail and then, the heat plus all the talking, we couldn't shut up, there was a lot of talking in common, a lot of affinity and a lot of stickers that we had to exchange, this tripled the trail in a matter of time and intensity, we almost died!
But in the end we arrived and it was wonderful to sit and talk more calmly, take three hundred and fifty-four thousand photos and enjoy the breeze!

What a delightful meeting, what a wonderful trail! How many good ideas and things came out of it, which you should know about soon hihihi!
Curious? Wait and see.

Now I'll give you some tips to make it easier for you.

[small_header]How to get there[/small_header]

• From the South Zone

Walk in the direction of São Conrado, pass Rocinha, then the Zona Sul supermarket and you'll soon see a small church and the Nissan Dara dealership on the corner, turn right onto Estrada das Canoas, continue until you pass the Candido Mendes University and then on your left you'll see the access to the flight ramp, there's a guardhouse that controls access, just go up and stop the car.

• From Barra da Tijuca

Head in the direction of São Conrado, when you arrive take the U-turn and then turn right at the Nissan Dara dealership on the corner, enter Estrada das Canoas and continue until you pass the Candido Mendes University, then on your left you will see the access to the flight ramp, there is a guardhouse that controls access, just go up and stop the car.

[small_header]Flight ramp[/small_header]

Pedra Bonita is really beautiful!

It's a well-known trail in Rio de Janeiro, but some people still get confused because it starts in the parking lot of the hang gliding and paragliding ramp. The more adventurous can do the trail first and end the day with a jump, what do you think?
The visuals are mind-blowing and I think that's where the confusion comes from, but make no mistake, it's only the beginning and the real trail starts at a sign explaining the route

[small_header]The trail[/small_header]

The trail is very easy and takes an average of 35 minutes, but the temperature of the day and the sun directly affect this time.
I've done the trail in 25 minutes on cooler, cloudy days and it's taken me close to an hour on sunny, very hot days!
Never forget your sunscreen, as there are uncovered parts that the sun punishes, and to take water with you to hydrate during the journey.
There are some uphill sections and trails with roots that make the ground rougher, but nothing major.
Towards the end of the trail, nature has made a very generous staircase of roots to make our lives easier, but it has exaggerated a little and made it a little steep, at this end you get tired, but soon after comes the reward!

[small_header]Surprises[/small_header]

Imagine Rio de Janeiro, beautiful, full of breathtaking landscapes, blue sea and everything else that's good about it!
Now imagine it from above, bringing together all the best it has to offer. That's the view you'll find when you reach the peak of Pedra Bonita!

Ahhhh and to top it all off you'll see the famous Pedra da Gávea!!! Yes, a giant smiling face watching you and making a perfect background for a photo.
It hasn't stopped, there are still the rocks that are strategically inclined for you to lie down and contemplate the view.

Ahhh, what a wonderful place, worth every sweat spent on the trail and I'm sure that even those who don't like hiking will enjoy it!

Did you like it? Have you been and do you have any more tips for us? Tell us!

Di's post about Pedra Bonita

Lili's post about Pedra Bonita

Pedra Bonita Album