Next on my tour of Rio with Mathias was a visit to the Tijuca National Park and then Monastery São Bento, a spot of lunch will be on the cards as well.
Tijuca National Park (Parque Nacional Da Tijuca)
The Tijuca National Park is one of the largest urban national parks in the world covering an area of around 40kms (15miles). Apparently Tijuca means marsh.
Christ the Redeemer is one of the attractions that call the Tijuca National Park home.
Vista Chinesa (Chinese Belvedere)
I had to look up what a Belvedere is, it is a summer house or a open-sided gallery with a great outlook.
The Vista Chinesa is at around about 380m (1250ft) and definitely has a great outlook. It is a regular stop for bike riders, a flat area so easy to restart your climb.
Cycling in Tijuca National Park
In Tijuca National Park there are a number of decent climbs that are popular with the local and tourist cyclists that visit Rio. One thing that I noticed was is missing is drinking stations. There were originally a number of them that were fed by the local waters sources. Sadly they are no longer in operation, so bring extra water.
Mesa do Imperador
Our next stop was a brief one at Mesa do Imperador, where there used to be a place to top up drink bottles with water. The sink looking thang behind the table.
This table is made from granite, guess people use to, they may continue to, come up and enjoy the view whilst having a drink or meal at the table.
Not a bad view.
Taunay Waterfall (Cascatinha Taunay)
This waterfall was named after Nícolas-Antoine Taunay a French Artist who arrived in Rio around 1816. He moved into the forest and built his house next to the waterfall.
I can understand why Taunay decided to live here, very tranquil.
Hang and Para Gliding Rio Style
Another of the Tijuca Nation Park attractions is Hang and Para Gliding. Mathias is friends with a number of the guys who run and also pilot the Hang and Para Gliders.
From the car park you need to take a short hike up to the Pedra Bonita launch ramps.
Considering it was Wednesday I was surprised how packed the place was.
Definitely an activity to pre-book if you are interested in it.
Para Gliding
Hang Gliding
A few Random Shots from the Day
Pepino Beach Landing Zone
After taking off from on high, you need to land somewhere and where better in Rio than on Pepino Beach in São Conrado.
Landing
Definitely a more interesting way to get down than the 15 min drive.
The skies are not just for the gliders…
Flutuante Rio
Lunch was needed after a busy morning of touring. Our original plan was to go to a place in Urca for Moquequinha.
Unfortunately the place that Mathias had picked was closed for renovations.
In the end we decided to give Flutuante a try. Flutuante is a newish floating restaurant that is also in Urca, just a short boat ride away.
To start with we had Isca de Peixe Empanado, breaded cubes of fish, and Bolinho de Bacalhau, cod buns. Simple and tasty. A good start.
Moquequinha is a local dish and the one we had was the Moquequinha de Frutos do
Mar, Seafood Moquequinha with rice and farofa. Tastes even better than it looks.
Even though Flutuante is a bit more expensive that other restaurants in the area, I would still recommend it as it has a great view and the food is pretty good.
More Random Pics of Rio
Monastery of São Bento
The Monastery of São Bento was our last stop of the day. This was recommended to me by Duco during my bike tour and is another of Gus’ / Mathias’ hidden gem spots in Rio.
Like a number of the older building in Rio the Monastery of São Bento is fairly nondescript on the outside, but inside WoW!
Isn’t the detail in the wood and lacquer work amazing.
What do you think?
A visit to the Monastery of São Bento should a part of your itinerary when in Rio.
The View From the Rear of Monastery of São Bento
Enjoyed the view out to the Rio to Niterói bridge which is a bit over 13Kms (8miles) long.
This is the Museu do Amanhã, the Museum of Tomorrow. It was opened in December 2015 and is a science museum. Looks pretty good, somewhere to check out next trip.
My Temporary “Home”
From the same spot I was able to see my temporary home from the next day, the RSS Splendor. The Splendor will be my home for 16 nights as we sail up the coast of Brazil and then across the Atlantic to Lisbon via Cape Verde, Tenerife and Lanzarote.
Even More Random Pics of Rio
Sheraton Grand Rio de Janeiro
I have found that staying in a hotel provided by the cruise line or one where the cruise line will arrange a pick up from the night before embarkation is a good idea. The benefit of this is that your luggage will be collected and taken to the ship and then you will be transferred to the ship. Reduces the stress considerably by simplifying the process.
The View From The Hotel
The Sheraton Grand Rio de Janeiro is comfortable though not to close to the sights of Rio. Next up embarkation day.
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Rio seems like an incredible mix of nature and culture! The Tijuca National Park sounds perfect for adventure lovers, especially with those cycling trails. It’s a shame the drinking stations aren’t operational anymore—hopefully, they’ll be restored soon. The view from Mesa do Imperador must be breathtaking, especially with that granite table. Have you ever tried hang gliding from Pedra Bonita? It sounds like an unforgettable experience!
Thanks for reading.. I did not get the opportunity to go hang or para gliding, you definitely need to book. The Mesa do Imperador view as amazing.
Beautiful scenery and fantastic photos!! Looked like you were lucky with the weather too.
Yes, Rio is a very beautiful place. The weather was good for tourists, not so great for locals, it hadn’t rained for over 100days, so very dry.