Corcovado and the Christ Redeemer Statue: Rio's Most Photographed Site!
Written: Jan 30 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great views of Rio, fun cog train ride up the mountain!
Cons: Not much to do besides admire the views...
The Bottom Line: The Corcovado is popular, but it's also a cool place with great views....and it's affordable. Gotta do it!
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Corcovado |
You know you want to do it! Everybody who visits Rio does. There's something about the attraction of standing at the base of Rio's Christ Redeemer Statue, arms outspread, casting your own embracing blessing on Brazil's "Marvelous City". Sure, it's a little hokey, but hey, you've sat in a plane for 12 hours to get here, I think you're entitled to a little bit of silliness at the end of the road...
I know that one of the first things I did when I got to Rio was to head up to the top of Corcovado (which means "humpback" by the way) to get my picture taken with Jesus (I put the photo online at www.tiogringo.com/rio.html).
Corcovado is very much a tourist thing to do, very much on the very beaten path, but it's fun, it's interesting, it's genuine local color, it's easy to do, doesn't kill your whole day, and best of all if you're a cheap traveler like me, it doesn't cost that much.
The Blessing of the Christ Statue...
The statue itself was the brainchild of a local engineer, named Heitor da Silva Costa. He sold his idea to local politicos and movers and shakers, and managed to raise the bucks to build it from local donations. In 1926, he started construction, and enlisted the help of a French sculptor, Paul Landowski, to complete the work. It would be 5 years before the statue was finished, and ever since, it has stood tall as one of Rio de Janeiro's most recognizable symbols.
The View From the Top...
People visit Corcovado for the views. On a clear day, you can see for miles and the city lays out at your feet like a twisting serpent, winding its way between the bajillion little bays and inlets of the Atlantic Ocean, and the myriad mountains and rocky peaks that jut up out of anywhere and everywhere. Rio has often been called one of the world's most beautiful cities, and when you're standing up at the top of Corcovado, you understand why. The whole city just seems so organic and natural, shoehorning its way into a spectacularly variable natural setting. It is the antithesis of a modern "planned community", and the camera proves that natural is better...
It's fun to stand on the platforms at Corcovado, trying to pick out the landmarks. "Let's see, I think that's Ipanema beach over there, which means our hotel should be right around that hilltop over there...." You can see planes taking off from both of Rio's airports, you can see that the grandstands of the Sambodromo aren't quite as endless as they seem when you're up close to the place, and you can see the gardens and paths of the Jardin Botanico (not quite the way you'd see it if you were there in person, but hey, you gets what you pays for).
Logistics...
You can get up to the top in a car --- there's a road that twists its way through the nearby neighborhoods, into the Tijuca National Park, and upwards to the peak of the 2400 meter Corcovado.
The best way to do it is to go up via the cog railway. This way is more fun, more uniquely Rio, and quite likely cheaper than a taxi too. The train station is in downtown Rio at Rua Cosme Velho --- it's a bustling neighborhood, near a large university, and always full of students and a younger, more bohemian crowd. Any taxi driver in Rio can take you to the station for a few bucks...
It will cost a few more bucks for the train ticket. A round-trip tick is 40 reals, which works out to about $13. It's about a 10 to 15-minute ride up, each way.
Bottom Line...
Corcovado is cool. You know you have to do it anyway, might as well do it right. Take the taxi up, stroll around, take your photos, buy tacky T-shirts in the souvenir shop, sit in the patio cafe at the top drinking a few Brazilian beers watching the fleets of tourist helicopters buzz around the statue, then stroll down to the lower platform to catch the train back. It's only going to shoot 3 hours or so tops, and it's a very Rio thing to do. There's not a lot do topside, so you'll probably spend an hour there tops (including quality beer drinking time and souvenir shopping time). It's an easy route travelled by lots of tourists, but you know you got to do it.
Until next time, see you on the road. As always, look for me to be scouting out the bargains...
Related Reviews...
Planning a road trip to Rio? Here's a few more reviews you might like...
* What to See and Do in Rio...
* Copacabana Beach
* Ipanema Beach
* A Good Hotel Near Copacabana...
* Good Web Sites for Finding Brazil Travel Info...
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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