Top 10 Facts about Tijuca National Park in Brazil

By Rodrigo Soldon – Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about Tijuca National Park in Brazil

Tijuca National Park in Brazil is home to Tijuca rainforest. The rainforest is said to be one of the largest urban rainforests in the world.

It was in 1961 that Tijuca Forest was declared a national park. The park has historical spots, spectacular views, a beautiful waterfall, a small chapel and a lush tropical forest. Covering an area of 3,200 hectares, the Park is one of the world’s first major reforestation project.

This urban forest is home to ocelots, howler monkeys, more than 300 bird species, and one of Rio’s iconic landmarks, the Christ the Redeemer statue towering on Corcovado Mountain.

There are several amenities at the park for your convenience. Here are the top 10 facts about Tijuca National park in Brazil.

1. The largest park in Rio de Janeiro

By Halley Pacheco de Oliveira – Wikimedia

Tijuca National Park is a large forested area in Rio de Janeiro. The park borrows its name from the Tijuca mountain range which is larger than the park itself.

There are varied flora and fauna in this park, and each is different from the other depending on the zone they are found. The Tijuca Forest is a tropical rainforest.

This is a perfect park for those that love the outdoors. The park sits on 8,300 acres of land and oozes nothing but natural beauty.

There are waterfalls, animals and indigenous plant species.

2. More than 3 million tourists visit the park annually

At least three million local and foreign tourists visit the park every year. The natural beauty of this national park is a tourist magnet.

This National Park is divided into three sections; the forest, the Carioca Range and Pedra Bonita, and Gávea. These areas have different exciting activities.

For those that love adventure, the forest section is perfect for hiking with different difficulty levels. There are picnic areas too.

Head over to the Pedra Bonita and Gávea section for activities like hang gliding and rock climbing.

3. The original rainforest at the park was destroyed

Before this area was reserved as a National Park, the land was used for agriculture. This was during the colonization of Brazil by Portugal.

They cultivated the land and planted different crops like coffee that was favoured by the climate. Halfway through the 19^th century, most of the forested area had been destroyed in turn destroying the city’s water supply.

Emperor Peter II ordered the destruction of the plantations to reforest the city. They started in 1861 under the supervision of Major Archer, this resulted in the replanting of more than 100,000 trees.

4. The National Park is home to Christ the Redeemer Statue

By Donatas Dabravolskas – Wikimedia

There are several attractions at this national park most notably the massive sculpture of Christ the Redeemer that sits on top of Corcovado mountain.

The statue can be accessed through a small train that goes up the mountain. One can also choose to hike up the mountain to the statue.

Other attractions in the park include the Cascatinha Waterfall, the Mayrink Chapel with murals painted by Cândido Portinari, the light pagoda-style gazebo at Vista Chinesa outlook and the giant granite picnic table called the Mesa do Imperador.

5.  There are bike paths and hiking trails at the National Park

The Tijuca National Park is loved by the locals because of its tranquil bike paths. The biking trail at the park is 6 kilometres long.

There are other hiking trails like the one that is found at park Lage and is close to the bus station. This trail is the most popular with tourists.

The climb up is not futile since the view that opens up is beautiful and is a refreshing view of the city below.

There are two trails up the statue, the shorter one is 1 hour 30 minutes while the longer one will take you 6 hours.    

6. Three of Rio’s famous peaks are found within the Park

By Halley Pacheco de Oliveira – Wikimedia

The three most famous peaks in Rio are found in Tijuca national park. These peaks are Pedra Bonita, Pedra da Gavea and Pico da Tijuca.

There are hiking trails on the three peaks that offer delightful treks to the summits while serving magnificent views over the rainforest and the city itself.

The highest peak at the park is Pico da Tijuca. It is located at the heart of Tijuca national park giving the best views of the city and beyond.

7. There are several historical attractions at the Park

Tijuca National park is not only home to exotic animals and plants, but also several cultural attractions.

There is one small favela at the heart near to Alto de Boa Vista. This small community played an important role in the replanting of the tropical forest.

One of the most picturesque manmade attractions at the park is the Vista Chinesa. It has an oriental-style gazebo that looks down over the wonderful view of the Lagoa, the forest and Rio’s beaches.

There is also a chapel at the park known as Mayrink Chapel that was built in 1860. It has murals and paintings that were done by a prominent Brazilian artist called Candido Portinari.

8. The National Park used to be a coffee and sugar plantation

By Rodrigo Soldon – Wikimedia

Tijuca National Park was once an agricultural land covered with many sugar plantations and coffee plantations.

This was during the reign of Portuguese King Pedro II. He was not pleased with the environmental degradation so he ordered the forest to be replanted.

The forest was replanted by the military and slaves returning its natural beauty.

9. Lots of indigenous plant and animal species can be found at Tijuca National Park

There are several monkeys that live in this national park. As you get to the Sugarloaf Mountain, you will get to see vultures, lizards, toucans, and even marmosets.

The Taunay Waterfall area of the Tijuca National Park has more wildlife such as coati, sloths, and squirrels.

Many species of bats, the squirrel monkey, the Paraguayan hairy dwarf porcupine, the nine-banded armadillo, fox, different opossum species call this national park home.

10. There is a public park within the Tijuca National Park

By Halley Pacheco de Oliveira – Wikimedia

The public park within this national park is surrounded by rainforest. It has walking paths, gardens and even a small aquarium.

There is also a mansion that belonged to an opera Singer known as Gabriella Besanzoni and her husband.

The mansion was turned into an art school that offers free art exhibitions. There is a cafe at the park that offers a view of the famed Christ the Redeemer statue. There is no entrance fee at the park.