Pico do Bico do Papagaio

Click on the image to get a better view into the rainforest.

One of the benefits of living in Rio de Janeiro is the great variety of options that this city offers to someone who likes to be outdoors. Whether you like sailing, surfing, kitesurfing, diving, swimming, paddling, rowing, hiking, climbing, birdwatching, girlwatching, powerdrinking, or… whatever… it’s all there, right next to you.

We have the biggest urban forest of the world right within our city limits. This weekend we took advantage of it, and made the hike up to the “Bico do Papagaio”. It is a trail which takes 60 minutes until you reach a peak of 950 meters altitude. It is situated right in the center of the Floresta da Tijuca National Park. The trail is well organized with signs, and a park ranger even takes you name and telephone and monitors your regress. Despite being very unlikely, every now and then someone gets lost in the park, and needs assistance.

The park is a great area of tropical rainforest. The generally easy hike offers you nice views of the forest and, during the steep parts of the final ascend you get splendid views over the forest, the sea and the city, which is spread all around it. The top is marked by a big rock with an overhang which gives it its characteristic looks, which resembles the head of a parrot – hence the name of the peak. The surrounding view form the top of the rock is worth all the effort.

With just a little bit of luck you get to see parrots, tucanos, a multitude of hummingbirds, big blue butterflies, monkeys and all other sorts of inhabitants of the forest. We were greeted by a group of 30 quatis, which resemble skunks. Except that they don’t stink… The pleasant Sunday was crowned with a revigorating acaí juice at the Leblon beach.

View from the top of the Pico do Bico do Papagaio. Gávea Mountain in the backdrop