With another day in Brazil ahead of me, I headed back out to explore some of Rio’s top attractions! Come with me as I visit Copacabana Beach and Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!
Sugarloaf Mountain is 396 meters tall (roughly 1,300 feet) and overlooks the city. My friends Guilherme and Rafa from Rio4Fun and Rio4Food would also hit up Copacabana Beach, the most famous beach on the planet!
My day began at the Yoo2 Rio de Janeiro Hotel by Intercity, which is a designer boutique hotel with 12 floors and 143 rooms. They offer delicious Brazilian favorites like pao de queijo for breakfast, and have a pool on the roof! They also have a bar and a beautiful terrace. It’s beautiful and looks out over the beach!
You can also see Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer from the rooftop. After breakfast, we headed to Sugarloaf Mountain. You can hike or climb up Sugarloaf Mountain if you want, but riding the funicular is the fastest and safest way to the top.
Riding the funicular costs R$120, or about $24 USD. They offer several different tours up at the top. It was shaping up to be a hot day. The first cable car on Sugarloaf Mountain dates back to 1912.
It’s a 3-minute ride to the second station, which is 220 meters above sea level. There, you can see the original German cable car from 1912 and the second-generation cable car from Italy.
The views from there are amazing. There’s a store there where you can buy some local Flamengo jerseys and some snacks like açai.
Then, we rode the cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain. From there, we could see the entire city, Christ the Redeemer, Copacabana Beach, and lots of hills. It’s the best view in Rio!
After enjoying the view for a while, we headed down to Classico Beach Club, which is a bar and eatery on the mountain. The views there are insanely beautiful and give you an amazing view of the water and beaches below.
I got a Therezópolis black, which is an amazing craft beer. You can sit out in the sun or under an awning in the shade. There, we got some fried shrimp with creamy mayo and lime. They were nice and crunchy, and a nice size.
Keep in mind that the food and beers there are more expensive than they would be anywhere else. Because the mountain is a tourist destination, you pay quite a bit more. But if you’re not on a tight budget, it’s worth it for the relaxing ambiance.
From there, we rode the funicular back down. The view going down is unreal! Then, we stopped at the official Flamengo store, where I bought a jersey for R$250, or about $50 USD. I also bought one for each of my nephews for $40 each.
Everyone was so friendly and hospitable! Then, we made it back down to the bottom and a fan of Guilherme drove us to Copacabana Beach. It reminded me of Barceloneta in Barcelona. It’s 5 kilometers long and is lined by mid-rise buildings.
It also reminded me a bit of South Beach because of the art deco architectural style of the buildings. Along the beach, there were some vendors and small cafés. There were lots of people tanning and playing the water.
I got a caipirinha, which is an alcoholic drink made from sugarcane juice, ice, lime, and sugar. It’s the most traditional drink in Brazil. In front of Copacabana Palace, some friendly guys game me a Point do Julio jersey!
Then, we walked to the more residential area nearby and passed by lots of bakeries, stores, and apartments. Guilherme actually lives in this area, and it’s really beautiful. It reminded me of a lot of European cities I had visited in the past like Lisbon.
Next, we stopped at an old-school diner called Galeto Sat’s for a snack of baked chicken with garlic-onion-orange sauce. They also sell lots of meat, tapas, and more! It’s a great place to bring friends and family! I also had some sweet and smooth cachaça. The sauce was outstanding, with a lot of herbs and a citrusy kick. The chicken itself tasted super fresh!
Huge thanks to Guilherme and Rafa for taking me to Copacabana Beach and Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Huge thanks also go out to our friends at the Yoo2 Rio de Janeiro by Intercity for hosting us. I highly recommend staying there when you’re in Rio!
I hope you liked coming with me to Copacabana Beach and Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the notification bell so you don’t miss any of my travel/food adventures around the world!
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