Christ the Redeemer

The icon of Rio de Janeiro and Brizil, the Christ the Redeemer is one of the must see spots on earth. Any visit to Rio requires a pilgrimage trek up Corcovado where Cristo Redentor stands 125 feet tall, at 2,319 feet (710 meters) above sea level. To reach it you have 3 options but the one recommended is the 2.3 mile (3.7 km) Corcovado Railroad. A road does get near the top but you must shuttle bus the final portion. Lastly, you could hike up on the trail but many tourists get mugged doing this. The trains leave from the Cosme Velho neighborhood, between downtown and Copacabana. The train ride is scenic passing through tropical forest with occasional views. Be sure to sit on the right side for the best views. The view from the top is more grand than Sugarloaf but is further back in the hills so not as intimate. You can spot pretty much everything from Copacabana to Ipanema, the Botanical Gardens, the Jockey Club, the Lagoon, the football stadium, the sprawling city, distant mountains and so forth. The Christ the Redeemer statue was started in 1922 and was finished in 1931. It is the largest Art Deco statue in the world and the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. The idea of erecting a large statue atop Corcovado was first suggested in the mid-1850s, by Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss but it wasn't until 1920 when the Catholic Circle of Rio organized an event to attract donations and collect signatures to support the building of the statue. The donations came mostly from Brazilian Catholics.

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