Christ the Redeemer might be Rio’s most famous tourist attraction, with one of the best views of the city. It’s VERY popular, so prepare for crowds and a lot of photos being taken. Here’s a quick rundown for you.
Getting There
The monument is located at the top of Mount Corcovado, which is part of Tijuca National Forest. There are 3 ways to get there:
- Train
- Van
- Hike
TRAIN
The most popular route (what I did). It’s pretty straight forward. You purchase a round trip ticket online at the official Trem do Corcovado website. Tickets costs R$134 (Brazilian Reals). It’s highly recommended to buy tickets online to choose your desired departure time. If you plan to go early in the morning, you’ll most likely have to buy them 1 or 2 days beforehand. You catch the train at Estaçao Cosme Velho. The 15-20 minute ride takes you up through the forest. It’s a comfortable experience with the train having adequate seating for everyone.
VAN
Getting there by van (air-conditioned as well) is almost identical in price to the train. There are 3 pick-up locations to choose from:
- Largo do Machado – Vans are parked directly across from Parish Church of Our Lady of Glory at the far end of the plaza located next to the Largo do Machado metro station.
- Praça do Lido – Located in front of Posto 2 of Copacabana beach
- Paineiras Visitor Center – Pick-up directly from the center
Purchase tickets directly from the Paineiras Corcovado website
Pick-up from Largo do Machado and Praça do Lido – R$132
Pick-up from Paineiras Corcovado – R$87 Brazilian Reals
Ride times from Largo do Machado and Praça do Lado take about 30-45 minutes, during which you might stop at Paineiras Corcovado to switch vans. The route is scenic, passing through Tijuca forest.
HIKE
I’ve heard the hike is difficult, but worth it. There’s one thing for sure though, it’s the cheapest option (it’s free). People recommend to do it in fairly large groups and on somewhat of a busy day to avoid potential robberies. It’s a valid concern, but I personally haven’t met anyone that dealt with anything of the sort. The trail begins here at Parque Lage and takes about 3 hours. It’s a real hike too, not a walk in the park. The area is beautiful though and monkey sightings are fairly common.
The trail ends right at the base of the Christ monument. From there you’ll purchase a ticket for R$60, which you can usually pay with a card.
My Experience
I took an Uber to Cosme Velho train station, got my voucher after displaying my electronic ticket I bought online, then waited about 15 minutes for the train to arrive. Next to the station there’s a cafe just in case you want a bite to eat, and inside the station there’s a chocolate shop and a souvenir shop. On a side note, after I left I actually walked all the way back to my hostel in the Santa Teresa/Lapa area from the station because I wanted to explore some neighborhoods that I hadn’t yet seen. It was actually a nice walk.
Anyways….
After exiting the train you make your way up to the statue. There;s a restaurant and a gelato/acai vendor on the way if you need a snack or something to drink.
The Christ Monument
The statue is really cool. It’s striking when it appears from amidst the passing clouds. I actually waited a while to be able to see it. At some points it was completely covered and all I could see was the silhouette. For clarification, I went on a mostly sunny day, but for some reason clouds tend to get stuck up here. My advice would be to go early in the morning on a nice day (check the weather). Usually the mornings in Rio have way less cloud cover, so even if it’s not a completely clear day you have a higher probability for better visibility.
When Christ does appear out of the mist though, it’s pretty majestic. Everybody rushes to take their photos before the clouds come back and spoil the moment. By the way, it’s very crowded. The part of the platform that extends further away, providing the best opportunity in which you and the statue can be photographed head to toe, is highly congested. I went alone so I took more close up pics and didn’t really feel like going into the crowd and waiting for the perfect moment to get the best one.
THE VIEW
I really didn’t get to enjoy the 360 views because of the clouds, but they’re some of the best in the city from the videos I’ve seen. I’m sure it really adds to the experience. Below is literally all I could see. On the other side there was no visibility at all and I wasn’t about to wait forever for it, seeing as though I had already had my share of spectacular Rio views.
Conclusion & Rant
All in all, Cristo Redentor is worth a visit if done correctly. It was cool to see how excited people were, but also a bit annoying how many photos are constantly being taken, but I totally get it. I like to be the off-the-beaten-path kind of traveler at times, so the Instagrammed reality we live in is a bit much sometimes. It is what it is though.
Sometimes I just look at people and ask “Why are you here? Just to take a picture?” as I watch everyone do the same damn pose over and over. Maybe I’m just the Grinch and I should join in the cliche fun from time to time.
So, again……Christ the Redeemer is impressive and admirable. If it’s something you’re looking forward to seeing, go for it!
