Pedra da Gavea

Pedra da Gavea is a granite monolith of about eight hundred and forty metres standing directly above the sea at Sao Conrado, inside Tijuca National Park, and it is one of the tallest coastal monoliths anywhere - the summit is a flat block with a drop straight to the Atlantic on one side and a view along the whole southern arc of Rio's beaches on the other. The walk starts in forest and climbs steadily for a couple of hours to the Carrasqueira, a fifteen-metre slab of exposed rock at maybe seventy degrees that must be scrambled; it is the crux and it is where people turn back or get into trouble. Weathering on the summit face has produced markings that some read as an inscription, which has fed a long line of speculation with no archaeological support.

What you actually see

• A block above the ocean - 840 metres of granite standing straight off the sea.
• The Carrasqueira - a fifteen-metre exposed slab that must be scrambled.
• The southern beaches - the whole arc from the summit on a clear day.
• The disputed markings - natural weathering long read as an inscription.

When to go

April to October, the drier months. Half a day, starting at dawn.

Honest expectations

This is a demanding hike, not a stroll: three to five hours return, with a genuine scramble that is dangerous on wet rock and has caused deaths. Guides with rope are the sensible choice for the slab. Heat and humidity are the other hazard, and there is no water on the route.

Nearby

Sao Conrado is at the trailhead; Pedra Bonita and its hang-glider ramp are alongside.