Hiking Pedra de Gavea in Rio de Janeiro

Written by Paige, Nicaragua, July 2012

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Must-Do Experience, Walking/Hiking, Mountain

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Comment from Paige

Rising above Rio de Janeiro’s Sao Conrado and Leblon skyline from Tijuca National Park is a shear granite monolith known as the Pedra de Gavea. Sailors, who still use it for coastal navigation, named the massive 842-mile (2762-foot) peak “Topsail Mountain,” for its squared-off silhouette.

The mountain has long tempted hikers and climbers, who first noticed that the mountain seemed carved to resemble a human face, perhaps wearing a turban. Upon closer inspection, an inscription—in ancient Phoenician—was discovered in the 1830s, reading “Here Badezir, King of Tyre, Jetbaal’s oldest son.” While the writing could possibly date to 856 BC, when the “human face” might also have been carved, it’s more likely a Victorian-era hoax playing on the rock’s naturally sculpted features.

Editor’s Note: This recommendation was taken from our Rio de Janeiro Things to Do blog. Visit the original post to continue reading the full post and to learn more about things to do in Rio de Janeiro.

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