Sugarloaf Mountain

Sugarloaf Mountain
Highest point
Elevation396 m (1,299 ft)
Coordinates22°56′58″S 43°9′24″W / 22.94944°S 43.15667°W / -22.94944; -43.15667
Geography
Sugarloaf Mountain is located in Rio de Janeiro
Sugarloaf Mountain
Sugarloaf Mountain
Location in Rio de Janeiro
LocationRio de Janeiro
Sugarloaf seen from Urca hill.
Sugarloaf view from Botafogo beach
Sunrise in Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf Mountain, as seen from Tijuca Forest

Sugarloaf Mountain (Portuguese: Pão de Açúcar, pronounced [ˈpɐ̃w dʒ(i) ɐˈsukaʁ]) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on a peninsula at the mouth of Guanabara Bay. Rising 396 m (1,299 ft) above the harbor,[1] the peak is named for its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf sugar. It is known worldwide for its cableway and panoramic views of the city and beyond.

The mountain is one of several monolithic granite and quartz mountains that rise straight from the water's edge around Rio de Janeiro.[2] Geologically, it is considered part of a family of steep-sided rock outcroppings known as bornhardts.[3][4]

The mountain is protected by the Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument, created in 2006. This became part of a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 2012.[5]

  1. ^ "Zip line row erupts at Rio's iconic Sugarloaf Mountain". France 24. AFP. 28 March 2023. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  2. ^ Pam Barrett (2006). Rio de Janeiro. Apa publications. p. 143. ISBN 978-981-258-411-3. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  3. ^ The American Naturalist. Vol. 106. Essex Institute. 1972. p. 312. Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  4. ^ Migoń, Piotr (2004). "Bornhardt". In Goudie, Andrew S. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Geomorphology. Vol. 1. London: Routledge. pp. 92–93. ISBN 0-415-32737-7.
  5. ^ Monumento Natural dos Morros do Pão de Açúcar e da Urca (in Portuguese), SMAC: Secretaria Municipal de Meio Ambiente, archived from the original on 17 June 2024, retrieved 15 January 2017