Christ The Redeemer, Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro

Christ the Redeemer is outstanding. We did it in the daylight. If I were to do it again I would do it at sunset, which I've seen some great photos of. Only taxis and tour companies can bring you up, so that's the high-priced part of it.

The morning tour starts with a trip to the train station. Take the train through the Tijuca rain forest to the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Mountain. You'll spend up to an hour here with your tour guide, who will show you the sights of Rio from this towering mountain-top vantage point. The tour was capably organized by the locals. The guide was very friendly, easily understandable and informative! People at the local agency was very accommodating.

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Corcovado is located within the ‘Parque Nacional da Tijuca’, and we went on a beautiful jeep ride up through the national park to get to the top of the 710 meters high mountain with the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The statue was built between 1926 and 1931, and has a height of 38 meters and a weight of 1145 tonnes. The base of the statue houses a small chapel which can accommodate approx. 150 persons.

It is one of the most famous sites in Rio, and we were really looking forward to visit the Corcovado Hill. We weren’t disappointed, from the top was a magnificent view of Rio, the sea, and the surrounding mountains. Stunning - even though it was a cloudy day and the view a few times was completely blocked by clouds. Check the weather before you go… Clouds, heat, and air pollution could block the view from Corcovado…

Christ the Redeemer is also beautiful viewed from a distance, especially at night when it is lit – a world known symbol for Rio de Janeiro… Corcovado is one of the things you must do/see when visiting the city...

Must see for all visitors. We took taxi to the redenter and back. After reaching the peak, you take a small govt van to the top. Cost is included in the ticket price. Tickets were 24 Rias per person. Taxi from Ipanema and back cost us 120 Rias round trip.

The views on top of the statue are amazing. Try to go on a weekday and also on a day when it is clear sky.

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If you have got two or more hours, take the path through the scenic Tijuca Forest to go up the Christ, but other 300,000 people visit the statue of Christ every year using the 10-minute train ride to the top of Corcovado passing through Tijuca Forest.
At the base station you can find the Mountain Train Cultural Center with exhibition, which displays the entire history of Corcovado. The great attraction is the huge terra-cotta head exhibited on a body of iron structure.
At the end station near the top, escalators or 220 steps upward take visitors to the foot of the Statue of Christ the Redeemer. The statue is 38 meters tall, made of 700 tons of reinforced concrete covered with pale green mosaic tiles.
It was originally intended to mark the 100th anniversary of Brazilian independence in 1922, but due to lack of money it was inaugurated only ten years later, on the day of Our Lady of Aparecida, 12 Oct 1931.
The Christ the Redeemer has become a symbol of the city who receive visitors with open arms. At the moment it is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

Update 2010 March: The roads leading to the sculpture are closed according to the Brazilian Environment Ministry. Landslides, rockfall, dampened trees obstruct the traffic. A never experienced Rainfall, because of which almost 250 men died, has hit the Brazilian metropolis in the last couple of weeks.

Admission fee: adults R$30.00, children 6-12 R$15.00, and for children under 5 free.

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Christ the Redeemer is one of the most famous symbols of Brazil. It's image & the statue itself could be seen throughout Rio. The statue stands on top of Corcovado mountain at a height of 710 metres above sea level. Opened in October 1931, the statue is 30 metres high standing on an 8 metre pedestal.

As Corcovado is situated in Tijuca National Park the ride up the mountain through the forest is pretty spectacular. Once at the top lifts & then escalators take the visitor to the base of the statue. From there you get a close up view of Christ the Redeemer plus panoramic views of Rio. Sadly it was cloudy on the day I visited.

I debated which way to experience Christ. Grab a taxi and do it fast or do a tour. My decison was based on two taxi's that didn't want to take me up there. Not even waiting to here my proposal. So I settled for a tour that cost me 75 reais and 4 hrs. The tour included the stadium, the stairs, carnival area and the pyramid church. The highlight was Christ. It was worth it. Do it in the morning and you will still have lots of beach time. Draw backs if you do it on your own wether with taxi or your car. 1. Parking good luck. Taxi, find one that will take you. If you do I don;t think he will hang around for just you. 3. If you don;t speak portuguese another good luck. Tour is not without drawbacks. Ask your hotel or just ask around. You can get the tour price down from 100 reais to 75 reais. I did. If you do the bus then train thing thats going to cost you less but may cost you in time.

Okay, so you’re in Brazil and you want to go up and see the one of the New 7th Wonder of the World (as of 07/07/2007) – where do you go? There’s probably a way to hike up to it, but for me I just took the easy way – the TRAIN! I think I just paid about 30 Reals for that 10-20 minute train ride --- you pass through this thick hill forest (Tijuca National Park)and before you know it, your climbing up the steps leading to this 98 foot (30-meter) amazing statue.

It’s awesome and it gave me chills whenever I visited or saw this statue even from afar. It’s a great symbol for the city – and I read somewhere that like the Statue of Liberty, this was a gift from France as well? It was developed by Heitor da Silva Costa and completed in 1931. The train you ride was actually already there even before the statue and it was used to bring the materials needed for building it. I have read they also have a chapel at the base of the statue that can hold 150 people but I never got to going into it.

The mountain on which it stands is called Corcovado Mountain (Hunchback) and from this 2230 feet mountaintop, you can see great views. If the statue is behind you, at your left side you would see the soccer temple Maracana, straight ahead would be Niteroi with the snaky bridge and Sugar Loaf Mountain, and on your right side would be the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema way out there (as well as the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas).

At the times I’ve visited, the train was in service from 830 AM to 630PM – but times may change. And as in one my “Warnings”, my very first visit was a disappointment because the Hunchback Mountain was fully covered by clouds. We were hoping the statue would be clearer up there – but there was nothing to see! I had to go back the next day and was not disappointed. Truly a must-see!

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Cristo Redentor - Christ the Redeemer - is Rio de Janeiro's ultimate symbol and protector of the city. The giant 30-metre Art Déco statue was erected in 1931 to commemorate Brazil's 100 years since independence. It was designed by the Brazilians Heitor da Silva Costa and Carlos Oswaldo and was partially sculpted in France by the Frenchman Paul Landowski before completion in Brazil. The site chosen to place the statue, the spectacular Morro do Corcovado, the highest mountain in vicinity of Rio, rises 706 metres above sea level and ensures that the statue is visible from most of the city, when not shrouded in clouds. Visits to the statue are permitted for incredible panoramic views over Rio. During my trip in Dec 2008, I did not go up Corcovado to see the statue, but instead took a helicopter ride from Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf) which allowed me to take some of the attached photos.

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If you're in Rio you must go. No questions. You have to take a trip up to Corcovado.

It's more difficult to get here than it is to get to Sugar Loaf, or at least it was for me. I took a taxi. It was the end of the day and though I asked the taxi to wait and that I'd pay him, he wasn't there when I came back down. I was stuck in the middle of the forest/mountain between the station and the rest of the city. It was evening and getting dark. Luckily the staff there is probably used to the problem and a guy offered to taxi me back to my hostel. It cost the same as the taxi ride up, so it wasn't a rip off. It was nice that the staff wanted to make sure everyone got off the mountain OK. Yay!

This was my only time in Rio where I felt a little stuck. It's best to research all options before going up the mountain. I waited till the end of the day, hoping the fog would clear. It did somewhat.

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When one thinks of Rio de Janeiro, one thinks of Cristo Redentor located on Corcovado. You can get your picture made imitating the statue, if you find a quiet in the crowds. It is also an excelent place to view the area of Rio de Janeiro.

There is a cam railway up to a staging area, above which are many stairs. This expedition can be taxing so be prepared. There are elevators and escalators to assist you much of the way, but there is always that last set of stairs up.