Corcovado

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This article is about the mountain in Rio de Janeiro. For other uses, see Corcovado (disambiguation).

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Corcovado

Rio Larson 1.jpg

View of the top of Corcovoado with Christ the Redeemer statue

Highest point

Elevation 710 m (2,330 ft)

Coordinates 22°57′8.7″S 43°12′42″WCoordinates: 22°57′8.7″S 43°12′42″W

Naming

English translation Hunchback

Language of name Portuguese

Geography

Corcovado is located in BrazilCorcovadoCorcovado

Brazil

Location Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Geology

Mountain type Granite

Corcovado (Portuguese pronunciation: [koʁkoˈvadu]), which means "hunchback" in Portuguese,[1] is a

mountain in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a 710-metre (2,329 ft) granite peak located in the Tijuca
Forest, a national park.
Corcovado hill lies just west of the city center but is wholly within the city limits and visible from great
distances. It is known worldwide for the 38-metre (125 ft) statue of Jesus atop its peak, entitled Christ
the Redeemer, which was voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Contents

1 Access

2 Attractions

3 References in Brazilian Culture

4 Geology

5 Gallery

6 References

7 External links

Access

The peak and statue can be accessed via a narrow road, by the 3.8 kilometre (2.4 mi) Corcovado Rack
Railway, which was opened in 1884 and refurbished in 1980, or by the walking trail on the south side of
the mountain that starts from Parque Lage.[2] The railway uses three electrically powered trains, with a
passenger capacity of 540 passengers per hour. The rail trip takes approximately 20 minutes and departs
every 20 minutes. Due to its limited passenger capacity, the wait to board at the entry station can take
several hours. The year-round schedule is 8:30 to 18:30.

From the train terminus and road, the observation deck at the foot of the statue is reached by 223 steps,
or by elevators and escalators. Among the most popular year-round tourist attractions in Rio, the
Corcovado railway, access roads, and statue platform are commonly crowded.

Attractions

The most popular attraction of Corcovado mountain is the statue and viewing platform at its peak,
drawing over 300,000 visitors per year. From the peak's platform the panoramic view includes
downtown Rio, Sugarloaf Mountain, the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas (lake), Copacabana and Ipanema
beaches, Estádio do Maracanã (Maracanã Stadium), and several of Rio's favelas. Cloud cover is common
in Rio and the view from the platform is often obscured. Sunny days are recommended for optimal
viewing.

Notable past visitors to the mountain peak include Pope Pius XII, Pope John Paul II, Alberto Santos-
Dumont, Albert Einstein, Diana, Princess of Wales, and General Sherman, among others. An additional
attraction of the mountain is rock climbing. The south face had 54 climbing routes in 1992. The easiest
way starts from Park Lage.

References in Brazilian Culture

The Corcovado is also a symbol in the Brazilian culture. Corcovado is the title of a song by Antônio Carlos
Jobim that makes reference to Corcovado Hill. The Corcovado has also received several mentions in
other works (i.e. lyrics of Ben Harper,[3] literary works, films etc.).

Geology

The peak of Corcovado is a big granite dome, which describes a generally vertical rocky formation. It is
claimed to be the highest such formation in Brazil, the second highest being Pedra Agulha, situated near
to the town of Pancas in Espírito Santo.