Morro da Urca

Morro da Urca or Mount Urca which is also called Urca Hill, is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Mount Urca sits at the mouth of the Guanabara Bay and directly next to Sugar Loaf Mountain. Morro da Urca is one of several granite-quartz mountains around Rio de Janeiro. Urcas peak tops out at a height of 220 meters or 770 feet, making it a nice vantage point out onto Rio de Janeiro and the bay. The area is protected by the Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument created in 2006 which became part of a world heritage site declared by UNESCO in 2012.

The top of Mount Urca is part of the cable car trip to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain. Visitors are able to reach the top of mount Urca in several ways and at the top of Morro da Urca there are several things to see including vintage cable cars, cafes and shops, animal life and of course the view down onto the ocean and Rio de Janeiro.

Visitors are able to get to the top of Morro da Urca in several ways. The most popular way is taking the Sugar Loaf Mountain Cable Car from the base of Urca to the top. The first leg of this ride up to the top of Morro da Urca only takes about two minutes and with a full round trip ticket you can ride up to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain as well.

Another way to get to the top of Morro da Urca is to climb it. This can be accomplished in two ways. The most difficult and possibly most rewarding is to scale the mountain with a guide. Visitors are able to literally climb up the side of the small mountain a short period of time by booking a tour.

The most economical way to get to the top of Morro da Urca is to take the trail or a “trilha” that runs up beside the beach. There is no fee for taking the hike however if you plan to take the cable car up to sugarloaf or if you are planning to take the cable car back down and plan to pay in cash you should secure a ticket before embarking on the hike at the top of Urca. You can only pay for a ticket using a major credit card or compatible bank card. The hike up Urca took me about 20 minutes if you don't count the time I took to stop and look around. It is not the most challenging hike you will find in Rio de Janeiro but it is certainly not for someone with health issues or mobility problems. Most the hike involves walking up stairs and with the humidity and heat you can find it will really get your heart pumping.

Once you get to the top of Morro da Urca you will find there is a fair amount to see for being a small and unpopular mountaintop.

The first thing I noticed was the cable car display located directly next to the cable car exit. There were a couple of cable cars that were used over the years on display. Behind the cars is a nice viewing area for looking out off the mountain. There were two cable cars on display when I was there. The first was a vintage car, I’m not sure of the date it was manufactured but it was certainly not like the cars in use today. The second car was a more updated version and similar if not the same as the ones that are in use today.

I found the view from Morro da Urca to be more impressive than many of the views that I saw around Rio. I’m not sure if it was because it seemed less cluttered than when you go up Christ the Redeemer or if it was because being lower allowed the other mountains to obstruct the view of the city beyond, but I enjoyed the view and many of the photos that I took from there. You can even get a good view of Sugarloaf Mountain and we all enjoyed watching the cable car zip back and forth between the two peaks. The view of Christ the Redeemer when it is a cloudy day was also very impressive, especially late in the day when the sun added some shadow to the clouds. Although the view off the sides of Morro da Urca is nice it isn't actually the best thing you can see while you're up there.

The hilltop is teeming with very interesting wildlife. The first animals I noticed were marmosets. These adorable little round monkeys just showed up out of nowhere and decided to walk the length of the guard rail. That was the first time I had ever seen a marmoset up close in the “wild”.

As I followed the marmosets along the mountain's edge I was given another interesting treat. There were these extremely active lizards defying gravity, chasing one another around the side of the mountain. I was able to get some interesting shots of them and spent a good 20 minutes just watching them carry on and run around.

Some of the other points of interest on the to of Morro da Urca were cafes and some small shops. There is a helicopter tour and a helipad for getting that unique perspective on the city and mountains. Although it was closed when I was there for the COVID-19 pandemic, there's a small playground for children as well.

Social distancing is pretty easy while walking around. Morro da Urca has a large viewing area around the top allowing for ease when it comes to social distancing. Because it is a smaller peak, Morro da Urca is less famous and that means there are less people than you would find at other popular destinations.

Pretty much the entire area on and getting up to the top of Morro da Urca is completely accessible. If you have a mobility impairment or a young child in a stroller it's quite easy to get around. There's even a small cable car that will take you from the upper lower part of Urca's peak. This is very handy if you are unable to take the stairs.

Mount Urca is an attraction that is set up for everyone. It is an attraction in Rio that has meets the requirements to consider it “accessible” and has many measures in place to curb the COVID spread. There is lots of space and there is hand sanitizer for cleaning your hands located all over the common areas or where you may need to touch something. I found Morro da Urca to be greatly under- appreciated and almost overlooked at times as a must-visit place. It is included with the trip to Sugarloaf and I think because of that it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. For a budget traveler it is a completely free attraction if they hike up and back down the trail. The view from the top is far nicer and less cluttered than the view from other peaks you may find in the area. Because it is so accessible I think anyone visiting Rio de Janeiro should check it out. Morro da Urca, although part of the Sugarloaf experience, it seems to be a hidden gem that is right out in the open. When you plan your trip to Sugarloaf Mountain be sure to add an extra half hour to enjoy Morro da Urca.

If you would like to know more about Rio de Janeiro including Morro da Urca (Mount Urca) and Sugarloaf Mountain you can find a link to a series about some of the famous attractions in Rio de Janeiro below.

Lovin' it on Phuket Presents: Rio de Janeiro

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