RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Of the easily accessible hikes within the Rio metropolitan area, the Pedra do Elefante (aka Alto Mourão) is arguably the most beautiful, one of the least visited and also the safest.
It is easier to climb than Pedra da Gávea, and less busy than most of the mountains in the central region of the city, especially on weekdays.
The peak is 412 meters high and located in the Parque Estadual da Serra da Tiririca, the biological diversity of which was remarked upon by Charles Darwin when he visited the region during his famous voyage on the Beagle.
To get there without a car, the simplest option is to take the commuter ferry from Praça Quinze to the center of Niterói.
From there it is a short walk to the city bus station (rodoviária) where you need to take a bus to Itacoatiara.
Most of these buses will stop in Itacoatiara before terminating in Itaipu, and will be marked accordingly, but double-check with the driver that you are on the right one before you pay your fare.
The trip usually takes more than an hour so sit tight! You’ll know when you are in Itacoatiara as the bus turns around at a roundabout with a small military police station.
Get off the bus here and walk back to the main road (where you came from), turn right and continue until you reach a petrol station where you turn right again onto the uphill Estrada de Itaipuaçu.
At the crest of this road, just before the Mirante de Itaipuaçu, you will see the trail entrance. Alternatively, you can get an inexpensive Uber from Itacoatiara, which will save you about 20-25 minutes walking.
Once you are on the trail, things become a lot less confusing. Just follow the track, which is clear throughout. The first part of the hike is a relatively manageable forest track, mostly uphill with some downhill sections too.
The second part is much more challenging, as it involves scrambling and climbing up exposed rock faces. Compared to other peaks (such as Gávea) the climbing is easier and less dangerous, but is challenging nonetheless and should be approached with caution especially by inexperienced or nervous climbers.
You will see many wonderful cacti and abundant lizards on the walk. Beautiful crested caracara hawks also live on the mountain, though they are frequently hard to spot among the far greater numbers of back vultures (urubus).
On the top there are ample open spaces and viewpoints, with incredible vistas along the beach of Itaipuaçu towards the Região dos Lagos, inland over Tiririca forest, and back towards Rio where Corcovado, the Sugarloaf and Pedra de Gávea are all (faintly) visible.
Time: 2-3 hours (from trail head).
Bring water, lunch, sun and rain protection.
Advice: Take normal hiking precautions. Always better (within reason) to have too much water/food/clothes than too little.
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