Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro's iconic landmark

The first thing that comes to your mind when you hear about Brazil, or more specifically Rio de Janeiro, is the statue of Christ the Redeemer. One of the new 7 Wonders of the World, the statue welcomes you to Rio - a homely environment, a city that embraces everyone and everything. 

The statue was designed between 1922 and 1931 by the French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, and the French Albert Caquot. The amazing thing about the statue is that you can see it from almost all the city of Rio de Janeiro. It is 30 meters high, with an 8-meter pedestal, and it is located at the peak of the Corcovado hill in the Tijuca Forest National Park.

Seeing the city of Rio de Janeiro from above is a unique experience that you definitely have to live at least once in your lifetime!

How to get to the top

Although Christ's statue is one of the main attractions in Rio, you will need to plan your way to its top. That's because there are just two options for you: The tramway or the official vans. This means that even if you want to go in your own car, you are just going to reach a certain point, and from there, you will have to take the shuttles. 

I would recommend you taking the tramway, mostly because it is part of the magical experience of the trip. But if you do not have enough time to wait for this first option (sometimes the line can be too long), you can also take the official shuttles. Plus, there are several points around the city where you can find them, of course at different prices. Also, remember to buy the tickets online before going. Like this, you will avoid waiting in long queues.

Tramway

The Corcovado train is the best-known way to reach Christ the Redeemer, in my opinion. The path is pleasant; climbing the hill through an area of dense vegetation - at a certain point, you forget that you are in a 6 million-people city. The way up takes no more than 20 minutes, and you will arrive at the foot of the statue. There you can go up by elevator or a staircase. By the way, there is no set time to return, which means that you can stay as long as you like to. But remember that the queues to return are often long, and you can exit every 30 minutes. You can reach the tramway station easily by public bus or taxi / Uber. I would not recommend going there in your own car, because there are not too many parking spots.

Official vans

You can get those vans from different spots in the city of Rio. All of them end up at the "Centro de Visitantes das Paineiras,"- a place in the middle of the hill of Corcovado, from where you have to walk all the way up to the statue. Plus, there is a place where you can buy your ticket to go up, in case you have not bought them beforehand.

Keep in mind: Christ the Redeemer receives up to 10,000 visitors a day! So the tip here is to arrive early! After opening, between 8 am to 9 am, the queues are usually shorter. Another interesting time slot is at the end of the day, from 4 pm to 6 pm, when there is less demand for tickets and the movement tends to be reduced. I would recommend you go around that time, because of the sunset, which is another impressive spectacle. 

For sure, it is an experience you will never forget. It is not without a reason that Rio de Janeiro is called "the Wonderful City"!