Pedra da Gávea: what to know first
Rio's most famous hike is also the one with the most rescues in the city, according to the fire brigade. It fits in a day, but a tight day: the gate lets you in only until 14:00 and everyone is out by 17:00.
Getting there
The gate is at the end of Estrada do Sorimã, near Praça Professor Velho da Silva in Joá / Barra da Tijuca, a green Tijuca National Park gate. Parking is small; if it's full, use the shoulder on the way up or the square, about 500 m below. Arriving around 7:30 helps. Without a car: metro to Jardim Oceânico and a ride-hailing car for about 4 km.
At the gate the group leader signs a risk form with a phone number. Ask the guard how many people are on the trail and avoid going alone.
The Carrasqueira
A rock wall of about 30 to 40 m with ropes, where fatal accidents have happened. The park doesn't require a guide, but trail guides strongly recommend one: without a harness and rope, go with a guide. On weekends there's a queue, and it slows the group just when time to get out is getting tight. Choose a weekday or be at the gate at 8:00.
Water and weather
The Garganta do Céu waterfall, about 500 m past the gate, is dry from May to August and not reliable otherwise: carry about 2 L a person. The summit is cold and windy, with little shade on the last stretch; bring a windbreaker. The best months are April to September; summer is hot, humid and rainy, and wet rock is slippery.
Example: a day on Gávea, hour by hour
| 07:30 | Arrive and park. |
|---|---|
| 08:00 | Gate opens. Form signed. |
| ~08:15 | Garganta do Céu, km 0.5. |
| ~11:00 | Summit, about 3 h later, Carrasqueira included. |
| 12:00 | Start down, about 2 h, plus waiting at the rope. |
| ~14:00 | The gate. The exit limit is 17:00 (18:00 in summer). |
An example with the sources' times (the 2 h descent comes from an old report). The Carrasqueira queue isn't counted: the plan works out your own turn-back time.
Robbery: in February 2012 about 30 hikers were robbed at gunpoint by three men on the trail. We found no recent report, but guides still advise not to go alone.
Sources: Tijuca National Park, Gazeta SP (April 2026), Rio Times, Mala de Aventuras, Viagens e Caminhos.
The trail page (in Portuguese): Pedra da Gávea. Next door, easier: Pedra Bonita.