Sunrise
Above 2,000 m.
Daniel Francisco Madrigal Möller — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marinelson Almeida - Traveling through Brazil from Niteroi, Brasil — CC BY 2.0 · Daniel Francisco Madrigal Möller — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marinelson Almeida - Traveling through Brazil from Niteroi, Brasil — CC BY 2.0
Pedra do Sino, the «Bell Rock», is the highest point of Serra dos Órgãos National Park at 2,275 metres, in Guapimirim in Rio de Janeiro state. From its summit the view takes in all of Guanabara Bay and the city of Rio de Janeiro, and part of the Paraíba valley on the other side. The trail up is a classic of Brazilian mountaineering: about 11 km, five to six hours, from the park headquarters in Teresópolis at 1,100 metres. It starts in Atlantic forest on a stone-paved path from imperial times, passes two waterfalls that make good rest stops, then climbs through high-altitude vegetation. It is also the final stretch of the famous «Petrópolis-Teresópolis traverse». Many sleep at the mountain refuge or campsite to watch sunrise above 2,000 metres, and in winter temperatures can fall to freezing, leaving a thin film of ice on the plants in the morning. The trail has an entry fee and a daily visitor cap, so buy tickets ahead on the park's website; visits run Tuesday to Sunday.
Above 2,000 m.
Old paving stones.
All of Rio.
Teresópolis headquarters of Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Teresópolis
About 11 km and five to six hours from the park headquarters in Teresópolis; many stay overnight at the refuge.