Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷

Tijuca National Park is an urban national park situated in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, the park is part of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Preserve and forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Covering roughly 39.58 square kilometers within the Tijuca Massif, it is recognized as one of the largest urban forests in the world. Its name derives from a Tupi language word meaning marsh.

The park's current forest is largely the result of historical reforestation. During the 1700s, the original tree cover was cleared for livestock, fuel, and coffee plantation development, which triggered severe water shortages and flash floods in the city. Early forest protection measures were introduced in 1817 by King Dom João VI, followed by experimental planting efforts near Corcovado Mountain in the 1840s. Emperor Pedro II established federal authority over the space in 1861, initiating a major replanting initiative supervised by Major Manuel Gomes Archer. Between 1861 and 1887, six enslaved individuals named Eleutério, Constantino, Manuel, Mateus, Leopoldo, and Maria planted more than 100,000 trees, focusing primarily on native Brazilian hardwoods such as canjerana, garapiapunha, and sapucaia. The forest was officially designated a national park in 1961.

Geographically, the forest and its high peaks—including Pico da Tijuca, Corcovado, and Pedra da Gávea—form a natural divide separating Rio's West Zone from its North and South Zones. The dense canopy lowers surrounding ambient temperatures by up to 9 °C, and the park features approximately 30 waterfalls. More than 230 animal species inhabit the preserve, including capuchin monkeys, coatis, agoutis, marmosets, wild dogs, hummingbirds, and thrushes. The park also harbors unique plant species, such as the critically endangered tree Annona ferruginea.

As a major destination, the park provides access to notable historical, cultural, and natural landmarks. Its most famous site is the massive Christ the Redeemer statue on Corcovado, which can be reached via a cog railway. Visitors can also see the Cascatinha Waterfall, the Mayrink Chapel containing murals painted by Cândido Portinari, the pagoda-style gazebo at Vista Chinesa, and the large granite table known as Mesa do Imperador. Numerous hiking routes cross the park, leading to destinations such as Pico da Tijuca, the Parrot's Beak rock formation, Morro do Archer, the Cave Circuit, and the Excelsior Lookout.