Christ the Redeemer Rio De Janerio Brazil

Lightning strikes Christ the Redeemer approximately four to five times per year. The statue is one of the highest points on the Corcovado massif and lightning rods have been embedded in the outstretched arms since the original construction in 1931. Minor repairs happen fairly regularly; major lightning damage occurred in 2014 and required restoration of the thumbs and head. The Art Deco statue made of soapstone and concrete was designed by French-Polish sculptor Paul Landowski and has been looking over Rio de Janeiro for nearly 100 years.

Getting There

The Corcovado rack railway from the Cosme Velho neighbourhood runs through Atlantic Forest to the summit, taking about 20 minutes. Tickets are around BRL 90 return and should be booked online in advance. Van and shuttle services also run from the park entrance higher up. The queues at the statue base are worst between 10am and 2pm; early morning or late afternoon visits are substantially better. The summit sits at 710 metres; when Rio is under cloud the statue can be invisible from below while the summit is in clear sky, or vice versa. Check the weather at the summit rather than the city level.

What You See

The statue stands 38 metres tall, the arms span 28 metres. The views from the summit platform take in Guanabara Bay, Niteroi, the Sugarloaf, Ipanema, Copacabana, and the Atlantic beyond. On a clear day this is the definitive Rio panorama.

The combination ticket for the train and site entry is purchased at the Cosme Velho station; book specific time slots online at trem.cosmeevelho.com.br to avoid the day-of queue. Walking up the summit path from the van parking area to the statue base takes about ten minutes on stone steps.

Rio Beyond the Statue

Sugarloaf Mountain (cable car, two stages, views across the city, best at sunset: BRL 160) and the Corcovado visit work best on separate days rather than together.

The Santa Teresa neighbourhood above Lapa is the city’s bohemian district: colonial houses, narrow streets, the Museu da Chácara do Céu with Brazilian modernist art, and Bar do Mineiro for Saturday feijoada. Ipanema’s Sunday street market on Rua Henrique Dumont is worth the morning visit.

For safety on beaches, use locker services for phones and cameras; bag snatching is common. Uber or 99 are reliably safer than unlicensed taxis for getting around after dark.