Gondolas and Marmosets

Jordi | March 7, 2024, 12:20 a.m. | Brazil

This is a post I started in Rio but never got around to publishing about going to Sugarloaf mountain! The promised gondola ride and views were already enough of an attraction for us to plan to go. We started off at Praia Vermelha, the gondola station is right near the beach. We went on a Sunday and the lines weren't too bad. We got our tickets and got onto our cable car in about 30-40 minutes. The gondola ride is in two stages, you go from street level up to the first mountain where you can then transfer to a second gondola.

The views from the first stop were already impressive, both of the city and of Sugarloaf mountain. There's a few cafes and restaurants at this first stop, but otherwise nothing to exciting while walking to the next gondola station. The side of the gondola station to Sugarloaf mountain had the above mural on it. Once we rode the second gondola to the top of Sugarloaf mountain, the views were truly breathtaking though. 

There's some shops and cafes at the top of sugarloaf mountain too, along with another beautiful mural, but the real gem of this trip is the fact that there's a mini jungle criss crossed with stairs and walking paths at the top of sugar loaf mountain! But it's not just the fact that there's a jungle up here, it's who lives in the jungle! A clan of acrobatic marmosets who seem completely oblivious to the presence of humans.

While we were walking the paths on Sugarloaf, the marmosets seemed to be everywhere! Running through tree branches, playing on railings, perching on top of things and looking sagely off to the distance. 
 

But more than anything, these marmosets seemed to love play. Or maybe it could be more accurately described as battle? When enough marmosets gathered in one place, it would truly turn into chaos, with 7-10 marmosets just dogpiling into one frantic mass of wrestling fur, that occasionally sends one marmoset flying for cover. But as soon as one marmoset is ejected, another marmoset might come along in the trees, spot the action, and dive face first into the foray. Truly these marmosets seem to know no greater joy in life then participating in these fierce tornadoes of chaos. 

In conclusion, if you're ever in Rio, come to Sugarloaf mountain for the gondolas and views. Stay for the chaotic marmosets.