Two granite monoliths stand over the western edge of Rio de Janeiro, and they draw very different crowds. Pedra da Gávea, at about eight hundred and forty metres, is a massive block with a flat face that looks, from some angles, like a human profile, and it has attracted legends, including one about Phoenician inscriptions carved by sailors thousands of years ago. Experts think the marks are natural erosion. Pedra Bonita, a smaller sister, is where hang-gliders and paragliders launch from a wooden ramp, floating down over the forest to land on the beach at São Conrado, in one of the most photographed flights in the world.
Both are part of Tijuca National Park, a patch of Atlantic rainforest that stands inside a city of six million people, and which UNESCO included in its listing of the Carioca landscapes in 2012. Remarkably, the forest is largely man-made. In the nineteenth century, deforestation for coffee and charcoal threatened the city's water supply, and Emperor Pedro II ordered the hillside to be replanted, a project begun in 1861 under Major Archer, who planted tens of thousands of saplings. Today it supports monkeys, toucans and sloths.
The riding around Rio is exhilarating and tricky. The Estrada das Canoas winds up through the forest to the Tijuca massif with views over the lagoon and the sea, and the corniche roads along the coast are a pleasure, though traffic is heavy and drivers are fast. Rain can arrive suddenly and make the cobbles and painted lines slippery, and potholes, buses and motorbike couriers all require attention. As in any big city, take security seriously, avoid unfamiliar neighbourhoods, especially at night, and keep valuables out of sight.
Fuel and food are available everywhere in the city, with plenty of stations on the main roads and small snack bars selling fresh coconut water and pastries. The hike to the top of Pedra da Gávea is long and steep, with an exposed scramble at the end, and requires a guide, while Pedra Bonita is an easier walk. Start early, because the clouds often come in by midday, and take water.