Catacumba Park with Sacopã and Urubu Lookout Trail

The Municipal Natural Park of Catacumba is a small environmental conservation unit that is on the banks of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Known to the most intimate only as a catacomb park, this beauty of space reserves several activities that can be carried out by the most adventurous even those who just want to relax.

I will still talk about all the possibilities that the Catacumba Park provides, but basically from there you have the exit to a very cool (and easy) trail that leads to Mirante do Sacopã and Morro do Urubu next. In addition, it is possible to enjoy a series of sculptures and practice some extreme sports such as climbing, tree climbing and rappelling.

How to get

If you are looking to find out how to get to Catacumba Park, rest assured that the path is easier than most of the trails that I recommend here. Its address is Avenida Epitácio Pessoa, 3000, in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, RJ.

The main transport options are:

• Bus: Lines 436 and 461 run every 20 minutes at bus stops very close to Catacumba Park (as you can see on the map) in both directions.
• Metro: Just jump at Cantagalo station (which is at the bottom and right of the map) and walk for about 20 minutes, passing through the Cantagalo section and walking to the right towards the Park.
• Car: At Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas there is a rotating parking lot close to Catacumba Park. It is just before the park if you are coming from Humaitá or a little later if you are coming from Ipanema / Leblon. There you can park and go on foot.

A reference point is the Gas Station BR, which is right in front of the park.

What to see and do

There are 3 things you can do when you arrive at Catacumba Park, remembering that your opening hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8 am to 5 pm:

• Stroll and relax
• Adventure activities
• Trail

To start, for the more sedentary, there are some benches and a good space to walk inside the park. This walk reserves about 30 works and sculptures by renowned artists that are exposed in the open air.

Continuing, if you like adventure activities, you will be able to have a lot of fun with Lagoa Aventuras, a company that offers all kinds of services for children and adults with prices ranging from R $ 20 to R $ 130. See the main options:

• Canopy
• Climbing wall
• Rappelling
• Zipline

For more information, visit the company's website. To close the activities that can be performed in the park, it is worth talking about what I like to do (and write) here, the trail.

Sacopã Lookout Trail and Morro do Urubu Trail

This is a very nice trail to take in the south of Rio de Janeiro. In addition to being extremely accessible and easy to do, it provides one of the coolest possible views of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.

resume

• Tempo Médio da Sacopã Lookout Trail and Morro do Urubu Trail: 30 minutos
• Distance: 1400m
• Height: 130m
• Trajeto Circular: Catacumba Park – Mirante do Sacopã – Morro do Urubu – Parque
• Difficulty: Light

The viewpoint of Sacopã and Urubu, as I said earlier, are located inside the Parque da Catacumba, more specifically, on the Morro dos Cabritos. Right after entering the park (through the gate shown in the image below), you have two options, go right or left.

On the right side, you will find some of the adventure options that I have already mentioned here, on the left side, you will see the headquarters of the catacomb park,  the bike   rack (if you prefer to bike there) and the climb that takes you to the beginning of the trail to the viewpoint of Sacopã and Urubu.

After a pleasant and well-marked fast path, you arrive at a sign that shows the beginning of the trail. From there, it's about 15 to 20 minutes until you reach a fork in the top. If you move on, you will arrive at Mirante do Sacopã. This “escape” from the trail is essential and guarantees you the beautiful view (which frames Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Morro dois Irmãos, Pedra da Gávea and even Pedra Bonita) that I promised here at the beginning of the post.

There you can sit and relax a bit until you get back to the trail. Continuing on the right side of the fork (as I said, everything is well signposted, so don't worry about that), it's another 5 to 10 minutes to the lookout of Morro do Urubu, which has another beautiful view, similar, but more focused on Christ the Redeemer.

As you can see in the image, there you still have a wooden deck, which allows you a good view below. It is also from here that the rappel is done by Lagoa Aventuras. From now on the trail takes you back to the Parque da Catacumba normally.

Rafa's tricks

Some tips that can inspire you to visit the catacomb park and make the trail to the viewpoint of sacopã are:

• Enjoy Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas - Before or after, it is worth taking a walk on the 7.4km of Lagoa
• Go by bike - The catacomb park has a bike rack and for those who like it, it's even easier to get there

A little more knowledge about the Catacumba Park

Not everyone knows, but Parque da Catacumba occupies a region where the Favela da Catacumba was located. Since the 1930s, during the period of urban growth in the city of Rio de Janeiro, several families began to settle in the region and, during the 1970s, the community was entirely removed. At that moment, the creation of the Park began, which was reforested by species from the Atlantic forest.

Another curiosity is the name catacumba, which exists due to an indigenous cemetery that would have existed in the region (but which has never been found).

Frequently Asked Questions

What can visitors expect in terms of scenery and trail difficulty at Catacumba Park, and what are the highlights of the Sacopã and Urubu lookout trails?

Visitors to Catacumba Park can expect lush vegetation and panoramic city views. The trails range from easy to moderate difficulty, with highlights including stunning views of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas and the Christ the Redeemer statue from the lookouts.