Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument The Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument () is a natural monument in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It protects the Sugarloaf Mountain and the adjoining Morro da Urca, distinctive landmarks of the city. The Sugarloaf Mountain and Urca Hill Natural Monument has an area of . The monument is located in the neighborhood of Urca, near where the first settlement of the city of Rio de Janeiro was made. Attractions include the "Bondinho" cable car ride, inaugurated in 1912, Cláudio Coutinho Track for running or walking, the Morro da
Sugarloaf Mountain every 20 minutes. The original cable car line was built in 1912 and rebuilt around 1972–73 and in 2008. The cable car goes from a ground station, at the base of Morro da Babilônia, to Morro da Urca and thence to Sugarloaf's summit. To reach the summit, passengers take two cable cars. The first ascends to the shorter Morro da Urca, high. The second car ascends to Pão de Açúcar. The Swiss-made bubble-shaped cars offer passengers 360-degree views of the surrounding city. The ascent takes three minutes from start to finish. Visitors can watch rock climbers on Sugarloaf and the