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 Monument, created in 2006. This became part of a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO in 2012. The name "Sugarloaf" was coined in the 16th century by the Portuguese during the heyday of sugar cane trade in Brazil. According to historian Vieira Fazenda, blocks of sugar were placed in conical molds made of clay to be transported on ships. The shape given by these molds was similar to the peak, hence the name. A glass-walled cable car ("bondinho" or, more formally, "teleférico"), capable of holding 65 people, runs along a route between the peaks of Sugarloaf and Morro da Urca