Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer — Corcovado Cristo Redentor in Portuguese — is a colossal Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ standing atop Corcovado mountain, 710 metres above sea level, in the middle of the Tijuca rainforest on the edge of Rio de Janeiro. Completed in 1931 after nearly a decade of construction, the statue was designed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, sculpted by French artist Paul Landowski, and funded largely by donations from Brazilian Catholics. It was declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. At 38 metres tall with an arm span of 28 metres, it is simply one of the most recognisable structures on earth — and seeing it in person, looming out of the mist above the city, is a genuinely affecting experience.

Getting there is half the journey. Most visitors take the Trem do Corcovado, a charming rack railway that departs from Cosme Velho and winds up through thick Atlantic Forest for about 20 minutes, emerging dramatically at the summit. From the base of the statue, you climb a series of escalators or steps to an open platform that surrounds Christ's feet, and the panorama from up there is staggering — Guanabara Bay, Sugar Loaf Mountain, the Maracanã stadium, the curve of Copacabana beach, the favelas clinging to green hillsides. On a clear day it feels like you can see the entire city at once. The statue itself is enormous up close; the face alone is 3.7 metres wide.

Timing matters enormously here. The summit is frequently in cloud — especially in the wet season — and it's also one of Rio's most visited sites, drawing enormous crowds by mid-morning. Book your tickets and timed-entry slot in advance through the official website. Go as early as possible, ideally right at opening, for the best light and thinnest crowds. If you arrive and the summit is socked in, there's no real fallback plan, so check the forecast and have a flexible day around it. The train fills up fast; the van service via Paineiras is an alternative if you miss the railway.