Pedra do Telégrafo: A Unique Day Trip from Rio

Last Updated: April 27, 2024

If you’re in Rio and want to venture out of the city to see the gorgeous surrounding countryside, you cannot miss a trip to Pedra Do Telégrafo (“Telegraph Stone”), just south of Rio de Janeiro. This trip is a great day trip outside of Rio, but it can be difficult to get to on your own. We ended up booking an open air jeep tour to see the Telegraph Stone, for the ease of transportation and the benefit of having a local guide. Was it worth it? Below we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about taking a trip to Pedra Do Telégrafo.

The cliff itself offers stunning views. Not to mention the chance to impress all your friends with your death-defying poses hanging off the side of a cliff. (Or at least, the illusion of hanging off a cliff ).

But the view at the top is not the only thing that makes this trip worth it.

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A Glimpse of Rio's Surrounding Countryside

The roundtrip to the trail gives you a peek into the towns and landscapes surrounding Rio. Rio itself is amazing, but there is so much more to the region than you can see from within the city limits. On the drive to Pedra do Telégrafo, you get to see rapidly changing landscapes. From mountains, to marshes, to fields of grazing cows, to sleepy beach towns. It’s a nice break away from the bustle of the city.

An Epic Open Air Jeep Experience

But, if you’re like us, you may dread the thought of renting a car and driving on the crazy streets of Rio. To avoid driving, we opted for an open-air jeep tour that departed from our hotel in Copacabana. Though if you’re feeling brave, you can definitely drive there yourself! There seemed to be plenty of street parking at the base of the trail to Pedra do Telégrafo.

On our jeep tour, being in the open air for a 1.5 hour trip offered unparalleled views of the surrounding landscape. We passed by long stretches of preserved coastline that took our breath away. We also passed luxurious high rises in Barra de Tijuca, where Rio’s elite move to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.

If the open-air experience isn’t for you, there are also plenty of van tour options, which still include the entire trip to Pedra do Telégrafo, with just a little less wind.

Hike with a Local Guide to Pedra do Telégrafo

Another highlight of the experience was getting to hike with our guide, a Brazilian guy who had lived in Rio for many years. He spoke English, Spanish, and Portuguese. He could easily talk with everyone on our tour, and he was really fun to chat with. We definitely recommend going with a guide on the hike to Pedra do Telégrafo, because the trail is not very well-marked. There were several forks in the trail where we would have gotten lost, had we not had the help of our guide.

How difficult is the trail up to Pedra do Telégrafo? We’d rate it as moderate. It took a little over an hour to hike up, and it was uphill the entire way. We were at about a medium fitness level, and we didn’t struggle too much. But we were definitely tired by the time we reached the top. Thankfully going down is much easier and quicker!

Located on a peninsula, the trail has ocean views on both sides. You can see that Mir was jumping for joy with these unique, epic views.

The View from Pedra do Telégrafo

But, of course, the ultimate part of the experience is the arrival at Pedra do Telégrafo. The enchanting view almost feels fake with the deep blue ocean meeting the hidden pristine beach below.

And no trip to Pedra do Telégrafo is complete without bringing out your inner drama queen for a theatrical pose at the (not so) terrifying drop off.

At the top, there was a photographer taking professional photos, to get the perfect Pedra do Telégrafo illusion. The professional photos cost around 10 Brazilian Reals for 3 photos (the equivalent of about two American dollars).

Our hiking guide worked with this photographer to ensure that we got our photos via WhatsApp the next day. We were pretty happy with the way our pictures turned out. (As you can see below!) However, if you’re going with a buddy, feel free to use your own iPhone, that’s allowed too. Everything is allowed in Brazil 😉

Before heading back to the Jeep, we stopped at a local snack shop. There we could use the bathroom and get delicious, refreshing açaí bowls, which hit the spot after a long hike. We then jumped back in the Jeep and took a different route back to Rio. Our ride back included more beautiful views along the coast.

All in all, our tour to Pedra do Telégrafo was an epic, unique way to see a little corner of paradise right outside Rio de Janeiro. We highly recommend it to anyone interested in exploring around Rio!

Interested in other hidden gems in the Rio area? Check out Four Unique Things to Try in Rio de Janeiro or our guide to the 5 Best Cultural Experiences to Do in Rio.