Serra dos Órgãos

…is also known as the Serra dos Órgãos, it presents an almost sheer face to the sea and creates the outcrops of Sugar Loaf (Pão de Açúcar) and Gávea and a string of small islands. The Serra da Mantiqueira, located just north of the Serra do Mar but still somewhat…

…it is surmounted by the Órgãos Mountains (7,365 feet [2,245 metres]), which overlook Guanabara Bay. Until the railroads passed over it in the 19th century, the Serra do Mar historically formed a major barrier to the development of Brazil’s vast interior. The escarpment was originally covered by dense tropical and…