Pico do Alcobaça

Overview

Pico do Alcobaça is one of the most beautiful mountains of Rio de Janeiro State. The mountais are in the middle of the Serra dos Órgãos, with privileged geographic situation. Pico do Alcobaça is a 360° mirador of Petropolis city, Itaipava district, Correas and Bomfim Valley and all Serra dos Orgãos National Park. The summit is on 1890m above Sea level, and the Alcobaça group ( Pico do Alcobaça and Mâe D'agua Peak ) has a spetacular rock formation on the top, like a pyramid or a cone, depending of your point of view. To climb Alcobaça, it´s necessary to pass by culture fields, Atlantic bush vegetation and altitude fields ( over 1500 mts ) with many types of flowers, like orchids.

Getting There

To go to Pico do Alcobaça, you'll must to drive by BR-040 to north to Petropolis and there, continue to Correas district. When arrives in Correas Square, turns to right to Bomfim Valley. Drive by the rock road and when you see the last entrance before the National Park, turns to Alcobaça Valley ( To the right ). Choose every trail that rises to the RIGHT side and, you'll see the farm when starts the trail. The climb isn't easy, crossing fields, rocks and crests before the last obstacle : The ascent to the pyramid. The last difficult to get the summit is a rock ramp with 200 mts of 45° of inclination, after it, the summit.

Red Tape

Do not go to Pico do Alcobaça if you don't know the trail. The way is in particular areas, and the entrance is forbidden if you do not take permission. There are some particulars properties that have dogs and, they're not friendly animals!

When To Climb

It's better at the Winter and the Spring. At the Summer, rains hard and the rock turns slippery. At the top, have one natural hut that the climbers, if the day turns rainy, can rest a while inside there.

Camping

There are some little hotels at the base or the Serra dos Órgãos National Park camping. Choose one of them, but it isn't recommend to camp at the mountain, because there aren't good areas to your tent with total security. There are natural huts at the trail. As possible to camp at the top, but the wind is hard over there.

Mountain Conditions

If you climb Pico do Alcobaça and the weather turns bad, don't be nervous, the drop down is easy if you be calm. To see the forecast of Brazil , Rio de Janeiro and Petropolis, enter here. . If start to rain over the mountain, drop down slowly because the terrain is very erosive, caused by few vegetation at the summit.

Alcobaça Group peaks

Good shots from the Alcobaça region.

Rivers around Alcobaça

Pico do Alcobaça is very close to Serra dos Órgãos National Park and, all the rivers that come down over the mountains, as possible to take a real good bath when you go home. This is one of them, Bomfim River, the great river Bomfim Valley, the most clear water of all rivers of there.

Credits

Thanks to Hugo Pereira to contribute with shots on this page.
Thanks a lot Hugo!