03. Grota Funda x Morgado

Section: Grota Funda x Morgado

Orientation

Technical Information

Attractions

Section Map

Interactive Map

Route Description

(Direction West x East / Barra de Guaratiba x Morro da Urca)
The hike starts at the top of Grota Funda, heading towards Morgado. The route is full of ups and downs, passing through Morro da Ilha, Boa Vista, Morro do Francês, Pico do Morgado, Toca Pequena and Toca Grande. The highlight is Mirante da Toca Grande, which offers a beautiful view of the park's green area with Morro dos Caboclos ahead. The trail runs through Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, surrounded by preserved Atlantic Forest.

How to Get There

This section of the Transcarioca Trail can be reached at the end of the Grumari x Grota Funda section (West/Barra de Guaratiba to East/Pão de Açúcar direction). The starting point is at the top of Grota Funda and can be accessed by bus or private vehicle. For those coming from the opposite direction through Morgado, take Estrada dos Bandeirantes, enter Estrada do Morgado, and continue until the orange guardhouse on a small corner. Keep left of the guardhouse and go up until the road becomes a trail. Soon you will find the fork with the Transcarioca Trail footprints. Buses from the Alvorada terminal go to Grota Funda or the Piabas terminal.

Infographic

Attractions

Forest area with viewpoints and climbs to Morro Boa Vista peak, Morro do Francês, Pico do Morgado and Gruta do Morgado. Don't miss visiting Glamping Espaço Livre.

Commerce/Lodging

There is no commerce near Grota Funda. In Morgado, there are some options along Estrada dos Bandeirantes. It is recommended to bring enough food and water for the entire route.
Currently there are no partnerships between Transcarioca Trail and local businesses.

Water Points

There are no water points along this section. Bring enough water for the entire hike.

Photos

Historical Facts

According to Andre Decourt "the Grota Funda road replaced an old colonial path, having been possibly one of the first public tender works carried out in Brazil. Its improvement and construction of new stone bridges in 1870 by Carlos de Magalhães de Mello proved inadequate for the old 'Sertão Carioca' region, and its replacement was certainly already planned when the original Rio-Santos highway route was designed."

"Its old route possibly served to drain the production of goods from part of the 'Sertão' for over a century, besides having served as a clandestine route for the slave trade. Its paving as a roadway was undertaken in the second half of the 19th century with complex engineering works. The large number of interested parties for its construction and four-year concession shows that agricultural production from Guaratiba as well as the Vargens and Piabas region was very important."

With the construction of the variant, integrating into both ends of Av. das Américas, part of the old route was abandoned and forgotten. We can see through Street View how narrow the old connection was in the section still open to traffic passing by summer homes, or see the old route swallowed by the vegetation from above or from Estrada dos Bandeirantes thanks to the colonião grass that keeps the area without closed forest.

After the construction of the Grota Funda tunnel in 2012, the Grota Funda road, where the second section ends and the third stage of the Transcarioca Trail begins, once again serves only local traffic.

The Morgado path is an old colonial trail opened in the 18th century to serve the region's sugar mills, mainly for transporting sugar production from Engenho do Morgado.

Source: www.portalguaratiba.com.br

Adopting Group

Associação Movimento Trilha Transcarioca
Email: contato@trilhatranscarioca.org.br