08. Piraquara x Estrada dos Teixeiras
Section: Piraquara x Estrada dos Teixeiras
Park where this section is located: Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca
Summary
The Aqueduto do Barata – leisure area of the Piraquara subsite of the park – blends with the treetops between the city and the unique rock formations of the Serra do Barata. Here you will find the main attractions of the section, such as the impressive Pedra do Osso, a huge rock block that defies gravity. For the more experienced, a climb with the help of a steel cable leads to the highest point of the section: the top of the "Jesus Vem" rock. From Mirante da Piraquara, a panoramic view reveals the entire neighborhood of Realengo, with the Serra do Mendanha in the background. Hikers cross the rural area near Estrada dos Teixeiras and walk through pastures amid energy transmission towers. Take a break at the curious Pedra Rachada.
Orientation
4.6 km
3 h
Climbing: None
Direction
Piraquara x Estr. dos Teixeiras
Direction
Estr. dos Teixeiras x Piraquara
Technical Information
Difficulty
Moderate
Risk
Low
Sun
Medium
Orientation
Easy
Signage
Partial
Hydration
Yes
Attractions
Viewpoint
Fauna/Flora
Conservation
Good
Ruins
Pool/Lake
Section Map
Interactive Map
Route Description
(Direction West x East / Barra de Guaratiba x Morro da Urca)
Starting at the Piraquara headquarters of the Pedra Branca State Park, we walk (770 m) until crossing the Rio do Registro. From this point we continue climbing for (900 m) until a natural bridge. The climb is now light and we will soon find a good water source along the way. Continuing along the Main Trail, we will soon reach a fork. From this point we can walk (300 m) to the Teixeiras viewpoint with a great view of the Jacarepaguá neighborhoods in the west zone of Rio. Back on the Main Trail, we now walk (300 m) until we find a series of towers along the way.
After this section, we now walk through the forest downhill until we reach Estrada do Barata. On a dirt road, we now walk another (250 m) to a farm where it is possible to have lunch and eat before continuing. With renewed energy, we continue descending for (400 m) to a fork with a gate where we continue following the signage along Estrada dos Teixeiras. Now it is only another (400 m) to the end of the section. Going straight ahead on the exit branch, the hiker will soon reach Largo dos Teixeiras where it is possible to get transportation to various parts of the city.
How to Get There
This section of the Transcarioca Trail must be reached from the Piraquara headquarters of the Pedra Branca State Park.
For safety reasons, we recommend that it be done as an out-and-back trip from the PEPB headquarters at Piraquara to Pedra Rachada and back to the headquarters at Piraquara, without exiting to the Teixeiras road.
Trail Entrance
Sede Piraquara (Rua do Governo, Realengo)
Trail Exit
Largo dos Teixeiras
Infographic
Attractions
Forest, viewpoints, Piraquara headquarters, ruins of the old aqueduct.
Commerce/Lodging
Along the route there is a farm that serves food to hikers, but it is not always open.
Water Points
There are several water points along the trail.
Photos
Historical Facts
The Aqueduto do Barata was built in the 1960s during the Carlos Lacerda administration to supply water to the South Zone and Barra. Before its existence, water shortages in those regions were constant. It begins in Guandu, passes through Lameirão in Santíssimo, reaches the aqueduct at Cachoeira do Barata, going over Estrada do Catonho.
The name Pau da Fome originates from the habit of some troopers: having meals under a fig tree. They used to say "We are at the páo da fome" (hunger tree).
The water supply in the city of Rio de Janeiro around 1817 was precarious, forcing the Court Government to adopt measures to protect water sources due to forest devastation.
The areas of the Rio Grande springs, belonging to the farm of Barão da Taquara, were acquired in 1908 by the Federal Government, which carried out important improvements at the Pau da Fome Dam. At the time, the Union also expropriated the Camorim spring area for the establishment of a forest reserve and expansion of the weir and water treatment and distribution systems.
Aiming at the preservation of water sources, historian Magalhães Corrêa in the early 1930s, in his articles published in the Jornal Correio da Manhã, exposed the need to protect the forests of the Pedra Branca Massif.
At the same time, the Federal Government instituted the so-called Protective Forests of the Union, many of which are located in this Massif, namely: Camorim, Rio Grande, Caboclos, Batalha, Guaratiba, Quininha, Engenho Novo de Guaratiba, Colônia, Piraquara and Curicica, all with water catchment for supply. These catchments are today historical landmarks of Rio's hydraulic engineering, since many of them were already old when the protectionist measure was decreed.
Due to the water supply needs in the outskirts of the city, legal measures began to be taken by public agencies, both at federal, state and municipal levels, regarding the preservation of the Massif.
Decree No. 1,634 of April 1963 promoted the integrated use of the Massif, declaring the lands that comprise the region as public utility for expropriation purposes.
In 1972, a working group was created by ordinance "P" SPG No. 20, of July 18, to propose the necessary measures for the creation of the Park. This group was replaced by another through Ordinance "P" SPG No. 3, on January 19, 1973, which concluded a report indicating the necessary measures for the creation of the Park. The report, quite complete for its time, included socioeconomic aspects, climate, occupation, vegetation cover status, aspects related to the historical, artistic and archaeological heritage of the Massif region, suggesting delimitation, naming, administrative and financial aspects, attributions of the State and Union, possibility of agreements and indicating measures for the development of the master plan.
Source: http://www.parquepedrabranca.com/p/macico-da-pedra-branca.html
Adopting Group
Centro Excursionista Guanabara – CEG
Francisco Saraiva - (21)99913-7439