About Us

The Transcarioca Trail was first conceived in 1995. In 1997, it became a project of the Environment Department of the City of Rio de Janeiro (SMAC), and was first presented to the public at the World Ecotourism Congress and Exhibition – World Ecotur 97, held at Riocentro from December 15 to 18, 1997.

Its goal is to create a long-distance trail connecting the conservation units of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, functioning as an ecological corridor between them and promoting integrated management of the Carioca Mosaic of Protected Areas. From the start, it was envisioned as the initial seed of a great long-distance trail linking the Atlantic Forest conservation units along the Brazilian coast.

The Transcarioca Trail Movement (MTT) is an initiative that brings together people and civil society institutions committed to the implementation, signage, management, promotion and qualified public use of the trail, on a voluntary and collaborative basis, whether personal or institutional. Although not a formally constituted institution, the MTT has its own governance system, with a group of thematic coordinators and a general coordinator. Its creation stemmed precisely from the need to organize dialogue between volunteers, adopters and collaborators of the trail with the managers of the conservation units along the trail, both individually (with UC managers/chiefs) and institutionally (with municipal, state and federal public agencies responsible for them). Follow MTT's actions and discover how to collaborate with this creative and collaborative collective.

In addition to the staff and employees of the Carioca Mosaic Conservation Units connected by the Trail, all those who directly or indirectly collaborate with the movement are considered Friends of the Transcarioca Trail, including the readers of its Facebook page, who share the ideas and actions of the TT that greatly help promote and protect the trail.

Over 1000 volunteers have already contributed to the implementation of the trail. They are individuals and institutions that occasionally help or adopt specific sections of the TT, thus collaborating with the Carioca Mosaic Conservation Units in the signage and periodic maintenance of the trail, in addition to working on administrative actions, communication and other tasks necessary for the good progress of the Trail. It is estimated that more than 10,000 hours of volunteer work were donated to the Transcarioca Trail in 2015 alone.

In 2018, the Brazilian Long-Distance Trails Network – a network that began its articulation from the Transcarioca Trail, the first national long-distance trail – won the National Tourism Award, granted by the Ministry of Tourism, in the category Heritage Enhancement through Tourism.

Today, the Transcarioca Trail connects ten fully protected conservation units:

• Parque Natural Municipal de Grumari
• Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca
• Parque Nacional da Tijuca
• Parque Natural Municipal da Cidade
• Parque Natural Municipal da Catacumba
• Parque Natural Municipal Fonte da Saudade
• Parque Natural Municipal Jose Guilerme Merquior
• Parque Natural Municipal da Paisagem Carioca
• Monumento Natural Municipal dos Morros do Pão de Açúcar e da Urca
• Monumento Natural das Ilhas Cagarras

Also allowing access to protected areas such as Sítio Burle Max, Parque Estadual da Chacrinha, Museu do Açude and the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. In a second phase, the trail should also cover Restinga da Marambaia and Morro Cara de Cão.

Current adopters are:

• Trilhas RJ (Local)
• Fome de Trilha
• Amigos da Zona Oeste – AZO
• Monique Lopes
• Diego Monsores
• Centro Excursionista Guanabara – CEG
• RJ Adventura
• Overland Ecoturismo
• Afonso da Silva
• Trilhas Quase Secretas
• Joel Miguel Camilo
• Neusa Lima
• M2 Adventures
• Grupo Terra Limpa
• Ass. Movimento Trilha Transcarioca
• Arafat Fontoura
• Lagoa Aventuras
• Centro Excursionista Brasileiro
• Abilio Valerio Tozini
• Companhia Caminho Aéreo Pão de Açúcar

COOP Babilônia, Companhia Caminho Aéreo Pão de Açúcar, FEMERJ, RIOSUL and Projeto Pão de Açúcar Verde also carry out important work on the Trail.

Eco/WikiPArques, WWF Brasil, Instituto Semeia, SOS Mata Atlântica and the Association of Friends of the Tijuca National Park do not adopt sections but have collaborated for the good progress of the project.

Other environmental NGOs that have supported the Transcarioca Trail Movement include: Instituto Moleque Mateiro, Amigos do Perigoso, Destemidos, UNICERJ, Bionatureza, Amigos da Serra do Vulcão, Makalu Sports, Nature Run, Anda Brasil and the Gaúcha Mountaineering Federation, among others.