some of the peaks in the zona sul are part of the lush parque da tijuca, one of the largest urban forests in the world. among the most spectacular, and somewhat mythical, mountains looking out from rio's coast to the ocean is pedra da gávea. characterized by the mammoth monolithic granite block that sits on its peak, it is actually the world's largest coastal monolith.

the mountain rises an impressive 842 meters above sea level, and is locally known as 'the head of the emperor', as the rock formation is considered to resemble the face of emperor dom pedro ii.