at a glance
the area where the forest is now was once covered by coffee plantations but was reforested in the 19th century by major manuel gomes archer to protect rio's water supply - today, it is a local pride and joy and pedra bonita is only one of its many natural delights. on this link we show pedra bonita on a wikimapia - the link as we present it is best seen using google chrome, as it might not open at the right coordinates or zoom correctly with other browsers. one of the most spectacular natural, and somewhat mythical, attractions in rio de janeiro, is the authoritative, pedra da gávea mountain. looking out to the ocean abyss beyond rio's entrancing coast, the mountain is characterized by the gargantuan monolithic granite block, which sits on its peak.
