Solitude Weir (Açude da Solidão)

The Tijuca National Park is divided into three visitation sectors - Forest, Serra da Carioca and Pedra Bonita/Pedra da Gávea - and has program options for everyone: from picnic and barbecue areas to hang gliding, climbing, hiking and other activities. Among the famous postcards of the country, there is Corcovado Mountain, where the statue of Christ the Redeemer is located, one of the seven wonders of the modern world, Vista Chinesa, Pedra da Gávea, Parque Lage and Paineiras. The Forest sector is an important and large green area in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. Also known as Floresta da Tijuca, there is a lot of nature and privileged recreational spaces to enjoy the day with friends, family, and children. It is also here that an infinity of trails for all publics is concentrated, with two main circuits: the Picos (Peaks) and the Vale Histórico (Historic Valley), as well as part of the largest urban trail in Brazil, the Transcarioca.The most famous lake in the Forest Sector is located in the area of the old Solitude Site, so called after the Baron of Bom Retiro lost his son in the Paraguay War and started going there to isolate himself. At the beginning of the occupation of the Forest by the coffee growers, the Weir was a swampy environment known as Lagoa dos Porcos (Pig Lagoon) due to the wild pigs that went there in search of water. During Castro Maya's administration, the Weir was transformed into a beautiful nook by landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx.