Santa Teresa Tram
The canary-yellow Bonde de Santa Teresa is more than public transport; it is a rattling time capsule that climbs Rio de Janeiro’s steepest hill, linking downtown bustle with the bohemian heights of Santa Teresa. Open-sided, bell-clanging and painted the shade of tropical sunlight, the tram offers visitors an unforgettable marriage of history, engineering and postcard views.
A short history on steel wheels
Electric trams first appeared in Rio in 1892, but the Santa Teresa line dates to 1896, when rails were laid across the disused aqueduct of the Arcos da Lapa. By the 1920s a network of routes threaded the hillside, yet motorcars and buses slowly eclipsed them. A fatal derailment in 2011 forced closure and complete overhaul. After €20 million of restoration the line reopened in 2015 with replica wooden carriages atop modern bogies, preserving heritage while meeting present-day safety codes. Today the Santa Teresa bonde is one of only a handful of historic streetcars still operating in Latin America.
Where to board
The journey begins at the Estação Carioca, tucked beside Rua Lélio Gama on the north side of Largo de Carioca metro station (Line 1/2). A small ticket booth sells timed seats; the queue forms under a green awning from 8:00 to 18:30 (9:00 to 17:00 on Saturdays and Sundays). Single rides cost a modest sum and include the return; payment is by card or cash and the ticket can be bought only at the ticket office at the station.
Getting there
Metro – Exit Carioca station via “Largo da Carioca” signposts and walk two minutes uphill.
VLT tram – Alight at Carioca/Sete de Setembro stop, then follow yellow bonde symbols.
Bus or taxi – Any service along Avenida Rio Branco sets you down within one block; taxis can use a dedicated rank beside the station.
The route: from aqueduct to hill-top squares
Once aboard, the tram clatters out of the depot, immediately rolls onto the Arcos da Lapa – an 18th-century aqueduct whose twin tiers now serve as the most photogenic viaduct in Brazil – and pauses above the tiled Selarón Steps for a skyline glimpse of Catedral Metropolitana. From here the track snakes up Rua Joaquim Murtinho, brushing pastel mansions, pocket bars, murals and leafy trees so close passengers could pluck mangoes.
Key stops include:
- Largo do Curvelo – first high viewpoint; wander to the 18th-century Igreja do Outeiro.
- Largo do Guimarães – heart of Santa Teresa’s café culture; cobbled square lined with studios and cocktail terraces.
- Parque das Ruínas – a short stroll from the Largo do França stop, offering a steel-framed belvedere over Guanabara Bay.
- Dois Irmãos terminus – edge-of-forest halt where clifftop views of the South Zone and a tiny bar reward the curious.
The complete out-and-back ride covers 6 km in roughly 40 minutes; trams depart every 15 minutes, but lingering at intermediate stops is encouraged—simply wave to re-board.
Why ride?
- Heritage on the move – polished brass fittings, mahogany bench seats and conductors who punch cardboard tickets evoke 1930s Brazil.
- Living viewpoints – no other Rio transport lets you photograph Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer and downtown skyscrapers without leaving your seat.
- Community heartbeat – residents greet the tram by name; children hop aboard for school; street musicians occasionally provide rolling soundtracks.
- Convenient hill-climb – the bonde spares calves the punishing gradient, depositing riders metres from Santa Teresa’s galleries, bars and boutique guest-houses.
Position in Rio’s tourist hierarchy
Rio’s icons divide neatly: beaches for sun, peaks for vistas, stadiums for passion. The Santa Teresa tram stitches them together, delivering scenery, history and local life in one fare. Many visitors pair it with morning exploration of Centro’s colonial churches or evening samba in Lapa below, judging the ride as essential as a Sugarloaf cable car or a selfie at the Selarón Steps, yet far less crowded.
Practical pointers
- Arrive 30 minutes early at weekends; queues grow quickly as the capacity of the tram is only 32 passengers.
- Stand on the open running boards only when signalled safe by staff.
- Keep phones secure; the tram is slow, but streets pass close.
- Last descent leaves Santa Teresa neighbourhood around 18:30 (check boards for seasonal tweaks).
- The ticket office might be closed as soon as 16:00 during the most busy days
From the moment its bell clangs across Largo da Carioca, the Santa Teresa tram promises romance: terracotta roofs flashing below, Atlantic forest brushing fingertips above and the smell of strong coffee drifting from hillside kitchens. Step aboard and you are no longer merely travelling—you are time-travelling, gliding through layers of Rio’s past and present, returning with photographs and memories steeped in the city’s most irresistible charm.
