Standing on a rocky hilltop north of Lubango, Cristo Rei is a statue of Christ the King that the Portuguese colonial administration erected in 1957, consciously echoing the more famous version overlooking Rio de Janeiro. The figure stands with arms outstretched over the plateau city, visible from much of the lower town on a clear day. The hilltop itself is the destination as much as the statue — the views across Lubango's red-roofed streets and out to the escarpment beyond are some of the best you will find anywhere in southern Angola.
After independence in 1975, the statue fell into neglect and suffered some damage during the long civil war. It has since been restored and the approach road improved. You can drive most of the way up and walk the final stretch. It is at its best in the early morning before the haze builds, and the walk around the base of the plinth rewards the effort with views in every direction across the high plateau.