Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina 
Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina
The Serra da Bocaina National Park, established in 1971, is 27km/17mi from São José do Barreiro and 35km/22mi from Bananal. It can be reached from these places on SP 221 or SP 247 - both unpaved, difficult and winding roads. The National Park, which is covered by dense forest, has an area of 100,000 hectares/250,000 acres and contains numerous rivers, waterfalls, lakes, fish-ponds and viewpoints.
The Serra da Bocaina National Park, established in 1971, is 27km/17mi from São José do Barreiro and 35km/22mi from Bananal. It can be reached from these places on SP 221 or SP 247 - both unpaved, difficult and winding roads. The National Park, which is covered by dense forest, has an area of 100,000 hectares/250,000 acres and contains numerous rivers, waterfalls, lakes, fish-ponds and viewpoints.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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It is the home of toucans, monkeys, deer, tapirs, capybaras and hundreds of other species. To visit the park a permit must be obtained from the park offices in São José do Barreiro. The Brazilian Institute for the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis, IBAMA) prohibits the entry of all vehicles to the park except those of park employees and visitors staying in the pousada 16km/10mi from the entrance.
The Serra da Bocaina (1500-2200m/4900-7200ft), between the Serra da Mantiqueira and the Serra do Mar, offers excellent conditions for hang-gliding. A few kilometers before the entrance to the park, off SP 221, is a ramp from which gliders launch themselves into the air. Within the park, 1km/.7mi from the entrance, is the Cachoeira de Santo Isidro (Santo Isidro Falls), where the Rio Mambucaba plunges down more than 30m/100ft to form a picturesque lake.
The Serra da Bocaina (1500-2200m/4900-7200ft), between the Serra da Mantiqueira and the Serra do Mar, offers excellent conditions for hang-gliding. A few kilometers before the entrance to the park, off SP 221, is a ramp from which gliders launch themselves into the air. Within the park, 1km/.7mi from the entrance, is the Cachoeira de Santo Isidro (Santo Isidro Falls), where the Rio Mambucaba plunges down more than 30m/100ft to form a picturesque lake.
Related Attractions
Serra da Bocaina National Park - Stag's Falls
Cachoeira do Veado
A 40km/25mi long trail, steep in places (4 hours' ride), leads to the Cachoeira do Veado ("Stag's Falls"), with a sheer drop of over 100m/330ft.
A 40km/25mi long trail, steep in places (4 hours' ride), leads to the Cachoeira do Veado ("Stag's Falls"), with a sheer drop of over 100m/330ft.
Estrada do Sertão
Estrada do Sertão
The National Park can also be reached on the Estrada do Sertão or Estrada da Bocaina, a stony and unsurfaced road which starts from Bananal and, following the Rio Bananal, winds its way up through the Serra to the Sertão da Bocaina. The country through which the road runs is famed not only for its numerous waterfalls and other natural beauties but also for the clear mountain streams with their abundance of fish and the commercial trout farms. (Fishing is prohibited during the spawning season, between June and September.)
The National Park can also be reached on the Estrada do Sertão or Estrada da Bocaina, a stony and unsurfaced road which starts from Bananal and, following the Rio Bananal, winds its way up through the Serra to the Sertão da Bocaina. The country through which the road runs is famed not only for its numerous waterfalls and other natural beauties but also for the clear mountain streams with their abundance of fish and the commercial trout farms. (Fishing is prohibited during the spawning season, between June and September.)
Mata Falls
Mata Falls
The pousada is a good center from which to explore the park. Just under 500m/550yds from the pousada, hidden behind luxuriant vegetation, are the Mata Falls. The Poço das Marrecas, a natural bathing pool at the foot of a waterfall, is a 40-minute walk away. From the Pico do Gavião (1800m/5900ft), 1.5 hours' walk from the pousada, there is a superb view on a clear day of Parati Bay.
The pousada is a good center from which to explore the park. Just under 500m/550yds from the pousada, hidden behind luxuriant vegetation, are the Mata Falls. The Poço das Marrecas, a natural bathing pool at the foot of a waterfall, is a 40-minute walk away. From the Pico do Gavião (1800m/5900ft), 1.5 hours' walk from the pousada, there is a superb view on a clear day of Parati Bay.
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