On March 29, 1693, the captain-settler Matheus Martins Leme, fulfilling the “appeals for peace, quiet, and the common good of the people,” held the first election for the City Council and the installation of the Town (Vila), as required by Portuguese Ordinances. The Town of Nossa Senhora da Luz dos Pinhais was founded, later to become Curitiba. The change of both the town’s name and the settlement’s routine occurred in 1721 with the visit of the magistrate Raphael Pires Pardinho, for whom a city square is named today. He was likely the first authority to show concern for the city’s environment, beginning a tradition for which Curitiba is now internationally recognized. Curitiba is a word of Guarani origin: kur yt yba means “a great quantity of pine trees” or “pine grove” in the language of the indigenous people, the first inhabitants of the territory.
There are 60 municipalities that make up Atlantic Forest Great Reserve; each one has its own importance and good things to do together, offering a wide range of activities and attractions.
Portals are like gateways, distinct micro-regions united by their tourist vocation.
The portals present a set of natural, cultural and historical attractions of Atlantic Forest Great Reserve.
There are over 110 Conservation Units in Atlantic Forest Great Reserve. This mosaic is fundamental for the conservation of the continuous forest. The parks are nature’s great stores.
There’s so much to do in Atlantic Forest Great Reserve! Several unmissable experiences await you!
