Serra de Paranapiacaba means “the place from where one sees the sea,” a name given by the region’s first inhabitants, the Tupi Indigenous peoples. Located north of the city of Registro, the Portal provides easy access to both Brazil’s history and the natural richness of the Atlantic Forest through towns such as Sete Barras, São Miguel Arcanjo, Pilar do Sul, Tapiraí, Capão Bonito, and Eldorado. Water springs generously and abundantly from the region’s well-preserved forests in the Alto Paranapanema watershed, ensuring water supply for thousands of people in the state of São Paulo.
The region offers itineraries for all interests, especially within its protected natural areas, where exuberant biodiversity can be easily observed alongside the cultural heritage of the many peoples who have shaped local communities. Quilombola and Indigenous communities set the cultural tone of the region and play a key role in protecting the forests while producing food sustainably. The history of gold prospecting lives on in the names of towns and in the legends masterfully told and retold by local residents. Adventure, contemplation, biodiversity, history, and culture make the Serra de Paranapiacaba Portal a true treasure of the Atlantic Forest Great Reserve.
