Serra do Mar by train - 22 March 2010

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Curitiba is about 90 Km from the port of Paranaguá, on the Atlantic Ocean. This is the second biggest port in Brazil, it is very active in shipping grains.
Between Curitiba which was built on a plateau and the ocean, we have the Serra do Mar (mountain range of the sea). Originally this 1,500 Km long mountain range runs parallel to the sea from Espirito Santo in the North to Santa Catarina in the South and separates the littoral from the planalto (plateau) of the hinterland. The Serra do Mar supports in fact a tropical rain forest, a very rich diversified ecosystem. Most of it is unfortunately gone by now, due to the colonisation and urbanisation. Some of it is however preserved between Curitiba and Paranaguá.
In 1855 a railway crossing the Serra was built between the two cities, it is still active mainly to bring soya from the hinterland to the harbour.

On the Monday, we took a touristic train that uses the same tracks and joins Curitiba to the City of Morretes, close to Paranaguá. It is an extraordinary journey where the remarkable engineering works compete with the fantastic views of the Serra covered by the rain forest or 'mata atlantica'.

Morretes is a beautiful, somewhat sleepy colonial town where we enjoyed a typical dish from Paraná, the 'barreado'. It is essentially a meat stew, cooked in a clay pot for a long 15 hours with herbs. Once ready it is served with cassava flour and slices of banana.

After Morretes we joined Antonina another beautiful colonial town situated on a peaceful bay of the same name.

We then went back by coach to Curitiba crossing the Serra using the 'estrada Graciosa' a road built first in 1872 and that brings you from one unbelievable panorama to the other.

The next day we went to Ilha do Mel, something very special too.

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Photos

001 Tracks through the Serra.jpeg
Mythic picture found on all brochures. We found it at: brazilecojourneys.com

005 Great Brasil Express
Just posing

002 Littorina
This de luxe version is called the "littorina"

003 Littorina cheers
Enjoying the fizzy stuff

004 Littorina motorista
we got a new driver

006 Serra do Mar
For your cultural awakening!

Comments

[anonymous]

c'est tres bien

[D MJ Binkley]

What a great photo
Wow, how did you manage to get that angle. A great shot.