Parque Estadual do Alto do Ribeira

Top choice in São Paulo State


This 357-sq-km state park, with its 450 cataloged caves, is known as Brazil’s Capital das Grutas (Cave Capital). The park's Núcleos de Visitação (Visitor Centers) are well-set-up with information on cave trips, guides and campgrounds.

There are four Núcleos: Núcleo Santana, 18km northwest of town, is the park's main entry point and has good facilities for visitors and campers, including an exhibition hall and five caves and a 3.5km-long trek to a beautiful waterfall; Núcleo Ouro Grosso (13km northwest of town) has basic accommodations for groups and offers cooking facilities, two caves and a walking trail; Núcleo Casa de Pedra (9km by road plus 3km by walking trail, northwest from town) is the base for visiting the Casa de Pedra, famous for its 215m-high entrance (a Guinness world record) and pristine Atlantic forest; and Núcleo Caboclos, the park's most isolated and pristine sector, which is 86km by road from town and has good camping facilities, basic visitors’ lodgings and several caves.