WHERE - PETAR
Petar - São Paulo State
PETAR – Upper Ribeira Tourist State Park Instituted in 1958, PETAR - Upper Ribeira Tourist State Park – is considered the oldest park in the State of São Paulo. With an area of 35,712 ha, it protects an extraordinary cave exploration heritage which, associated to the natural paleontological, archeological and historical sites comprises one of the richest environmental and cultural areas inserted in the Brazilian Mata Atlântica biomass.
The mountainous formation and thick vegetation present in the region, form a natural barrier against the strong winds coming from the South Atlantic, causing a high rate of rain precipitation. The acid water action on the sandstone rocks over millions of years propitiated the formation of caves with floor, walls and ceilings decorated with countless cave deposits – stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and curtains, among others. There are several types and dimensions of natural caves in PETAR: horizontal, known as grottos or caverns, or vertical, called chasms.
The complex has 250 subterranean caves, comprising the largest complex inside a Preservation Unit ever identified in Brazil. In order to facilitate visits to the caverns, it was divided into four distinct nuclei, called Santana, Ouro Grosso, Casa de Pedra and Caboclos.
The three first nuclei have installations for the Forest Institute. The last one’s infrastructure was set up from the partnership between the Geological Institute and the Forest Institute and has housing for guides and researchers and a camp ground. The nuclei offer several groups of guides trained to monitor the tours and provide more safety to visitors during their stay.
The Park has infrastructure to receive visitors daily. And the best time to get to know it is during the winter, between July and October, when the weather is drier. During the rainy season, from December to March, the tours are impaired and some of them are even dangerous because there are rivers that can flood quickly inside the caverns, putting even the most experienced guide’s life at risk.
PETAR is located in the cities of Iporanga and Apiaé, in the Iguape Ribeira River valley, in the south of the State of São Paulo, next to the border with the State of Paraná.
Basic information
Climate
The region’s climate is humid and moderate because of the woods. Its average annual temperature is around 21ºC (70ºF) with highs between 24ºC (75ºF) and 27ºC (80ºF), and lows between 15ºC (60ºF) and 18ºC (65ºF).City factsPETAR – Upper Ribeira Tourist State Park
State: São Paulo
Region: Southeast
Área Code: (15)
Distances, leaving from Iporanga
São Paulo: 320 km (126 miles)
Apiaí: 40 km (16 miles)
Eldorado: 69 km (27 miles)
Curitiba: 179 km (70 miles)
PETAR – Upper Ribeira Tourist State Park Instituted in 1958, PETAR - Upper Ribeira Tourist State Park – is considered the oldest park in the State of São Paulo. With an area of 35,712 ha, it protects an extraordinary cave exploration heritage which, associated to the natural paleontological, archeological and historical sites comprises one of the richest environmental and cultural areas inserted in the Brazilian Mata Atlântica biomass.
The mountainous formation and thick vegetation present in the region, form a natural barrier against the strong winds coming from the South Atlantic, causing a high rate of rain precipitation. The acid water action on the sandstone rocks over millions of years propitiated the formation of caves with floor, walls and ceilings decorated with countless cave deposits – stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and curtains, among others. There are several types and dimensions of natural caves in PETAR: horizontal, known as grottos or caverns, or vertical, called chasms.
The complex has 250 subterranean caves, comprising the largest complex inside a Preservation Unit ever identified in Brazil. In order to facilitate visits to the caverns, it was divided into four distinct nuclei, called Santana, Ouro Grosso, Casa de Pedra and Caboclos.
The three first nuclei have installations for the Forest Institute. The last one’s infrastructure was set up from the partnership between the Geological Institute and the Forest Institute and has housing for guides and researchers and a camp ground. The nuclei offer several groups of guides trained to monitor the tours and provide more safety to visitors during their stay.
The Park has infrastructure to receive visitors daily. And the best time to get to know it is during the winter, between July and October, when the weather is drier. During the rainy season, from December to March, the tours are impaired and some of them are even dangerous because there are rivers that can flood quickly inside the caverns, putting even the most experienced guide’s life at risk.
PETAR is located in the cities of Iporanga and Apiaé, in the Iguape Ribeira River valley, in the south of the State of São Paulo, next to the border with the State of Paraná.
Basic information
Climate
The region’s climate is humid and moderate because of the woods. Its average annual temperature is around 21ºC (70ºF) with highs between 24ºC (75ºF) and 27ºC (80ºF), and lows between 15ºC (60ºF) and 18ºC (65ºF).City factsPETAR – Upper Ribeira Tourist State Park
State: São Paulo
Region: Southeast
Área Code: (15)
Distances, leaving from Iporanga
São Paulo: 320 km (126 miles)
Apiaí: 40 km (16 miles)
Eldorado: 69 km (27 miles)
Curitiba: 179 km (70 miles)