Alto Ribeira State and Tourist Park, State park in Iporanga, São Paulo, Brazil
Alto Ribeira State and Tourist Park is a 35,772.5-hectare state park in the Atlantic Forest, divided between Apiaí and Iporanga in São Paulo, Brazil. It protects dense ombrophilous forest on karst terrain, with rivers, waterfalls and more than 350 caves, including the 172-metre-high entrance of Gruta Casa de Pedra. Four visitor centres—Santana, Ouro Grosso, Casa de Pedra and Caboclos—give access to the main trails and caves.
The park was created in 1958 to protect one of the last large sections of Atlantic Forest remaining along the Brazilian coast. The caves in the area show signs of human presence long before European arrival, linking the land to a deeper past.
Traditional quilombola communities live near the park, descended from people who escaped slavery and settled in the forest centuries ago. Their knowledge of local plants, rivers, and caves is now part of the guided experience offered to visitors.
The park is divided into four sections, each with its own trails and cave access, so it helps to decide in advance which area matches your interests. Guides are required throughout the park, and most trails involve uneven terrain that can become slippery in wet weather.
Gruta Casa de Pedra's mouth reaches 172 m in height, and its main hall measures 350 m long, 120 m wide and 70 m high, lit by the large entrance. Beyond the gallery, visitors swim about 25 m against a strong current. The cave lies in the Casa de Pedra nucleus, one of the park's four visitor areas.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,783 contributors worldwide.
