Alto Ribeira State and Tourist Park, State park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Iporanga, Brazil
Alto Ribeira State and Tourist Park is a protected area containing over 4,300 limestone caves within the Atlantic Forest biome, including Gruta da Casa da Pedra which has the world's largest cave entrance. The reserve spans about 35,900 hectares and includes forested ridges, rivers, waterfalls, and diverse wildlife.
The park was established in 1958 to preserve a section of Atlantic Rainforest that once stretched along the Brazilian coast before Portuguese colonization in the 16th century. Its creation reflects efforts to protect this forest region alongside the long history of human settlement in the area.
Local communities, including traditional quilombola settlements, live according to their customs and play a key role in protecting nature and supporting sustainable tourism in the park. Their presence shapes daily life and shows how people have lived alongside the forest for generations.
Access to the park is through four main sections - Santana, Ouro Grosso, Caboclos, and Casa de Pedra - and visitors must be accompanied by certified guides. It helps to research which section matches your interests and the season before arriving.
The area contains twelve publicly accessible caves with restricted zones and twenty waterfalls reachable by forest trails. This variety makes it possible to explore different aspects of the rainforest and its underground systems in a single location.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
