Alto Ribeira State and Tourist Park, State park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Iporanga, Brazil
Alto Ribeira State and Tourist Park is a state park in the Atlantic Forest near Iporanga, São Paulo, Brazil, recognized as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its concentration of limestone caves. The park covers forested ridges, rivers, and waterfalls, with the cave system being its most studied feature.
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.
The Gruta da Casa da Pedra holds what is considered the largest natural cave entrance in the world, wide and tall enough that trees grow inside the opening. Daylight reaches deep into the cavity, making the entrance feel more like an outdoor space than a cave.
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