Calçada do Lorena, Historic dirt road in the Parque Estadual Serra do Mar, São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil
The Calçada do Lorena is a historic stone-paved dirt road inside the Parque Estadual Serra do Mar in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, crossing the steep forested hills of the Serra do Mar. The trail stretches roughly 6 kilometers round trip, passing through dense Atlantic Forest with viewpoints, stone structures, and a circular lookout known as the Belvedere Circular.
The road was built in the late 1700s by order of governor Bernardo José Maria de Lorena, whose name it carries, to link São Paulo with the port of Santos. A Portuguese engineer oversaw the construction, which took roughly two years and cut travel time between the two points considerably.
The Calçada do Lorena runs through the Parque Estadual Serra do Mar, a protected stretch of Atlantic Forest in São Bernardo do Campo. The route is closely tied to Brazil's independence, as Prince Pedro passed through here in 1822 on his way to São Paulo, where he made his declaration.
The trail is inside the Parque Estadual Serra do Mar and requires advance booking, either through the park office or online. The terrain can be muddy and is home to wildlife, so sturdy footwear, water, sunscreen, and insect repellent are all worth bringing.
To protect the path from floods and landslides, the builders constructed a system of stone walls and water channels that can still be spotted along the route today. These structures give a sense of how much engineering went into a road built with only basic tools.
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