Costa do Sol State Park, State park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Costa do Sol State Park is a protected area along the Rio de Janeiro coast that spans across several municipalities and connects different habitats. The land includes coastal areas, mangrove swamps, lagoons, and forest regions that together form one large natural mosaic.
The park was created in 2011 and marked a special moment for Brazil as the country's first mosaic-style protected area. The concept brought together 27 separate zones designed to protect different natural habitats within one coordinated system.
The park holds ancient sambaqui archaeological sites that reveal evidence of prehistoric communities living along this coast thousands of years ago. Today you can still see traces of these old settlements scattered throughout the land, showing how people once lived here.
The park offers several trails through different sectors that lead to various natural landscapes across the region. Visitors should prepare for different types of terrain and plan ahead which areas they want to explore.
Lagoa Vermelha contains unusual limestone formations created by microorganisms that reveal rare geological processes. These formations offer glimpses into natural processes that unfold across long stretches of time.
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