Pau Brasil National Park, Nature reserve in Porto Seguro, Brazil.
Pau Brasil National Park covers 19,027 hectares of Atlantic Forest in Porto Seguro, Bahia, between the Frades and Buranhém rivers. Its terrain is a fairly flat coastal plain at 100 to 150 metres, cut by deep gullies whose streams mostly rise inside the park. The forest is dense lowland rainforest with Brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata) trees and patches regrowing after past human disturbance.
Pau Brasil National Park was created by decree on 20 April 1999, covering 19,027 hectares in Porto Seguro, Bahia. A decree of 11 June 2010 enlarged and delimited the park and allowed mining in its buffer zone. In 2002 it joined the Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor, and since 2018 a concessionaire has run visitor services.
The park's name comes from the pau-brasil tree (Caesalpinia echinata), which gave Brazil its name and was heavily exploited for red dye. Since 2018 a concession holder has run visitor services, charging an entrance fee and operating snack bars and parking; the deal drew criticism from civil groups and was called privatisation by the PCO party.
The park lies in Porto Seguro between the Frades and Buranhém rivers; visits require prior booking with ICMBio and run from 8:30 to 16:00 year-round. The Trilha das Antas is flat, the Trilha Ibirapitanga is a suspended walkway and the Mirante da Sede viewpoint is easy to reach, even for people with limited mobility. Medium trails include the Trilha Vera Cruz, with a swim in the Rio da Barra, and the Trilha Patatiba, ending at the Jacuba waterfall.
One trail features an elevated wooden walkway where visitors can observe young Brazilwood trees growing in their natural habitat. This species was once heavily harvested for trade and remains scarce in the region today.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,049 contributors worldwide.