As I already told you in this post here, about a month ago my bike was stolen. I know that for many people a bike is just a bike. But for me, my bike had a huge sentimental value.
Since I came back to Brazil, Evita became a great travel companion and we did some pedals around here. This bike ride through Carlos Botelho State Park was epic and one of the most enjoyable I've done in recent times.
I thought a lot if I should post this little trip because it is fact that I miss my bike a lot and it is not easy to accept that we will not make these trips anymore. On the other hand, I wanted to register for this day, besides sharing with you the exuberance of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
Ready to feel the wind on your face and see up close all the beauty of a tropical forest? So, hey-ho, let's go!
Grab a fresh coffee for this adventure!
The Carlos Botelho State Park
The Carlos Botelho State Park is home to a huge reserve of Atlantic Forest, a type of vegetation native to the Brazilian coast. Just to give you an idea, it is so big that it crosses three municipalities (Sete Barras, São Miguel Arcanjo and Capão Bonito). In total, the park is about 37 thousand hectares and besides its gigantic size, it also has a huge importance when it comes to the preservation of fauna and flora. Today the park is home to the largest population of muriquis in the world. The muriquis, or mono-carvoeiros as they are also known, are the largest monkey species in Latin America.
Muriqui, the biggest monkey of Latin America. Unfortunatelly, I didn't met one of these cuties to take a pic.
Font: https://www.coisasdaroca.com/animais/muriqui-do-sul.html
Besides monkeys, the region is also a refuge for jacutinga, an endangered bird species, and also for jaguars ("onça pintada").
Jacutinga, such a exotic bird! Font: https://www.wikiaves.com.br/wiki/jacutinga
Together with the Petar and Intervales parks, Carlos Botelho Park forms a large ecological corridor for the preservation of the Atlantic Forest. For having such an important role in nature conservation, it was recognized by Unesco and given the title of "World Heritage Site of Humanity".
For visitors, the park offers the whole infrastructure of ecotourism. There, you can venture out on self-guided trails or choose more complex trails that need to be done with the support of monitors. The Park has numerous waterfalls, belvederes, the Taquaral River for a nice swim, as well as roads for pedalling. In total there are 12 trails and 4 cycle paths to have fun.
By bike or on foot?
As Carlos Botelho Park is only 100 kilometers from my hometown, I spent two weekends there. On one of them, we only enjoyed the trails and waterfalls and on the other, we did a bike tour through Estrada da Macaca, which cuts through a part of the park.
The map. Font: https://www.trilhaseaventuras.com.br/atracoes-parque-estadual-carlos-botelho-e-arredores/
The Estrada da Macaca has 32 kilometers from end to end and is paved with concrete bricks. We ended up doing the round trip, totaling 64 kilometers.
As the whole road is paved with concrete bricks, the ride is very smooth. Besides, there are several spots to stop, rest, fill up water bottles, and have a snack.
Such a nice ride!
Cycling on a road like this, in the middle of nature, is a privilege. As some stretches are completely immersed in the forest, you don't even feel the heat, as the sun is covered by the trees.
You can stop and have some sandwich with this kind of view! Isn't thus amazing?
Estrada da Macaca is not exclusively for bicycles. But cars do not pass at high speeds and are very respectful to cyclists. On weekends there is also a high movement of cyclists in the area, which makes drivers pay more attention. It is a delightful ride, full of nature and bird noises!
Oh! I miss my bicycle so much 😭
The trails that are along the road can be walked by visitors without the help of guides. These trails are free and simply amazing for those who love nature! Another option is to do the tracks that are inside the park. In this case, the visitor pays R $20,00 (US $4,00) and has access to both self-guided trails and trails that can only be done with the help of guides. One of the most incredible trails inside the park is the bromeliad trail, which is accessible for both seniors and wheelchair users.
Inside the park, there is also a section to be crossed by buoy cross, for those who enjoy aquatic adventures.
We only did the Taquaral River Trail and the Taquaral waterfall which are very beautiful. The water of the rivers in this region is brown due to the decomposition of the leaves that fall on it. It is a special place to recharge your batteries and take a nice bath in the forest!
Before starting the hiking
Taquaral river and it's brownish water
Looking for some monkeys on the trees, but no one came to visit me
Taquaral waterfall
We finish the day with a beautiful full moon rising!
I hope you enjoyed this adventure!
See you next time?
PS: and if you have a little time, could make a wish that my bike is found and returned? All good vibes are welcome!