Betari River trail
An hour past waterfalls.
Patricialaraia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Patricialaraia — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nando bomfim fotografo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Leonardo Palermo Gentile — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rodrigo Tetsuo Argenton — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Leonardo Palermo Gentile — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Leonardo Palermo Gentile — CC BY-SA 4.0
Água Suja Cave, «Dirty Water», officially Gruta da Água Suja, lies in the Santana nucleus of PETAR in Iporanga and is rated a geodiversity site of national importance. It runs for 2,989 metres, of which eight hundred are open to the public. Despite its name, the water inside is clear. The cave is reached by the Betari River trail, a walk of about an hour that passes other sights such as the Cafezal cave and the Andorinhas and Beija-Flor waterfalls. There is a small cascade inside the cave, and at the end of the tourist route a waterfall worth a swim. The naturalist Richard Krone recorded the cave in 1908, describing signs of ancient occupation, and visits grew in the 1990s. Because part of the route follows an underground river, the cave may close on days of heavy rain for fear of flash floods. A guide is mandatory; bring clothes that can get wet.
An hour past waterfalls.
Despite the name.
A refreshing swim.
Santana nucleus, Betari River trail, PETAR, Iporanga, São Paulo state
It may close in heavy rain, as the route follows an underground river.
