The view
Greater Vitória.
Alexandre Ramos Ricardo — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Apgaua Moreno Furtado de Sousa from Vitória, Brasil — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Apgaua Moreno Furtado de Sousa from Vitória, Brasil — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Apgaua Moreno Furtado de Sousa from Vitória, Brasil — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Apgaua Moreno Furtado de Sousa from Vitória, Brasil — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Apgaua Moreno Furtado de Sousa from Vitória, Brasil — CC BY-SA 2.0
Mestre Álvaro is a semicircular coastal granite massif in Serra, north of Vitória, rising to about 833 metres above the coastal lowlands. It holds one of the last areas of high-altitude Atlantic Forest in Espírito Santo, across 3,470 hectares. Thanks to its height and position, the mountain has guided sailors for centuries and appears on sixteenth-century maps. Local lore says it is named after a master carpenter called Álvaro who lived there, so people would say «I'm going to Master Álvaro's hill». It also gave the municipality its name, Serra, as from afar it looks like a small mountain range. The top gives a sweeping view over the whole of Greater Vitória, including Vitória, Vila Velha, Serra and Cariacica, as well as the mountains and the Atlantic. The massif has rich woodland and a few caves; the climb is long and needs fitness, so go with a local guide and check access rules.
Greater Vitória.
A last remnant.
16th century.
Serra, Greater Vitória, Espírito Santo
Local lore says a master carpenter named Álvaro lived on the mountain.