Dark skies
Stargazing.
Sérgio Costa — CC BY-SA 2.0 · TMbux — CC BY-SA 3.0 · EcoarCampos — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Governo do Rio de Janeiro — CC BY 2.0 br · EcoarCampos — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tiagorck — CC BY-SA 4.0
Desengano State Park is the oldest protected area in Rio de Janeiro state, created on 13 April 1970 over more than twenty-one thousand hectares of rugged mountains in the north of the state, and it holds the last large continuous stretch of Atlantic Forest in the region. It takes its name from its highest summit, the 1,761-metre Pico do Desengano. The terrain mixes sharp ridges, pointed peaks, sugarloaf mountains and steep cliffs, and many streams rising here supply the surrounding towns, with well-known waterfalls along the way. Rare and threatened species live in the park, above all the northern muriqui, the largest primate in the Americas, and some four hundred bird species have been recorded in the region. In 2021 Desengano became the first place in Latin America to be named a «Dark Sky Park» for the clarity of its night sky and the protection of its environment from light pollution. Trails suit every level, from short walks to waterfalls up to long crossings for experienced mountaineers.
Stargazing.
Largest primate in the Americas.
And mountain trails.
Santa Maria Madalena, São Fidélis and Campos dos Goytacazes municipalities, northern Rio de Janeiro state
A title for places with exceptionally clear night skies protected from light pollution.