Atlantic Forest
Inland remnant.
FernandoSantos — CC BY-SA 3.0 · FernandoSantos — CC BY-SA 3.0 · FernandoSantos — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rogério Rodrigues Nadal — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nortondefeis — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rogério Rodrigues Nadal — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nortondefeis — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Serra do Japi is a small mountain range in south-eastern São Paulo state, covering 354 square kilometres and rising to 1,260 metres, shared by the municipalities of Jundiaí, Pirapora do Bom Jesus, Cajamar and Cabreúva. It is a rare remnant of Atlantic Forest in the state's interior and one of its last large stretches of continuous forest. Its name is said to echo a bird's call, or to mean «source of rivers» in Tupi, and European naturalists called it a «castle of waters» for its many springs. Here the coastal Atlantic Forest meets the forest of the interior, bringing together a rich variety of plants and animals over quartzite, granite and gneiss. The state heritage council listed it in 1983, and in 1994 UNESCO made it part of the São Paulo Green Belt Biosphere Reserve. It has six visiting trails under a guided visit programme started in 2001, and a research and environmental education base inside the biological reserve. Access to the reserve is limited, so arrange your visit in advance.
Inland remnant.
Guided visits.
Many springs.
South-west of Jundiaí, São Paulo state
Access is limited; visits run through a guided programme on set trails, so arrange ahead.