The Serra do Mar
Cliffs and waterfalls.
Cesar I. Martins from Jundiai, Brazil — CC BY 2.0 · Kel Bis — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cesar I. Martins from Jundiai, Brazil — CC BY 2.0
The Serra Verde Express is a tourist train running down from Curitiba on the Paraná plateau to the small colonial town of Morretes near the coast, through the Serra do Mar mountains clad in Atlantic forest, one of Brazil's finest train rides. The line passes tall cliffs, deep valleys and waterfalls, over bridges and through tunnels built in the 19th century, with the best views on one side or the other depending on the stretch. The journey takes about four and a half hours. Morretes has colourful streets on the riverbank, and its best-known dish is barreado, a beef stew slow-cooked for hours in a clay pot; ask about slaughter if you keep halal. Trains or buses return to Curitiba in the afternoon, so it makes a day trip.
Cliffs and waterfalls.
From the 19th century.
On the riverbank.
Rodoferroviária station, Curitiba, to Morretes
About four and a half hours from Curitiba to Morretes; tickets from R$206, with an afternoon return, so it makes a day trip.
