HISTORY OF THE “SERRA DO MAR – NUCLEO PICINGUABA” STATE PARK

The “Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar (PESM)”, which means “Wide Coastal Mountain” state park, was founded in 1977 and is with 315,390 hectares the largest park in São Paulo state. Its main activities are preservation, environmental education, scientific research and maintaining local cultural values.

In the Ubatuba county the state park (PESM) covers an area of 47.500 hectares, administrated from an operation center located in the district of Picinguaba. In this region practically all ecosystems of the Atlantic rainforest can be found, from mangroves, coastal plains with great biodiversity to mountains with little vegetation such as “Pedra do Espelho” (Mirror Stone) with 1.670 meters (5.479 feet) and peaks like “Corcovado” with 1.150 meters (3.772 feet) and “Cuscuzeiro” with 1.275 meters (4.183 feet).

Ubatuba is the only county where the state park reaches sea level, protecting coastal ecosystems with five beaches and three villages where the traditional culture can be observed and tasted in the food and way of life. It is one of the last preserved cultures of the “Caiçara´s” (fishermen) of the northern beaches of São Paulo state. Moreover this region is an environmental strategic point because it overlaps two great parks; PESM and the national park “Serra da Bocaina”.

NUCLEO PICINGUABA

Whoever visits Ubatuba can take much more home than memories of gorgeous beaches and calm coves of the Atlantic Coast. In the “Land of the Tupinamba” you can visit various deserted beaches and isolated villages where the local population still has the rhythm living day by day, fishing with their traditional wood-carved boats.
The world of the “sertões”, areas of agriculture in the mountain range, offers frequent surprises; ruins of farms of the past century, traditional communities, crystal clear rivers and secluded waterfalls. Another privilege of Ubatuba is that about 80% of its territory is covered with Atlantic rainforest, good for about 5% of the still remaining rainforest that covered our coast for centuries.

FAZENDA PICINGUABA:
Tupi guarani - picin – fish / guaba – bay

“Fazenda da Caixa” was propriety of Mr. Manoel da Silva Alves until 1843. When he and his wife died, Fazenda fell in the hands of their nephew José Cardoso de Paiva. One year later he sold it to the engineer Captain Firmino Joaquim da Veiga. He built in the interior of Fazenda a flour and sugar cane mill. The machines were imported from England and transported to the mill on the Fazenda river. A part of the production was exported through the river and the other part on the Corrisco trail that connected the interior of Picinguaba to Paraty. About 45 Italian immigrants were brought over to work in the mill, but over the years most of these families left the region (leaving today only two families with Italian roots). In 1889 Captain Firmino Joaquim da Veiga mortgaged the estate to the Republic Bank of Brasil, who inactivated the sugar cane and flour mill. In 1943, Fazenda was passed on to Saint Cair Bustamante de Silva, who reformed it to “Casa da Farinha”. Three years later Fazenda was again mortgaged, now to the “Caixa Econômica Estadual” who brought on 12 families from the interior of Picinguaba to work here. Nowadays we can still find descendants of these families in Fazenda. When the lands of Fazenda were being sold and divided by thirds, the Caixa Econômica Estadual solicited for help from a governmental organization SUDELPA to make an inventory of the situation. After this inventory they proposed to donate Fazenda Picinguaba to the state; also because it was already taken on in the Serra do Mar - Nucleo Picinguaba state park.

CAMBURI:
Tupi guarani; the changing river

Over 200 years ago Camburi was founded in a beautiful location between the mountains of Serra do Mar and the ocean. Camburi, the first or last beach of the northern coast of São Paulo state, is located at km 1 on the BR 101 highway (Rio - Santos), at the border of Ubatuba and Paraty. It is about 3 km from the centre of the village. This beach belongs to one of Ubatuba´s beauties because of its magical location and also its historical legacy. Camburi gave refuge to the first Quilombos (African slaves) who fled away from the coffee plantations in Paraty. Until today descendants of Quilombos still living here.
Centuries ago there were two farms near the beach, one of them belonging to Mr. Maneco Santos. Nowadays the foundation of the largest house is still visible. There are also still ruins of an old wood factory built by the English that cut precious, valuable wood in this region for export to England. Enabling themselves to embark their ships they built several piers on the beach, but time and again they were destroyed by the powerful ocean, which forced the English to search for other lands.
On the right side of Camburi beach is a small trail (about 10 meters) that leads to a rough coast “Praia do Grosa” with stones in every dimension, color and form and offers an incredible view over the ocean.

Camburi has good hopes on progress and electricity. One day this will arrive and with it the infrastructure to receive tourists.

TOURIST ROUTE DEVELOPMENT

LOCATION
The visitors centre of the “Serra Do Mar - Nucleo Picinguaba” state park is located on the highway BR101 (Rio - Santos) at Fazenda Beach at km 11.

DISTANCES
- São Paulo: 295 km
- Rio de Janeiro: 260 km
- Paraty: 30 km
- Ubatuba: 40 km

SPECIFICATIONS JATOBÁ TRACK
During the excursion into the rainforest of Nucleo Picinguaba information will be given on the local culture & history and guidance on the jungle trails and to the secluded waterfalls.

Jatobá Track
The Jatobá track is located in the “Sertão da Fazenda”, where “Casa da Farinha” (flour house) was built with a rustic water-moved mill. A cultural and historical legacy that has its origins in the set of ruins of an ancient sugar and alcohol mill built late on the XIX century by Italian immigrants.

Following the trail into the tropical humid rainforest the visitor arrives to a refreshing pool in the Fazenda river. The Jatobá track with its 2.400 meters (1,5 miles) is a part of the old track that connected Picinguaba to Paraty.

MAIN PURPOSE
Focus on the importance of the vegetation through an oral and visual explanation. The presentation will be dynamic, direct, short and informal; with the support of a map indicating all the relevant points of the track.

ITINERARY

OPERATIONAL ISSUES

SUPPORT MATERIAL
Information brochures
Trash bags

GROUP SUPPORT MATERIAL
Full pants
Hat
Track shoes or tennis
Bath suit
Insect repellent
Rain coat (for heavy rain)

GROUP SIZE
05 persons

GROUP PROFILE
Brazilians and foreign visitors