Parque Nacional de Itatiaia

Introducing Parque Nacional de Itatiaia

Parque Nacional de Itatiaia is Brazil’s oldest national park, and one of its most ruggedly beautiful. Its lush, dark foliage contains more than 400 species of native birds and is also home to monkeys and sloths. Divided into upper and lower sections, the park features lakes, rivers, waterfalls, alpine meadows and primary and secondary Atlantic rain forests. Don’t let the tropical plants fool you; temperatures drop below freezing in June and, occasionally, the park even has a few snowy days! Bring warm clothes, even in summer.

There is a 24-hour tourist information booth in the town of Itatiaia, 1km north of the Via Dutra, the main east–west superhighway between Rio and São Paulo. The lower park entrance is 5.5km north of town.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009