Morretes, Paraná, Brazil
Located at the foot of the mountains of Serra do Mar, Morretes is one of the pearls of the coast of Paraná.
Its small historic center is on the banks of the Nhundiaquara River and enchants visitors with colonial colorful houses, good gastronomy and cobbled streets.
Estrada da Graciosa
The historic colonial road that was one of the first accesses to the coast of Paraná, still maintains the nostalgia of a road built centuries ago and that for a long time was the most important road in the state.
Its curves, mostly parallelepiped, refer to the past, when the state's riches were transported there, especially coffee, yerba mate and wood.
Until the mid-twentieth century Graciosa was the only paved road in the entire territory of the State of Paraná.
Along approximately 30 km the visitor will be able to observe all the exuberance of the largest preserved stretch of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, passing by rivers, waterfalls, natural viewpoints, mountains (including the emblematic Marumbi complex) and much more…
The path of Itupava - 3 km from the house - is the oldest path in the state of Paraná, being initially used by the indigenous people who inhabited the region.
In the colonial period the old indigenous trail gained paving of stones.
It was widely used by Portuguese, Jesuits, bandeirantes,tropeiros and also by miners and hunters. With the opening of the Estrada da Graciosa, it is no longer the main route to the coast.
Today, the Itupava Way has about 20 km of the about 50 km of the past. It connects the municipality of Quatro Barras to Morretes and is considered historical heritage and archaeological site, preserving some original stretches.
Along the current path there are numerous interesting attractions, highlighting the waterfalls, the Marumbi peak, the Ipiranga River and Casa do Ipiranga (historical and depredated after the privatization of the railway line), the Sanctuary of the Padlock, among other interesting points.
Today the trail of Itupava offers walkways and bridges and so is well "more accessible". Guaranteed fun!
The small Historical Centre of Morretes can be traversed on foot and reserves many beauties along its perimeter.
The highlight is on the outskirts of the Nhundiaquara River, where the heart of the city is, with dozens of historic mansions, most of them housing restaurants, ice cream shops and souvenir shops.
During the walk, you will choose a restaurant to taste the traditional barreado, the typical dish of the city! There are a lot of restaurants all over the place, they all serve Barreado!
To relieve the heat, sit on one of several benches scattered on the river bank, have an ice cream, a juice, or a beer, and enjoy Morretes!
Conjunto Marumbi is a mountain complex consisting of 9 peaks located in Serra do Mar, about 15 km from home.
The Marumbi complex is protected by the Pico do Marumbi State Park. Its access is made by Porto de Cima, or by the Itupava Trail.
On the River Nhundiaquara is also practiced the Buoy-Cross, where people descend the river with giant buoys.
Waterfalls:
Morretes has several interesting waterfalls, some easily accessible, others not so much. Among the main waterfalls in Morretes are the Jajá waterfalls, the Salto Bom Jardim, the Salto do Sagrado, the Salto da Fortuna and the Salto dos Macacos.
The Monkey Jump deserves a greater highlight, since it is one of the most beautiful. 70 meters high.
