Serra do Itajaí

The Serra do Itajaí National Park is an Integral Protection Conservation Unit of the Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve in the state of Santa Catarina. It is located 160 km northwest of Florianópolis and 20 km south of Blumenau.

The park protects 57.000 ha of submontane and montane dense tropical rainforest of the Atlantic Rainforest / (Mata Atlântica) biome which develops up to heights of 1.000 m above the Archean rocks of the Luis Alves craton in the southern part of the Mantiqueira Province. Serra do Itajaí represents the southern limit of the Serra do Mar mountain range.

The main ecotouristic attractions of the park (and surroundings) are the hiking and mountain bike trails that lead to the summits of the Sapo (740 m) and Spitzkopf (940 m) mountain such as several other trails and waterfalls along the rivers Garcia and Encano.