Brazil

Serra do Mar

Serra do Mar is the name given to the mountain chain that parallels for about 1.000 km the Brazilian south and southeast coast between Rio de Janeiro and northern Santa Catarina. Together with Serra da Mantiqueira in the west, it represents the most outstanding geomorphological feature in eastern South America.

The magnificent escarpments of the present Serra do Mar are the erosive product of a Neocretaceous prototype, that was formed about 84 - 80 million years ago, along the Santos Fault Line, about 50 km east of the actual emerged continental border, in the Santos Basin.

At this time, epirogenic (vertical) movements of tectonic origin, probably caused by an important alkaline magmatic event, resulted in the uplift of the occidental block of the Santos Fault and sinking of the oriental one. During 30 - 40 million years, erosional processes caused the slopes of the mountain chain to retreat to their present position.

Serra do Mar can be divided into several smaller mountain ranges, with altitudes between 1.200 and 2.200 m above sea level and which, according to their location receive different regional names, such as:

Santa Catarina: Serra do Itajaí or Serra do Tabuleiro.
Paraná: Serra da Prata, Marumbi, Graciosa or Ibitiraquire.
São Paulo: Serra do Mar, Juréia - Itatins or Serra de Paranapiacaba.
Rio de Janeiro: Serra da Bocaina or Serra dos Órgãos.

Nowadays, Serra do Mar is largely protected by conservation units wich offer many ecotourism & outdoor activities such as trekking / hiking and mountain biking.