Brazil Eco Adventure Tours
Rainforest - Hiking & Biking - Wildlife

Protected Areas
Itatiaia National Park

 Itatiaia   Itatiaia   Itatiaia 
The Itaitiaia National Park is an Integral Protection Conservation Unit of the Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais (see map).

Itatiaia was created in 1937, due to an initiative of the biologist Alberto Lofgren and is the first and oldest Brazilian National Park. It represents the most impressive part of the Mantiqueira mountain range. "Pico das Agulhas Negras", with 2.787 m the highest point of the Itatiaia National Park and one of the highest mountains in Brazil. Just the Amazonian "Pico da Neblina" (2.994 m) and "Pico 31 de Março" (2.973 m) such as the "Pedra da Mina" (2.798 m) in Minas Gerais are higher.
 
Itatiaia became famous in June 1985, when tourists and mountain climbers were surprised by a 9 hours lasting snow storm and temperatures of minus 13 degrees Celsius at the summit.The Park is divided in High Itatiaia- region around the altitudes of 2500 and 1800 meters, containing altitude fields, Medium Itatiaia- Region around 1.800 and 1.100 meters with transitional vegetation and Down Itatiaia- region around 1.100 meters with exuberant Atlantic Rainforest / (Mata Atlântica) and impressive waterfalls, such as Véu de Noiva.

Either from Visconde de Mauá or from the village of Itatiaia, there are many hiking - trails connecting the Itatiaia lowlands with the Itatiaia mountain region. Unfortunately most of those trails have been closed by IBAMA, the Brazilian authority for national parks, due to a fire caused some years ago by irresponsible tourists.
 
Legislation: Decree 1.713/37
                                    87.586/82
                                    87.856/82
 
 
Area: 30.000 ha
 
Altitude: 816 - 2.787 m
 
Climate:  Cwa
 
Address: Estrada do Parque Nacional, Km 8,5,
                Itatiaia – RJ - CEP 27580-000
                Tel.: (24) 3521-1461
 
Websites:  www.unep-wcmc.org
                   www.mre.gov.br
                   www.ibama.gov.br
                   www2.ibama.gov.br
 
Biome: Atlantic Rainforest
 
Ecosystems:  Seasonal / Tropical Rainforest /
                        Altitude Fields
 
Altitudinal Zones:  Submontane / Montane /
                                 High Montane
 
Flora:  tropical such as orchids, lianas, cacti, mosses,
           lichens, fuchsias, lilies and begonias in the
           lower part and various endemic species in the
           altitude fields
 
Fauna: 294 birds- species, 67 mammals and 2.257
            insects and spiders
 
Peaks: Pico das Agulhas Negras (2.287 m)
             Prateleiras (2.548 m)
 
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