With elevations up to 2.088 m (Pico do Tira Chapéu) this mountain range connects the lower coastal area in the southeast
with the central segment of the
continental rift (upper Paraíba - Valley) in the northwest.
Located in the
northern part of the
Ribeira belt, the metamorphic basement of
Serra da Bocaina is formed
of different Archaean to Proterozoic fragments of supercontinent Rodinia (Juiz de Fora and Embu Terrane)
which were intruded during the Neoproterozoic from a series of granites (Rio Turvo, Lagoinha, Mambucaba etc)
(see
geology).
Flora and
fauna of the
park changes with
altitude.
About 85% of the park´s vegetation is composed of dense
tropical
rainforest with giant trees over 30 m in the
submontane
area (50 - 600 m), medium sized trees up to 15 m in the
montane area
(600 - 1.500 m) and smaller trees and bushes up to 5 m in the
high montane area (above 1.500 m).
On the ondulated plateau at about 1.200 m occur remnants of mixed tropical forest with the
with the presence of
Paraná pine
trees (Araucaria) and above 1.500 m the so-called
Campos de Altitude.
Serra da Bocaina offers a large range of hiking / trekking and mountain bike
trails
among others the historic gold trail (
Trilha de Ouro) along the Mambucaba river.
The trail was built by slaves in the early 18th century to transport gold and diamonds
from the mining fields in Minas Gerais down to the port in Mambucaba and from there to Portugal.
