The Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves are not one place but a scatter of about two dozen protected areas in the south of São Paulo state and the north of Paraná, recognised by UNESCO as a single World Heritage property because together they hold one of the biggest remaining tracts of Atlantic Forest. Poverty and forest have an odd relationship: the lack of big roads and industry is exactly what kept the trees standing.
The valley has its own history. The Ribeira river flows for hundreds of kilometres without a dam on its main course, and gold was panned along it in colonial times. In the early twentieth century, Japanese immigrants settled in the area around Registro and began growing tea, and tea is still grown there, with neat green rows on the hillsides and a small town with a distinctly Japanese influence in its festivals and its food. Banana plantations cover the flat lands, and old caves in the limestone hills nearby hold stalactites and underground rivers.
For a rider, the region is a place for quiet roads and long views of green. The main highway through the valley is a busy two-lane road with trucks and buses, and tropical rain is a recurring hazard, but the side roads climb into wet forest and run through small farms. Surfaces are variable, with sections of broken asphalt and patches of dirt, and mist makes visibility poor in the early hours. Ticks, mosquitoes and leeches live in the undergrowth, so keep to the paths when you stop. The dry season from May to September is better for riding, and the summer rains can last for days.
Registro, about thirty-nine kilometres away with forty-five thousand people, is the sensible place for fuel, food and a bed. Try the tea, the bananas, and the Japanese-influenced dishes sold in small restaurants, and ask about local festivals, which can fill the town for a weekend. Bring a rain jacket at any time of year, carry water and spare food on the bike, and make a note of the nearest fuel before you leave the highway. In such a green and empty region, it is easy to run low on all three.