Serra do Rio do Rastro and Corvo Branco Loop

Two signature Santa Catarina mountain roads linked into a highland loop.

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Why this ride

Two signature Santa Catarina mountain roads linked into a highland loop. The road: SC-390, SC-370 and SC-439. Distance and riding time are estimates from the checkpoints until the road is measured on this page.

Roadbook

1. Lauro Müller start

   Lauro Müller is a coal-mining town at the foot of the Serra do Rio do Rastro, one of the most famous roads in Brazil, and it sits in a quiet, green valley under a wall of cliffs. The town of ten thousand has a modest, working look, with a railway that once carried coal to the coast and the faded colour of an industry that has declined. The name honours Lauro Müller, a Brazilian engineer and politician born in this region in the nineteenth century, who served as governor of the state and later as a government minister.

   The mountain behind the town is the attraction. The Serra do Rio do Rastro is an escarpment where the high plateau of southern Brazil drops sharply toward the coast, and the road climbs it in a spectacular series of switchbacks, with about two hundred and eighty-four bends cut into the slope. The road rises roughly a thousand metres in a short distance, and from the viewpoint near the top you can see the whole serpentine ribbon below, with the coastal plain stretching to the sea in the distance. On clear days, the panorama takes your words away.

   The bends are tight, and the surface is generally good, but traffic can be heavy with trucks that crawl up the slope, and tourists who stop for photographs. In the early morning, fog often fills the valley, and when the sun breaks through, the cloud sinks below the road like a white sea. Rain makes the surface slick, and in winter, temperatures at the top can fall close to freezing, with the occasional dusting of snow. Ride up in the morning for the best light and the least traffic.

   Another remarkable road in the region is Corvo Branco, a road cut through the rock of the escarpment between walls that tower high above the vehicles, with a dramatic view out over the canyon. It is reached from the plateau side and is a popular excursion.

   Lauro Müller has fuel stations, small shops, bakeries and simple restaurants, and nearby Orleans and Urussanga offer more choice. The local food includes sausage, polenta and wine, a legacy of Italian settlers who came to this part of Santa Catarina. The best time to ride is autumn and spring, with clear air and moderate temperatures.

2. Serra do Rio do Rastro pass · 1421 m

   The Serra do Rio do Rastro is a wall of rock between the coast and the highlands of Santa Catarina, and the road that climbs it is one of the great sights of southern Brazil. The escarpment is part of the Serra Geral, a long edge where the Atlantic plateau drops to the lowlands, and the road scales it in a tangle of hairpins. From the top, at about 1,400 metres, the view drops to a coastal plain and, on a clear day, to the sea. Cloud often drifts through the bends, and the road appears and disappears like a ribbon in the mist.

   The road was built in the 1930s to link the coal-mining area around Lauro Müller with the plateau, and it has been rebuilt and improved since. The coal towns below, such as Lauro Müller, Orleans and Siderópolis, grew from mining and from the settlement of European immigrants, mostly Germans and Italians, whose descendants still shape the food and architecture of the region. On the plateau above, the air is cooler and the landscape turns to araucaria forest and open grassland, with pines standing like umbrellas.

   For riders, the climb is the main attraction. The bends are tight and frequent, with the road switching back on itself again and again, and the surface is generally paved but can be damp and slippery. Mist and fog are common and can reduce visibility to a few metres, so it is better to go in clear weather and ride with care. Trucks use the road, so overtaking requires judgment, and viewpoints along the way are good places to stop and check the view. In winter, frost and even snow can appear on the plateau, and the temperature difference between the coast and the top can be large.

   Fuel is available in Lauro Müller, about fifteen kilometres from the climb, and in other towns along the way, but services are limited on the plateau, so fill up before you go. Small restaurants and stalls near the viewpoints sell snacks and coffee, and the regional cuisine includes pinhão, the seed of the araucaria, boiled in winter, and hearty meat dishes.

   Brazil drives on the right, and local drivers can be fast, so keep to your line and stay alert on blind bends. The nearby Serra do Corvo Branco, a road cut through rock walls near Urubici, makes a dramatic companion loop.

3. Serra do Corvo Branco pass · 1470 m

   The Serra do Corvo Branco is a road cut through solid rock, and the walls on either side are so high that the sky narrows to a strip. The route was cut through the escarpment in recent decades, leaving sheer cliffs of sandstone and basalt towering above the track, in places tens of metres tall. It lies in the highlands of Santa Catarina, near the town of Urubici, an area that has the coldest winters in Brazil and where frost and occasional snow are normal between June and August.

   The surrounding country is the planalto serrano, an upland of rolling grassland, araucaria pine and deep canyons, cut by sudden escarpments that fall toward the coast. The araucaria, with its candelabra branches, is a survivor from the age of the dinosaurs, and its seeds, the pinhão, are a favourite winter snack, roasted or boiled. Lookouts along the rim give views over canyons, waterfalls and layers of mist, and the sea of cloud that fills the valleys on cold mornings is one of the most famous sights of the region. At around 1,470 metres, the air is cool and clear.

   The road is a gravel and dirt track, narrow and steep in places, with a loose surface, sharp bends and wet patches. Rain can turn the surface to slippery clay quickly, and fog can come down within minutes, hiding the edge. It is a route for an experienced rider on a dual-sport or adventure bike, preferably with a companion, and anyone in doubt should ask locals about conditions. The nearby Serra do Rio do Rastro, a famous tarmac road of countless hairpins down to the coast, provides a smoother and busier alternative.

   Services are in Urubici, which has fuel, hotels, and plenty of restaurants serving grilled meat and local cheese, and in Lauro Müller and Grão-Pará. There is nothing on the pass itself, so fill up, carry water and tell someone your plan. Early morning, with frost on the grass and the sun lighting the cliffs, is the best time.

4. Back to Lauro Muller finish

Where this sits

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