Why this ride
518 km from Apiaí to Apiaí, about 13 h 27 of riding. On the way it passes Xitue Ecological Station, Lauraceas State Park and back through Xitue Ecological Station.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park and Lauraceas State Park
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 518 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 13 h 27
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park
The Ribeira valley, in the south of Sao Paulo state, holds the largest remaining stretch of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, and under it lies one of the great cave regions of the Americas. The park called PETAR, the Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park, covers hills of limestone that are riddled with hundreds of caves, many of them with underground rivers, huge chambers and elaborate formations of stalactites and stalagmites. The forest above is thick with ferns, bromeliads and trees draped in moss, and it belongs to the Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves, a UNESCO World Heritage listing from 1999.
Read the complete Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park is where the day begins. Next is Xitue Ecological Station.
2. Xitue Ecological Station
The Xitue Ecological Station is a different kind of place from most on a route map, because it is not for visitors. It is a strictly protected reserve in the interior of Sao Paulo state, set aside for scientific research and conservation, and normal tourism is not allowed. It forms part of the Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves, the UNESCO listing that protects what is left of a forest that once covered the whole Brazilian coast and has been reduced to a small fraction of its former extent. Its role is to keep a piece of that forest intact, as a reference and a refuge for animals and plants that cannot survive elsewhere.
Read the complete Xitue Ecological Station write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Xitue Ecological Station comes up 54 km in. Next is Lauraceas State Park.
3. Lauraceas State Park
The Vale do Ribeira is one of the least developed regions of São Paulo state, a long valley of banana plantations, tea fields, small towns and thick forest, with a river that runs unimpeded to the sea. Because it was never heavily built up, it holds the largest remaining block of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, and the state parks of the area, among them Lauráceas, protect it. The name refers to the laurel family, which includes trees such as canelas and sassafras that grow tall in the damp forest, and which give the park its scent of spice when the wind moves the leaves.
Read the complete Lauraceas State Park write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
109 km in you reach Lauraceas State Park. Next is back through Xitue Ecological Station.
4. back through Xitue Ecological Station
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Xitue Ecological Station write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Xitue Ecological Station, late in the day. Next is Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park.
5. Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park to Xitue Ecological Station
Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park → Xitue Ecological Station is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Xitue Ecological Station to Lauraceas State Park
Xitue Ecological Station → Lauraceas State Park is 49 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Lauraceas State Park to back through Xitue Ecological Station
Lauraceas State Park → back through Xitue Ecological Station is 49 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Xitue Ecological Station to Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park
back through Xitue Ecological Station → Alto Ribeira Touristic State Park is 60 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.