Estrada Real - Taquari

Taquari is a small coastal town situated in the foothills of the Serra da Bocaina National Park. It is surrounded by nature, mangroves, beaches and gorgeous waterfalls. Taquari River flows adjacent to the northside of the town, then snakes through forestry before crossing the isolated, sandy Taquari Beach and emptying into Paraty Bay.

Established in 1971, the National Park is one of the largest protected areas in the Atlantic Forest. Encompassing about 106,000 hectares, nearly 60% of the vegetation is Atlantic Forest. The park is a combination of mountain range, sea level and coastline making it a diversified landscape that contains a wide variety of flora and fauna, many of them endemic to the area and/or endangered.

Three types of vegetation form the park, of which the palm species Euterpe edulis and the tree fern Dicksonia sellowiana, both formerly in abundance, are now rare and endangered due to illegal logging. Within its vast greenness, the park comes into colour with endemic flora species such as arums, orchids and bromeliads, as well as cacti and a variety of ferns.

There is a multitude of wildlife within the park from big cats such as pumas and jaguars, to primates like the endangered muriquis and dark-shouldered marmoset. Crab-eating foxes and red deer can be found in open areas or on the edges of the forest. The park has officially registered over 300 species of birds where the king vulture and the grey eagle are threatened with extinction, and woodpeckers are pecking away at the bark. Amphibians and invertebrates are aplenty with two butterfly species listed as endangered.

Taquari is a small and quiet place. It is a great place to use as a base for exploring the park, finding some waterfalls or heading to the beach for a dip in the sea.

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