Serra do Mar

The Serra do Mar, whose name translates from Portuguese as 'Sea Ridge', is a 1,500-kilometre-long chain of mountain ranges and escarpments located in Southeastern Brazil. This system runs alongside the Atlantic coastline, stretching from Espírito Santo down to southern Santa Catarina. Its primary escarpment serves as the dividing line between the coastal lowlands at sea level and the inland plateau, known as the planalto.

The ranges are not continuous; they are broken into several sections with distinct names, such as Serra de Bocaina, Serra de Paranapiacaba, and Serra dos Órgãos. Some large coastal islands, including Ilhabela and Ilha Anchieta, are also part of the system. One of its highest points, Pico da Caledônia in Nova Friburgo, reaches 2,255 metres. Geologically, the Serra do Mar sits on the stable crystalline rock platform that underlies eastern South America, with most of its elevations forming roughly 60 million years ago.

When Europeans first arrived in Brazil in 1500, the Serra do Mar was home to a rich and diverse ecosystem dominated by lush tropical rainforest, the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica). However, urbanization and deforestation have destroyed most of this forest cover, leaving remnants primarily on the steep sea-facing escarpments. Today, a network of national and state parks, ecological stations, and biological reserves works to protect the Mata Atlântica, but threats like acid rain, pollution, poaching, illegal logging, forest fires, and urban and agricultural expansion continue to cause damage, especially near cities. Major metropolitan areas—including Vale do Itajaí, Curitiba, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro—lie close to the Serra do Mar. Restoring destroyed rainforest habitats and their biodiversity remains extremely challenging.