Marataiama Forest

The Marataiama forest lies in the mountain country inland from Guaratuba, where the Serra do Mar rises above Brazil's southern Atlantic coast. Dense Atlantic Forest covers the ridges and valleys, and streams descend toward the coastal plain. The Serra do Mar forms part of a long mountain system extending along the Brazilian shore. Around Guaratuba, forested slopes and waterfalls mark the transition between the sea and the higher land of the interior.