Petrópolis-Teresópolis Traverse
Travessia Petrópolis-Teresópolis
A three-day crossing of the granite Serra dos Órgãos in Rio de Janeiro state, linking the national park's Petrópolis and Teresópolis headquarters.
At a glance
- Starts in
- Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Petrópolis headquarters (Bonfim)
- Ends in
- Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Teresópolis headquarters
- Length
- 30 km
- On foot
- 3 days
- Countries
Brazil
About the trail
The Serra dos Órgãos, named for granite spires that reminded early settlers of organ pipes, rises steeply behind Rio de Janeiro. Its national park, created in 1939, is one of the oldest in Brazil, and the traverse between its two headquarters is one of the best-known mountain crossings in Brazil.
From the Bonfim valley above Petrópolis the path climbs through Atlantic Forest to the open high-altitude grasslands, passes the rock towers known as the Castelos do Açu and runs close to Pedra do Sino, the highest summit in the park, before descending through forest to Teresópolis. Long sections cross bare granite slabs where cloud and rain can arrive quickly and make the way hard to follow.
ICMBio, which manages the park, describes the route as about 30 km, normally walked in three days with nights at the camping areas. The two mountain shelters are temporarily closed to visitors, and the Açu shelter is closed indefinitely after storm damage, with no staff on site.