Serra do Mar State Park in São Sebastião: What It Is and How to Visit
By MaresiasTur · · 5 min read
Quick answer
Serra do Mar State Park is the largest strict-protection area on the Brazilian coast. In São Sebastião, the São Sebastião Unit covers about 70% of the municipality; admission is free, with advance booking, and the Cachoeira das 7 Quedas trail, in Maresias, is listed within the park.
Anyone looking at the green hills behind the beaches of São Sebastião is looking at the Serra do Mar State Park. Created in 1977, the park covers 322,292.96 hectares and is described by the São Paulo State Government as the largest strict-protection area on the Brazilian coast. In the municipality, it's managed by the São Sebastião Unit, which covers about 70% of the territory.
In practice, this means that much of the Atlantic Forest surrounding Maresias is protected, and that several trails and waterfalls in the region lie within a conservation unit. Here's what the park is, what it protects, and how to visit.
What is the Serra do Mar State Park?
It's a strict-protection state conservation unit, in the São Paulo section of the Serra do Mar range. According to the São Paulo State Government's Protected Areas Guide, the park was created in 1977 and covers 322,292.96 hectares, organized into units, such as the São Sebastião and Picinguaba units.
The park is home to a large and varied fauna. According to the park's Management Plan, cited by the ipatrimônio portal, the Serra do Mar State Park as a whole records 373 bird species, 111 mammal species, 144 amphibian species, and 46 reptile species. Of the 704 vertebrate species, 70 are on threatened species lists. These figures apply to the entire park, not just São Sebastião.
What is the São Sebastião Unit like?
| Item | Official data |
|---|---|
| Unit created | 1998 |
| Area | 26,268 hectares |
| Coverage | About 70% of São Sebastião and a small portion of Caraguatatuba |
| Headquarters | Rua Serra do Mar, 13, Juquehy, São Sebastião |
| Phone | (12) 3863-1707 |
| pesm.saosebastiao@fflorestal.sp.gov.br |
The data is from the Protected Areas Guide, on the São Sebastião Unit page. Protection also reaches the shoreline: the intertidal strip of the São Sebastião and Picinguaba units is part of the Special Protection Zone of the APA Marinha do Litoral Norte (North Coast Marine Environmental Protection Area), according to State Decree 66.823/2022.
Which trails and attractions does the unit list?
The Protected Areas Guide lists these attractions for the São Sebastião Unit:
- Cachoeira do Ribeirão de Itu
- Praia Brava de Boiçucanga
- Mirante Maresias–Paúba
- Cachoeira Rio das Pedras, in Sertão de Cambury
- Sítio Arqueológico São Francisco
- Barra do Una–Água Branca
- Rampa de Voo de Boiçucanga (hang gliding ramp)
- Poções, in Barra do Una
- Estrada da Limeira, for mountain biking
The conditions of each trail, such as length, difficulty, and access rules, should be confirmed with the unit before visiting.
How to visit: do you need to book? How much does it cost?
Visiting the São Sebastião Unit requires advance booking. Admission is free, and tickets are issued through the official system, saosebastiao.ingressosparquespaulistas.com.br. The Protected Areas Guide states hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Since the guide itself lists different hours for some trails, it's best to confirm by phone at (12) 3863-1707 or by emailing the unit before going.
Is Cachoeira das 7 Quedas inside the park?
The Protected Areas Guide lists the Trilha da Cachoeira das 7 Quedas, in Maresias, under the Serra do Mar State Park conservation unit. It's a way to experience the park's forest without leaving Maresias.
MaresiasTur's guided tour covers 2 km round trip, at an easy level, with a certified ecotourism guide and an educational immersion about the Atlantic Forest. It lasts about 3 hours, with departures at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., and costs R$ 70 per person (reference price as of September 2026). The updated price is on the Eco Hike – Maresias Waterfall (7 Quedas) page, and the step-by-step process is in the post about the Cachoeira das 7 Quedas trail. Specific trail rules set by the park should be confirmed with the unit.
What does the park protect in the Serra do Mar?
According to the same Management Plan, cited by ipatrimônio, four of the five primate species recorded in the park are endemic to the Atlantic Forest and threatened: the black-tufted marmoset (sagui-da-serra-escuro), the buffy-tufted-ear marmoset (sauá), the brown howler monkey (bugio), and the muriqui. Among the most threatened large mammals are the jaguar (onça-pintada), tapir (anta), collared peccary (cateto), and white-lipped peccary (queixada). In terms of flora, the juçara palm (palmito-juçara) is named as the most threatened plant species. Its seeds feed more than 70 species of birds, rodents, and primates.
What to look for on a trail near Maresias is in the guide to the Atlantic Forest in Maresias. Those who want to compare the region's waterfalls can read the guide to waterfalls in Maresias.
What other protected areas exist near Maresias?
The sea is also protected. State Decree 53.525/2008 created the APA Marinha do Litoral Norte (North Coast Marine Environmental Protection Area) and the ARIE de São Sebastião, an Area of Relevant Ecological Interest. According to the ARIE's technical assessment, by Fundação Florestal, the area includes the rocky shoreline between Praia de Maresias and Praia de Boiçucanga, about 7 linear km, and coastal waters down to a depth of 5 meters.
In any of these areas, the conduct is the same: stay on the trail and follow the guide's instructions, don't take plants or seeds, and bring your trash back with you. To choose who leads the group, it's worth reading the post about safety in ecotourism, and the other guided hikes are in the guide to hiking trails in Maresias.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to enter the Serra do Mar State Park in São Sebastião?
- Admission to the São Sebastião Unit is free, but it requires advance booking through the official ticketing system for São Paulo's state parks.
- How big is the São Sebastião Unit?
- It's 26,268 hectares, about 70% of the municipality of São Sebastião plus a small portion of Caraguatatuba. The unit was created in 1998.
- Is Cachoeira das 7 Quedas inside the Serra do Mar State Park?
- The São Paulo State Government's Protected Areas Guide lists the Trilha da Cachoeira das 7 Quedas, in Maresias, under the Serra do Mar State Park.
- What is the phone number for the park's São Sebastião Unit?
- (12) 3863-1707. The headquarters is at Rua Serra do Mar, 13, in Juquehy, and the email is pesm.saosebastiao@fflorestal.sp.gov.br.
- What animals live in the Serra do Mar State Park?
- The entire park records 373 bird species and 111 mammal species, including the brown howler monkey, muriqui, jaguar, and tapir, according to the Management Plan cited by the ipatrimônio portal.
