Few destinations deliver such a complete day: board the most scenic train in Brazil in Curitiba, drop down the Serra do Mar between chasms and waterfalls, have lunch on a barreado with 200 years of history in a colonial village on the riverbank — and come back along the most charming mountain road in the South. Morretes is Paraná’s outing-in-a-nutshell.
The Serra do Mar train
The 1885 railway (Serra Verde Express) descends around 65 km in 3-4 hours across 30 bridges and 14 tunnels, hugging walls of untouched Atlantic Forest — with the Carvalho viaduct and the São João bridge as breath-holding moments. Classes run from about R$ 175 (tourist) to the luxury railcar (around R$ 395); departures at 8:15am from the Curitiba bus and rail terminal (Fri-Sun and public holidays; daily in the school vacation). Sacred tip: right-hand side on the way down for the views over the drop. The classic return is by van along the Estrada da Graciosa, between hydrangeas and lookouts.
The village and the barreado
Morretes is a postcard of colorful houses leaning over the Nhundiaquara river. The compulsory lunch is the barreado — beef cooked for 12+ hours in a sealed clay pot, served with cassava flour, banana and history: the dish was born of the caiçara carnival and became Paraná heritage. Pudding: banana toffee and cachaça from a local mill.
For the adventurous: Marumbi
The Marumbi massif (1,539 m at Olimpo) is the cradle of Brazilian mountaineering — challenging climbers since 1879 on the historic trails that leave from the railway station of the same name. An intense climb, with registration at the state park; for everyone else, the waterfalls and pools of the Nhundiaquara river (with river-tubing on the calm stretches) deliver the range in refreshing form.
When to go
All year round — the range guarantees drama in sun or mist (the mist, in fact, is halfway to the spectacle). Summer = a full river and tubing; winter = maximum visibility on the train. Book the train in advance on public holidays: it is one of the most sought-after outings in the South.
🥾 Who is it for?
Effort: easy — train + flat village + epic lunch; the Marumbi is the optional intense extra. Children: a train is universally fascinating (child fares); the river has shallow stretches. Seniors and people with disabilities: the train has assisted boarding and comfortable classes — one of the most accessible great nature outings in Brazil; the village is flat with uneven historic paving (take care). The barreado, for its part, discriminates against nobody.