Explore The South
Sweeping down from the plateau upon which Curitiba lies, the dramatic mountain range known as the Serra do Mar has long been a formidable barrier separating the coast of Paraná from the interior. Until 1885 only a narrow cobblestone road connected Curitiba to the coast and Paranaguá Bay, and it took two days for mules and carts to cover the 75km from what was, at the time, the main port, Antonina. In 1880, work began on the construction of a rail line between Curitiba and Paranaguá, a port capable of taking much larger vessels than Antonina could. Completed in 1885, this remains a marvel of late nineteenth-century engineering and the source of much local pride, as it is one of the country’s few significant rail lines developed with Brazilian finance and technology. Sufferers of vertigo be warned: the line grips narrow mountain ridges, traverses 67 bridges and viaducts and passes through fourteen tunnels as the trains gradually wind their way down to sea level (see Paranaguá Bay). Passing through the Parque Estadual de Marumbi on a clear day the views are absolutely spectacular, and the towering Paraná pines at the higher altitudes and the subtropical foliage at lower levels are unforgettable. The charming colonial town of Morretes, near the foot of the mountain range, is a good base for exploring the surrounding area.
- Paranaguá
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The Ilha do Mel and the southeast coast
The Ilha do Mel and the southeast coast
To the east of Paranaguá are Paraná’s main beach resorts, principally attracting visitors from Curitiba seeking open sea and all the familiar comforts of home. The surrounding countryside is relentlessly flat and the beaches can’t really compare with those of Santa Catarina or, for that matter, most other parts of Brazil. There is, however, one notable exception, the Ilha do Mel, which, despite being Paraná’s most beautiful island, has been protected from tourism’s worst effects by being classified as an ecological protection zone – the number of visitors to the island is limited to five thousand per day, building is strictly regulated and the sale of land to outsiders is carefully controlled.
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Barreado
Barreado
In Paraná’s coastal towns (in particular Morretes, Antonina and Paranaguá), Barreado, the region’s equivalent of feijoada, appears on most restaurants’ menus. This speciality, a convenience dish that can provide food for several days and requires little attention while cooking, used only to be eaten by the poor during Carnaval, but is now enjoyed throughout the year. Traditionally, barreado is made of beef, bacon, tomatoes, onion, cumin and other spices, placed in successive layers in a large clay urn, covered and then barreada (sealed) with a paste of ash and farinha (manioc flour), and then slowly cooked in a wood-fired oven for twelve to fifteen hours. Today pressure cookers are sometimes used (though not by the better restaurants), and gas or electric ovens almost always substitute for wood-fired ones. Barreado is served with farinha, which you spread on a plate; place some meat and gravy on top and eat with banana and orange slices. Though tasty enough, barreado is very heavy and a rather more appropriate dish for a chilly winter evening than for summer and Carnaval, as originally intended.
