West: The Costa Verde
The mountainous littoral and calm green waters of the aptly
named Costa Verde ("Green Coast") provide a marked contrast
to the sand and surf of the coastline east of Rio. One of Brazil's
truly beautiful landscapes, the Costa Verde has been made much more
accessible by the Rio-Santos BR-101 Highway - something,
however, that has led to an increase in commercial penetration of
this region. The fate of this 280-kilometre stretch of lush
vegetation, rolling hills and tropical beaches hangs in the balance
between rational development and ecological destruction, and so far
the signs augur badly. Ecologists warn that fish stocks in the Bay
of Sepetiba, which covers almost half the length of the Costa
Verde, are in constant danger of destruction because of pollution.
Enjoy your trip; you may be amongst the last to have the
privilege.
There are two ways to reach the Costa Verde from Rio. By
car , drive through the Zona Sul by way of Barra de Tijuca,
to Barra de Guaratiba. The road runs past kilometre after kilometre
of white sand, but you'll need to be mobile to reach any of it.
Alternatively, take one of the buses from Rio's Rodoviária
which leave the city by the Zona Norte and follow the BR-101 to
Itacuruçá and beyond.
Copyright Rough Guides Ltd as trustee for its authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved.
The Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd.