Courting the Light

MATA ATLÂNTICA BIKE ROUTE

The Mata Atlântica Bike Route stretches over 2,500 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul, tracing mostly unpaved roads and paths through five Brazilian states. Following the Serra do Mar mountains, it connects protected remnants of the Atlantic Forest—one of the world’s most biodiverse regions—while passing through landscapes of tropical forests, canyons, plateaus, and beaches. Along the way, riders encounter traditional communities, historic towns, and a mosaic of cultures, with opportunities to spot iconic wildlife and experience the region’s incredible natural beauty.

DISTANCE

2,564 km

DAYS

% UNPAVED

81%

% SINGLETRACK

DIFFICULTY (1-10)

5 to 9 (depending on the segment)

% RIDEABLE (TIME)

98%

TOTAL ASCENT

51,766 m

HIGH POINT

1,739 m

SEGMENTS

The Mata Atlântica Bike Route contains four segments, each with a unique character. They can be ridden sequentially or independently. For convenience, they start and end near large cities or in towns accessible by bike-friendly public transport. Inside the segments, there are multiple points reachable by bus, which makes it possible to subdivide the route further.

SEGMENT 1 RIO

Traversing the northeast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, this segment is notable for its impressive monolithic mountains and abundance of small waterfalls with swimming holes. It is the shortest and by far the most physically and technically difficult. This results in a tough but rewarding adventure that includes a fair percentage of singletrack in the Atlantic Forest.

SEGMENT 2 BOCAINA

Connecting the metropolises of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, this segment traverses the remote mountains of the Serra da Bocaina and the wonderful beaches of the Costa Verde, as well as the historic town of Paraty. It is the most diverse in terms of riding surfaces and landscapes. This makes it a quintessential Brazilian experience, linking the country's two biggest cities.

SEGMENT 3 LAGAMAR

Connecting São Paulo and the southern state of Santa Catarina, this segment traverses large areas of protected forest, a few historic port cities and one of the most well-preserved stretches of coastline in the region. Being the flattest and easiest segment, it is a more mellow adventure, which includes beach riding and boat crossings.

SEGMENT 4 SUL

Traversing the highlands of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, this segment crosses farmlands and forested mountains in the north, and canyons and grasslands with Araucaria groves in the south. The weather is notably different, being colder and having a distinct precipitation pattern. This is an opportunity to discover a unique side of Brazil, possibly outside of the winter season recommended for the other segments.

FAQ

What is the Mata Atlântica Bike Route?

It takes inspiration from the Caminho da Mata Atlântica (CMA) long-distance trail. While the CMA was imagined mainly as a hiking trail, it follows long sections of bikeable dirt roads and trails that serve as the backbone of the bike route.

The bike route and the CMA share the same priority: connecting areas of great natural beauty and preserved wilderness. There are many legal campsites and affordable lodging along the way. Resupply is possible in multiple towns, which are often charming and historically significant. The riding is physically challenging but always rewarding.

However, the bike route differs from the CMA for three reasons. To avoid pavement as much as possible, the route bypasses some of the roads and urban areas of the CMA. To be accessible for people with limited time, the route is straighter and thus shorter than the CMA, which meanders quite a bit. Finally, parts of the CMA inaccessible for cyclists had to be replaced by fun alternatives, sometimes following preexisting touring routes.

See this link for a short history of the route.

What types of roads and trails are on the Mata Atlântica Bike Route?

The route contains a wide variety of surfaces, the most common being unpaved rural roads, which range from smooth and fast to rough and challenging. Some can be muddy even in the dry season. Elevation gain, outside of Segment 3, is high, so the roads are often steep. There is only a small amount of singletrack, except for Segment 1, which is more singletrack-heavy and technical than the rest. Pavement is kept to a minimum, but some is unavoidable. The end of Segment 1, linking Teresópolis with the start of Segment 2, contains quite a bit of pavement. It can be skipped entirely if riding only individual segments. The coastal portion of Segment 2 follows some incredibly scenic stretches of pavement, which could be replaced by an inland unpaved alternative if desired.

How long does it take to complete?

The time to complete such a long route will vary depending on multiple factors, but the most important is personal preferences. The route was designed to be fun as a cycling experience by itself, but also to connect attractions that are interesting off the bike, including among others: beaches, waterfalls, swimming holes, hiking trails, historic towns and wildlife watching spots. To complete the full route with time to enjoy some of these and an occasional day off, 50 days is recommended. Someone focused on speed might complete it considerably faster. Conversely, one could take longer and not get bored. If traveling slower than expected, there is almost always a nearby town with bus service to end the trip or jump ahead.

What is the optimal bike?

Because the roads are sometimes steep and rough, the best bike for the full route is a rigid mountain bike or all-terrain bike with 2.2 to 2.6″ tires, low gearing and a lightweight setup. Suspension is not needed, but a lot of Brazilians use hardtail mountain bikes for touring. Segments 2, 3 and 4 mainly follow unpaved roads and can in large part be done on touring and gravel bikes. With such bikes, it is still recommended to have low gearing and fit the widest tires possible. These segments have a few slightly technical sections, but they are generally short, outside of the Serra da Bocaina region of Segment 2, which contains longer bouts of steep, rough, muddy and sandy roads. Segment 1 is much steeper and singletrack-heavy than the others, and thus not recommended for touring and gravel bikes.

What is the best time to go?

For Segments 1, 2 and 3, the best time to go is from May to August (April and September are less optimal but can also work). This is the winter and dry season in the Southeast of Brazil, meaning mild temperatures and low precipitation. The rest of the year, it can get uncomfortably hot, and heavy rain can make roads and trails muddy. Segment 4 can be done at any time because the weather in the highlands of the far south is quite different. While winter is still the season with the least rain, precipitation is more equally spread throughout the year, and the difference with summer is smaller. Consecutive days of heavy rain or sun are possible during any month. Due to the region's latitude, winter temperatures at high altitude occasionally drop below freezing, and it can even snow. If ready for possible cold weather, riding in the winter is doable, but some might prefer the warmer months.