Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
you need to catch a local bus from Terminal Guadalupe
(Rua João Negrão 381, at Rua André de Barros) to the
trailhead at Borda do Campo (R$2.70).
Destinations
Blumenau (10 daily; 4hr); Buenos Aires
(2 daily; 34hr); Balneário Camboriú (22 daily; 2.5hr);
Florianópolis (23 daily; 4-5hr); Foz do Iguaçu (9 daily;
10hr); Joinville (hourly; 2hr 30min); Paranaguá (hourly;
1hr 30min); Porto Alegre (8 daily; 12-13hr); Rio de Janeiro
(4-5 daily; 13hr); São Paulo (hourly; 6-7hr).
9
BY BUS
The rodoferroviária (
T
41 3320 3121) is about ten blocks
southeast of the city centre at Rua Presidente Alfonso
Camargo 330. It takes about 20min to walk to the centre, or
there's a minibus from almost in front of the station: catch
it at the intersection of Av Presidente Afonso Camargo and
Av Sete de Setembro, to the left of the entrance to the
station's driveway. A taxi should be around R$12-15 to
hotels in the centre. For the Parque Estadual de Marumbi,
GETTING AROUND
BY BUS
Municipal buses
Curitiba boasts an e
cient municipal
bus network (
W
urbs.curitiba.pr.gov.br) that's considered
the envy of all other Brazilian cities. In the city centre, the
two main bus terminals are at Praça Tiradentes and Praça
Rui Barbosa, from where buses (pay as you enter the odd-
looking tubular stations, or on the bus if there's no tube;
Mon-Sat R$2.70, Sun R$1.50) head out into the suburbs as
well as to neighbouring
municípios
.
Linha Turismo
The most convenient way to view
Curitiba's outer attractions is to take the Linha Turismo
buses that depart from Praça Tiradentes every half-hour
year-round (Tues-Sun; first bus leaves here at 9am, last
bus 5.30pm; R$29) and stop at 25 attractions around the
city centre and suburbs. The bus takes just over two hours
to complete the itinerary, but tickets allow passengers to
get off at four of the stops and rejoin the tour on a later bus.
Stops are announced and basic commentary provided on
taped loop (if you can hear it). Aim to stop at the furthest
points from the centre to make the most of the ticket.
BY TAXI
Taxis are easy to come by and, as distances are generally
small, they're not too expensive; the meter starts at R$4.20.
SERRA VERDE EXPRESS
The
Serra Verde Express
(
T
41 3888 3488,
W
serraverdeexpress.com.br) is one of the most
scenic train rides in Brazil, winding around mountainsides, slipping through tunnels and
traversing one of the largest Atlantic Forest reserves in the country. It is undoubtedly the most
atmospheric way to travel the 110km between
Curitiba
and
Paranaguá
(for the Ilha do Mel);
make sure to sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views (or on the right if you're
not good with heights). 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. In 1880, work began on the construction
of a rail line - completed five years later, 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. Passing through the
Parque
Estadual de Marumbi
(see p.558) on a clear day, the views are absolutely mesmerizing, and
the towering Paraná pines at the higher altitudes and the subtropical foliage at lower levels are
unforgettable. The charming colonial town of
Morretes
(p.556), near the foot of the mountain
range, is a good base for exploring the surrounding area.
RIDING THE TRAIN
The complete three-hour run to
Paranaguá
usually departs only on Sundays, leaving
Curitiba's rodoferroviária at 7.30am and returning at 1.30pm; during the rest of the week the
train only goes as far as
Morretes
(daily 8.15am, arriving 11.15am; Sat & Sun also 9.15am,
arriving 12.15pm). A variety of
tickets
is available, from coach class (
economica
) at R$65
one-way (R$46 for the return leg) to R$270 one-way on the special Litorina service. Tickets
to Paranaguá are a set R$84 each way (standard Litorina only; includes drinks, snacks and
English-speaking guide). For the cheaper tickets, book several days in advance, as they are
limited and sell out quickly.
Buses
back to Curitiba are plentiful from Morretes and Paranaguá
if you opt for a one-way ticket. Note that at the time of research, trains were
not operating
as far as Paranaguá (even on Sunday); check in advance.
