| Curitiba - Train Ride - Itinerary |
Serra Verde Express
Avenida Presidente Afonso Camargo, 330 - Estação Ferroviária - Curitiba - PR
Itinerary
The
course of 110 kilometers between Curitiba and Paranaguá is
done in four hour. However, the station in Paranaguá is being reformed and is not open to the public. The final point of the tourist train
is in Morretes until the end of the reform.
After leaving the Curitiba station, the train goes through the Paranaguá
station, the city known as the "Capital of the Waters", becayse the springs of water that supply Curitiba and the form the waterfalls of
Foz de Iguassu.
Now on the sierra, the tourist pass through the Roça Nova Tunnel, the longest
of the railway, 457 meters long and, the highest point of the railway, 955 meter above sea level. During the course, you can see large water
boxes that helped to cool the old "Maria-Fumaça" that ran down the railway.
After that, the train crosses the old Banhado station. Before, the locomotives
did the maneuvers here, that had a Colonial Café as well. Near the place is the Ipiranga House which was built during the period of the
construction of the railway and was used as the residence of its directors, besides being used as lodging for the important people of the
history of Brazil like the emperor Dom Pedro II.
Before catching sight of Devil's Peak (Pico do Diabo), one of the highest of
the sierra, and Hell's Throat (Garganta do Diabo), a precipice between the mountains, the tourists pass by the Bride's Veil (Véu da Noiva)
waterfall. In the middle of the ride, the tourist that continue on the Litorina stop at the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Cadeado,
built during the celebration of the 80 years of the railway. Another interesting feature is the São João Bridge (Ponte de São João) that
connects the mountains over a 55 meter tall and is 110 meters long.
The Carvalho Viaduct (Viaduto Carvalho) comes next. The viaduct was built on
the shape of the mountain on wooden beams. Today, after the increase in the traffic of freight and tourists, the wooden beams were
substituted for concrete. You have the feeling that the train is flying because it is impossible to see the railway on the curve.
Near the Marumbi Peak (Pico do Marumbi) with more than 1540 meters, the train
makes a stop at the Marumbi station which used to serve as a base for the workers in the period of the construction of the railway. Today,
the Marumbi station is used by the Administration of the Marumbi State Park, very popular by those who want to do ecological tourism. In
the park there is the so called Marumbi Groups, made up by the Abrolhos, Torres das Sinas, Esfinge, Ponta do Tigre, the Marumbi, Boa vista
and Facãozinho.
Another touristic point of the Railway Curitiba-Paranaguá is the Cima Seaport
that is part of a small village installed at the beginning of the sierra. It was fundamental for the economy of the 18th Century,
serving as a reference point for the commerce between the litoral and interior of Paraná. There are many ruins of historical mills and houses.
Three hours after leaving the Railwal of Curitiba, the train arrives in
Morretes, the historical city founded in 1733. Located between the Graciosa Sierra (Serra da Graciosa) and the littoral, Morretes is a
destination sought out by ecotourism fans that can go along the trails and bathe in the waterfalls of the region. Besides eating the
traditional "Barreado", a typical dish served in the restaurants of Morretes, the tourists can visit a series of historical
buildings.
Another hour and the train arrives in Paranaguá that in Tupi-Guarani "Large
Round Sea". The main historical constructions of the city are the Mel's Fortress Island (Fortaleza Ilha do Mel), Jesuítas School (Colégio
dos Jesuítas) and the Cathedral, besides the old houses that date back to the 17th Century.
The touristic train spend 4 hours to cover the 110 kilometers between Curitiba
and Paranaguá. Even though it seems to be tiring, the ride is beautiful and the scenery seen by the tourist is unforgetable. It is
definitively a ride that is worth the time to be checked out. |
Presentation
