The Itaúnas State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual de Itaúnas) is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in the state of

Espírito Santo Espírito Santo (, , ; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attra ...

, Brazil. It protects the lower reaches of the

Itaúnas River The Itaúnas River ( pt, Itaúnas) is a river of Espírito Santo state in eastern Brazil. The Itaúnas State Park, created in 1991, is named after the Itaúnas River, which runs through the park for . The river approaches the coast at the settle ...

and a strip of marshes, dunes and beaches along the Atlantic coast of the north of the state.

Location

The Itaúnas State Park is in the municipality of

Conceição da Barra Conceição da Barra is the northernmost municipality in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. The city is also the northernmost coastal city of the state. Its population was 31,273 (2020) and its area is 1,188.044 km². The municipality ...

, Espírito Santo. It has an area of about . It protects a strip of the Atlantic coast from north of the town of

, Espírito Santo, up to the border with the state of

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (sta ...

. The park is named after the

, which runs through the park for . The river approaches the coast at the settlement of Itaúnas and then runs southwest, parallel to the coast behind a sand bar, before entering the Atlantic Ocean to the north of Conceição da Barra. On the beaches of Itaúnas and Riacho Doce, which extend for , the dunes reach in height.

History

The Itaúnas State Park was created by state governor decree 4.967-E of 8 November 1991. In 1992 the park was listed by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

as a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. It became part of the

Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor The Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor ( pt, Corredor Central da Mata Atlântica is an ecological corridor in the states of Espírito Santo and Bahia, Brazil. It promotes improvements to connectivity between fragments of Atlantic Forest ...

, created in 2002.

Environment

The park contains 23 archaeological sites with traces of human settlements such as chipped stones, indigenous pottery and artifacts from the colonial era. Vegetation includes coastal forest, with fragments of forest endangered in Espírito Santo, ''

restinga Restingas () are a distinct type of coastal tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest in eastern Brazil. They form on sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils, and are characterized by medium-sized trees and shrubs adapted to the drier and nut ...

'', dunes and estuarine

mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...

s. The various habitats are in good condition, and have great diversity of plant species, with over 414 species recorded. There are 43 species of mammals, 183 of birds. 32 of reptiles, 29 of amphibians and 101 of fish. Mammals include ocelots, capuchin monkeys and sloths. Threats include illegal fishing, hunting, firewood extraction and fruit collection, the presence of domestic animals such as horses, dogs and oxen, and irregular occupation by squatters.

Activities

As of 2015 the opening hours were from 8:30 to 17:30. The park is suitable for ecotourism, hiking and swimming in the river and the ocean. Visitors may take guided horseback tours, or may explore by kayak, canoe, jeep, bicycle or on foot. There is a visitor center in the village of Itaúnas, with the headquarters of the Tamar project, which protects sea turtles. The visitor center has a display of archaeological finds, and gives workshops in crafts, local music and painting.

Notes

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Itaunas State Park State parks of Brazil Protected areas of Espírito Santo