Cantareira State Park - São Paulo

          e-Bird hotspots: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L4402171                                                 https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3099525

           Only 40 minutes by car from São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport, Cantareira State Park is an excellent option for those with short time around the Airport.

          The Cantareira State Park is one of the largest continuous areas of Atlantic Forest within an urban environment anywhere in the world, covering approximately 7,900 hectares, part of which lies within the city limits of São Paulo. Essential for protecting the water catchment areas that supply the city, the park also serves as an important ecological corridor, connecting the last remaining fragments of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. Its lush vegetation hosts an impressive biodiversity, with over 250 bird species and around 50 mammal species, including threatened species such as the Southern Brown Howler Monkey (Alouatta guariba clamitans), the Puma (Puma concolor), and the Southern Tiger Cat (Leopardus guttulus).

Now under new management through a public-private partnership, the park offers excellent infrastructure, safety, and well-marked trails, distributed across four different visitor areas. It’s a fantastic option for nature lovers staying in São Paulo, and also ideal for travelers with limited time in the city or on long layovers at Guarulhos International Airport (GRU).

Our exclusive birdwatching tour starts early at 6:30 AM, at the nearby Horto Florestal Park, where we focus on species found in open areas, forest edges, wetlands, and lakes. Target species at this location include the Green-barred Woodpecker (Colaptes melanochloros), the Blue-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva), the Peach-fronted Parakeet (Diopsittaca nobilis), the Blackish Rail (Pardirallus nigricans), and the Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana).

As the day progresses, we move into the forests of the Pedra Grande Sector, exploring the heart of Cantareira in search of Atlantic Forest endemics. Highlights may include the Blue Manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata), the Surucua Trogon (Trogon surrucura), the Fawn-breasted Tanager (Pipraeidea melanonota), and the elusive Greenish Schiffornis (Schiffornis virescens), as well as mixed flocks of Tanagers (Tangara spp.) and Woodcreepers (Lepidocolaptes spp.). With luck, we might even spot a soaring Black Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus) above the forest canopy.

The 4-kilometer hike leads us to the famous Pedra Grande viewpoint, offering a dramatic panoramic view where the lush Atlantic Forest meets the sprawling urban landscape of South America’s largest metropolis.

To make the experience even more complete, the tour can include a trail snack with a picnic at Pedra Grande, or a traditional Brazilian lunch at a local restaurant near the park. For those eager to keep birding, we offer an optional afternoon extension to the Pesqueiro Cantareira, where a small feeding station attracts various bird species for close observation and photography, especially during the winter months. Here, visitors may see species like the Golden-chevroned Tanager (Thraupis ornata), the stunning Green-headed Tanager (Tangara seledon), and other colorful Tanagers and Saltators. A short trail around the fishpond area may yield even more interesting sightings to wrap up an enriching day of birdwatching.