Serra do Rio do Rastro

Mountain Road SC 390 Climbing The Escarpment Of The Serra Geral In Tight Hairpins, One Of The Most Photographed Roads In Brazil · Bom Jardim da Serra, Santa Catarina

The Serra do Rio do Rastro is a mountain road in Santa Catarina that climbs the escarpment of the Serra Geral from the coastal lowlands at Lauro Müller to the highland plateau at Bom Jardim da Serra, rising more than a thousand metres in a series of tight hairpin bends cut into the cliff face. Seen from the viewpoint at the top, the road snakes down the green wall of the escarpment in a pattern that has become one of the most photographed images in Brazil. The road is lit at night, which makes it glow in the dark below the lookout. The drive is only part of it: the plateau above is cold highland country of araucaria pines, waterfalls and farms, where winter frost and occasional snow draw Brazilians who rarely see either. Coatis beg for food at the viewpoint, and fog regularly covers the whole escarpment within minutes. The road is often closed for landslides after heavy rain. Urubici, with the Morro da Igreja and its natural rock arch, is the other highland highlight nearby.

SC-390, between Lauro Müller and Bom Jardim da Serra, SC, Bom Jardim da Serra, Santa Catarina, Brazil

The SC-390 is a public road, open day and night with no toll and no gate, and the hairpins are lit after dark. The rule that ruins trips is closure: after heavy rain the serra section is regularly shut for landslides, rockfalls and repairs, sometimes for hours and sometimes for weeks, and there is no quick alternative - the detour through other passes adds hours. Check the state road authority, local news or your pousada on the morning you travel. Night closures for maintenance also happen. Fog can roll up the escarpment within minutes and cut visibility to a few metres, and on winter mornings frost and occasional ice make the upper bends slippery until the sun reaches them. The viewpoint snack bars and shops keep daytime hours and may close early in bad weather.

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