Gruta Dos Paiva

Useful Information

Location:	Ribeirão Grande. 200 km southeast of São Paulo. Parque Estadual Intervales. 2 km walk from the parking, uphill. (-24.277185, -48.442655)
Open:	All year Wed-Sun 10-17. [2020]
Fee:	Park: Adults BRL 32, Children (0-12) free, Seniors (60+) free, Disabled free, Students BRL 16. Mercosul 25% discount, Brasil 50% discount. Caves: free. Monitor Ambiental: required. [2020]
Classification:	Karst cave river cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=4,000 m, T=18 °C.
Guided tours:	L=1,000 m.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Parque Estadual Intervales, Estrada Municipal, km 25 - Bairro Intervales, Ribeirão Grande, Tel: +55-15-3542-1511, Tel: +55-15-3542-1245. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1985	territory registered by CONDEPHAAT.
1991	declared a Biosphere Reserve of the Atlantic Forest.
JUN-1995	Parque Estadual Intervales (Intervales State Park) created.

Description

Gruta Dos Paiva is a semi wild cave in the Parque Estadual Intervales. It is visited on tours with a guide from the park in small groups. The cave has trails, stone steps, and railings made of an old chain, but there is no light. Visitors are equipped with a helmet, but should bring their own headlamp or torch. We recommend two lamps for each participant, in case one breaks or the batteries are empty. Sturdy boots or gum boots, appropriate clothes, a jacket, and probably gloves are recommended too. Also you should bring clothes to change afterwards and a towel.

The cave is located in the rainforest. The guide brings the participants to the end of a forest road with his 4WD. From here its a two kilometer walk to the cave entrance. The tour follows the main passage, which is quite spacious most of the time. But there are places where it is necessary to stoop and others were half a meter of water covers the trail.