In 1500, the Portuguese, sailing under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral, sighted the broad hump of Monte Pascoal, their first glimpse of the New World. They called the land Terra da Vera Cruz (Land of the True Cross).
Now a 225-sq-km national park, the area contains a variety of ecosystems: Atlantic rainforest, swamplands, shallows, mangroves, beaches and reefs. Wildlife includes several monkey species, two types of sloth, anteaters, rare porcupines, capybara, deer, jaguars and numerous species of bird.
The northeastern corner of the park, below Caraíva, is home to a small number of indigenous Pataxó people, who took over control of the park in 2000. They allow visitors access to a few trails while accompanied by a guide (settle fees before setting out), one of which climbs the mountain. While there is no fee to enter the park, there are access fees (ranging between R$40-60 per group of one to six people) for certain areas.
The coastal side of the park is accessible by boat or on foot from Caraíva. Though there are no direct buses to the park, buses run from Porto Seguro to Itamaraju (30km from the park), and from Friday to Monday, buses go from Itamaraju to the park entrance.
