Southeast Brazil Bikepacking Route

Hey guys,

I've had this dream for a while to do a big bike trip in the Southeast of Brazil. I'm Canadian and I've had the chance to travel in the region before. I fell in love with the place, especially the Serra dos Órgãos and the littoral around Ilha do Cardoso and Ilha de Superagui. It's incredible that, near some of the largest cities in Brazil, a large amount of land has been set aside to protect a super diverse ecosystem and wonderful natural landscapes.

I learned recently about the Caminho da Mata Atlântica. It is currently being developed as a mostly continuous network of trails and rural roads that link national parks and other protected areas in the region. I decided to use it as an inspiration to create a bike itinerary from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul. The route is meant to be done by mountain bike over multiple weeks staying in pousadas and camping when possible. I want to avoid pavement as much as possible and instead use mostly dirt roads and a bit of singletrack (+/- hike-a-bike). There is thus a lot of climbing and rough surfaces. The goal is to be as close as possible to nature (and as far as possible from car traffic).

I know this might sound like a crazy idea. I do have some experience. I've already done bike trips of multiple thousands of kilometers in North America. I've also traveled (without a bike) through ten different Brazilian states and have done some hiking there. And I speak enough Portuguese to get around. But I understand that there is some inherent risk, both from crime (see the story of Julieta Hernández Martínez) and from the environment (the current flooding in Rio Grande do Sul for example).

The itinerary:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/46614200

I have a few questions:

1. Are there any changes you would make to pass through more interesting routes or attractions?

2. Are there any parts you would avoid because they're dangerous (I'm mostly concerned about passing near the outskirts of Rio…)? Or impassable?

3. Do you know of any local mountain biking or bike touring communities along the route I could contact for recommendations?

4. If you're familiar with biking or hiking anywhere along the route, I would be grateful if you could contact me. I have lots of specific questions.

5. I will probably explore part of the route in the next few weeks, so if anyone is interested to ride along, even for a short distance, feel free to contact me.

Thanks a lot in advance 🙂