Costa Verde (Brazil)

For other places with the same name, see Costa Verde.

Costa Verde (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkɔʲʃtɐ ˈveχdʒi] or Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkɔstɐ ˈverdʒɪ] in local Rio de Janeiro's and São Paulo's dialects respectively, English: Green Coast) is a coastline in Brazil (chiefly in Rio de Janeiro state), which runs from Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro state, to São Sebastião, São Paulo state. In São Paulo it is known as "Litoral Norte" (Northern Coast of São Paulo). The Green Coast is caracterized by the Serra do Mar scarpment reaching Atlantic Ocean, creating a mountainous landscape very near the coast. The Green Coast can be considered the Atlantic Forest biome reaching the ocean, between Baixada Fluminense (Fluminense Lowlands) and Baixada Santista (Santos Lowlands).

Points of interest in the Green Coast include Ilha Grande, Angra dos Reis, Ilhabela and Restinga da Marambaia. Several parks are located there, including "Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar", "Parque Estadual de Ilhabela", in São Paulo state, "Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina" and "Parque Estadual da Ilha Grande", in Rio de Janeiro state.

Its name derives from its characteristic abundance of green from Atlantic Forest, also known as "Mata Atlantica". The Costa Verde covers the following municipalities, in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states:

• Mangaratiba, RJ
• Angra dos Reis, RJ
• Paraty, RJ
• Ubatuba, SP
• Caraguatatuba, SP
• São Sebastião, SP
• Ilhabela, SP

If it is considered only the geographic criterion for Green Coast definition (the coast strip between "Baixada Fluminense" and "Baixada Santista"), then the municipalities of Bertioga, SP, Guarujá, SP and Itaguaí, RJ can be considered part of the Green Coast. Nevertheless, an exact and official definition of "Costa Verde" doesn't exist, and any criterion to define it is controversial.