Serra Verde Express

The Curitiba-Paranagua railway was completed in 1885 after nearly five years of work under the engineer Joao Teixeira Soares, and the descent it makes off the plateau involves fourteen tunnels, dozens of bridges and viaducts, and ledges cut into near-vertical rock - built to move Parana's produce to the port and now the most spectacular passenger rail journey in Brazil. The tourist service runs down about seventy kilometres to Morretes in around four hours, passing the Ponte Sao Joao viaduct and the Santuario Nossa Senhora do Cadeado in its cleft, with the Marumbi peaks above. Classes range from ordinary carriage seats to a panoramic dome car. Most passengers return by bus, which takes an hour and a half.

What you actually see

• An 1885 mountain descent - fourteen tunnels and dozens of viaducts.
• Ledges cut in vertical rock - the engineering on the escarpment face.
• The Marumbi peaks - the range above the line on the way down.
• The Cadeado shrine - the small sanctuary in its cleft beside the track.

When to go

April to September for the clearest air. A day.

Honest expectations

Fog and cloud hide the views on a large share of days with no refund. Seats on the correct side matter and are worth choosing when booking. Tickets sell out weeks ahead in season. The return is usually by bus, not by rail.

Nearby

Morretes is the terminus; the Graciosa road is the alternative route down.