Brazil ape cache: how to get there, dos and don'ts

[+terratin]

I'll be flying to Rio de Janeiro for a business trip in just 10 days. I assumed I might not have time to go to the Ape cache anyway and never looked at how to get there. All of a sudden I don't seen to have any appointments for 1-2 May, and the whole weekend before that. Not sure if something changes until then, but can anyone who's been to the Ape cache tell me more about getting there from I assume Sao Paulo? Being a female travelling alone in Brazil does sound daunting despite having cached in 37 countries.

 

thanks.

[+funkymunkyzone]

Well when a small group of us (4 of us) went, we hired a car from the airport in Sao Paulo and drove. The route is pretty easy, with the most complicated bit it seemed as just getting out of Sao Paulo itself - well, we had rubbish maps on our GPS I guess.

 

The roads from Sao Paulo all the way to Capao Bonito are really good and easy to find your way, especially if you're just following the trail of Em busca do APE caches. The road into the park is gravel/clay but it's not a particularly bad road either - as I understand it, it can get a bit rough after heavy rain. Our car handled it just fine.

 

It would be a good idea to contact Junior if you have any concerns regarding actually going for the hike to the cache - he is very helpful. He pointed us to exactly where the trail started just in case we were to have any trouble finding it.

 

It's a really beautiful part of the world - hope you get there and enjoy it!

Edited April 13, 2017 by funkymunkyzone

[+terratin]

Well when a small group of us (4 of us) went, we hired a car from the airport in Sao Paulo and drove. The route is pretty easy, with the most complicated bit it seemed as just getting out of Sao Paulo itself - well, we had rubbish maps on our GPS I guess.

 

The roads from Sao Paulo all the way to Capao Bonito are really good and easy to find your way, especially if you're just following the trail of Em busca do APE caches. The road into the park is gravel/clay but it's not a particularly bad road either - as I understand it, it can get a bit rough after heavy rain. Our car handled it just fine.

 

It would be a good idea to contact Junior if you have any concerns regarding actually going for the hike to the cache - he is very helpful. He pointed us to exactly where the trail started just in case we were to have any trouble finding it.

 

It's a really beautiful part of the world - hope you get there and enjoy it!

 

thanks a lot funkymunkyzone!

 

How long was the drive from the airport in Sao Paulo towards the park? It's probably not a trip you could do in one day, right? Safety is also a concern. I mean, you were four guys but I'd be alone. Doesn't sit too good with me.

[+funkymunkyzone]

It's only a few hours drive and it's mostly highway. It seemed reasonably safe to us. Fly in, pick up your car and drive straight to Capao Bonito. Sao Paulo is (no offence to any Brazilians) the most dangerous part. Get out of Sao Paulo and you're good to go.

 

Yes we were 4 - 3 guys and 1 gal - but I'd have done it by myself. I've been far worse places. I guess the thing to remember is that everywhere you go there are good people living their everyday good lives being good to each other, so so long as you're aware of your surroundings and there isn't a war going on...

 

Edit to add: From memory it was about 3 hours from Sao Paulo to Capao Bonito (2 hours in the other direction if you're late for your flight out ) and it's about an hour from Capao Bonito into the park. Plus caching along the way, of course.

Edited April 13, 2017 by funkymunkyzone

[RuideAlmeida]

Be sure to have enough coins or small bills to pay all the tolls on the highway from São Paulo to Capão Bonito... around R$70.

Speaking or learning some basic words in Portuguese will also be useful (please don't say that Spanish is the same thing... it is highly offensive).

When renting your car, remember to ask for the plate that allows you will drive inside the city, according to the week days.

[+terratin]

Be sure to have enough coins or small bills to pay all the tolls on the highway from São Paulo to Capão Bonito... around R$70.

Speaking or learning some basic words in Portuguese will also be useful (please don't say that Spanish is the same thing... it is highly offensive).

When renting your car, remember to ask for the plate that allows you will drive inside the city, according to the week days.

 

Thanks a lot! Good to know about the plate and toll roads! I never thought I'd be able to do it this year, but this opportunity just opened up.

 

Yes, I know that Portuguese is not Spanish. When going to Madeira I thought I'd be able to at least understand a few words. Man, was I wrong! I'm fine getting around with Spanish, Italian and French. Portuguese is just so different to me!

[+terratin]

It's only a few hours drive and it's mostly highway. It seemed reasonably safe to us. Fly in, pick up your car and drive straight to Capao Bonito. Sao Paulo is (no offence to any Brazilians) the most dangerous part. Get out of Sao Paulo and you're good to go.

 

Yes we were 4 - 3 guys and 1 gal - but I'd have done it by myself. I've been far worse places. I guess the thing to remember is that everywhere you go there are good people living their everyday good lives being good to each other, so so long as you're aware of your surroundings and there isn't a war going on...

 

Edit to add: From memory it was about 3 hours from Sao Paulo to Capao Bonito (2 hours in the other direction if you're late for your flight out ) and it's about an hour from Capao Bonito into the park. Plus caching along the way, of course.

 

Great.

 

Mind if I ask you more questions? The roads around Sao Paulo look like a nightmare. How would I go about navigating to Capao Bonito and back to the airport considering that I probably don't have mobile data? I've not looked at downloadable maps for my GPS yet, but are they reliable enough? (oh gosh, I think I read somewhere that the Dutch mapping website was down! Need to check - edit: no, it's there!)

 

And where did you spend the night in the park? Is there a half affordable accommodation around?

Edited April 14, 2017 by terratin

[RuideAlmeida]

And where did you spend the night in the park? Is there a half affordable accommodation around?

 

Inside the park you have some lovely lodges (R$80 per night) and a restaurant for all your meals (R$30 for lunch and dinner, R$15 for breakfast).

Send an email or call Júnior for any reservations.

(+55 41 15 3542 1511)

 

In Capão Bonito you have some small hotels... and even a little new hostel in Ribeirão Grande.

 

From Guarulhos International Airport until Capão Bonito, you will drive in highways.

You won't need mobile data... (besides inside the park there are coverage only in few spots), just save all the caches for offline use and you will get there.

 

PS: When you have plans to go, drop a line in the "Brazil" forum... it is not uncommon that folks from São Paulo spend the weekends in the park, maybe offering you an hitchhike.

Edited April 14, 2017 by RuideAlmeida

[+terratin]

And where did you spend the night in the park? Is there a half affordable accommodation around?

 

Inside the park you have some lovely lodges (R$80 per night) and a restaurant for all your meals (R$30 for lunch and dinner, R$15 for breakfast).

Send an email or call Júnior for any reservations.

(+55 41 15 3542 1511)

 

In Capão Bonito you have some small hotels... and even a little new hostel in Ribeirão Grande.

 

From Guarulhos International Airport until Capão Bonito, you will drive in highways.

You won't need mobile data... (besides inside the park there are coverage only in few spots), just save all the caches for offline use and you will get there.

 

PS: When you have plans to go, drop a line in the "Brazil" forum... it is not uncommon that folks from São Paulo spend the weekends in the park, maybe offering you an hitchhike.

 

Thanks a lot, this really helps massively! I've just looked at prices and realized I could do this trip for about £250 including flight, car rental and loding. Woohoo! That's not much considering it's such a unique chance.

 

Do you happen to know whether Junior has a public email address? I tried contacting him via the Ape cache a few days ago but no reply so far But staying in the park is probably better than in Capao Bonito, if something's still available.

 

At the moment I really feel that I want to go down by car. That at least gives me the chance to also visit a few EarthCaches nearby. I'm sure Junior will understand why I want to visit them

Edited April 14, 2017 by terratin

[RuideAlmeida]

Do you happen to know whether Junior has a public email address?

 

juniorintervales@gmail.com

[+Wintz50]

There used to be a cacher named nandonavigator I believe that would give cachers a ride out to the park and back to Sao Paulo. You can find his info back around the 2012 logs when I was there. Be prepared with money for the toll booths that you will have to go through. Sorry that I don't remember what the toll costs are. It was an experience of a lifetime when I got to go so I'd recommend the trip to anyone that can find a way to go. Good luck!

Edited April 15, 2017 by Wintz50

[+funkymunkyzone]

It's only a few hours drive and it's mostly highway. It seemed reasonably safe to us. Fly in, pick up your car and drive straight to Capao Bonito. Sao Paulo is (no offence to any Brazilians) the most dangerous part. Get out of Sao Paulo and you're good to go.

 

Yes we were 4 - 3 guys and 1 gal - but I'd have done it by myself. I've been far worse places. I guess the thing to remember is that everywhere you go there are good people living their everyday good lives being good to each other, so so long as you're aware of your surroundings and there isn't a war going on...

 

Edit to add: From memory it was about 3 hours from Sao Paulo to Capao Bonito (2 hours in the other direction if you're late for your flight out ) and it's about an hour from Capao Bonito into the park. Plus caching along the way, of course.

 

Great.

 

Mind if I ask you more questions? The roads around Sao Paulo look like a nightmare. How would I go about navigating to Capao Bonito and back to the airport considering that I probably don't have mobile data? I've not looked at downloadable maps for my GPS yet, but are they reliable enough? (oh gosh, I think I read somewhere that the Dutch mapping website was down! Need to check - edit: no, it's there!)

 

And where did you spend the night in the park? Is there a half affordable accommodation around?

 

We actually stayed in a beautiful hotel in Capao Bonito, but staying in the park itself would be great.

 

As already mentioned, getting through Sao Paulo is not so bad and you're on highway the whole time. We did get a bit lost, not in the right lanes, but really I think we had too many navigators in the car (particularly when the instructions were more like "you should have been on that road over there" instead of which lane to be in beforehand). Certainly getting back to the airport was much easier because you just follow signs to the airport. Not scary at all.

 

I don't know anything about the plates to be able to drive in the city - we only passed through on the highway to get out of the city and then through to get back to the airport... Rental place never mentioned anything about them either.

 

Really fun adventure so I hope you go and have a great time!!!

[+Viajero Perdido]

I wonder if they ever lengthened the runway at Sao Paulo.

 

It was a problem once.

[+funkymunkyzone]

And of course, be sure to find GC6P11R while you're there!

[+terratin]

OMG, I just learned that the Monday after my weekend in Brazil is a public holiday and I indeed don't have any business appointments. Probably makes getting a hotel room a bit more difficult, but WOW! Now it's time to really start planning. I must say that staying in Capao is probably not such a bad idea. Gives me the opportunity to get a headstart of at least an hour when driving back to Sao Paulo.

 

Funkymunkeyzone, from which airport did you fly? The international one or the one closer to the Ape?

 

And does anyone happen to have a GPS track from Capao Bonito to the park entrance? I heard navigating there is a bit tricky (and maybe the ape cache as I'm not sure it's a good idea to walk through the jungle alone without any clear pointers. Note, I'd never ask for this for a cache closer to civilization or with proper mobile phone signal. but if something goes wrong I'll be along that route).

[RuideAlmeida]

And does anyone happen to have a GPS track from Capao Bonito to the park entrance?

 

Just follow all the "Em Busca do APE..." series.

This is the closest.

You can also search for Routes from other players.

This one is from Toninho

Edited April 19, 2017 by RuideAlmeida

[+terratin]

And does anyone happen to have a GPS track from Capao Bonito to the park entrance?

 

Just follow all the "Em Busca do APE..." series.

This is the closest.

You can also search for Routes from other players.

This one is from Toninho

 

Ah, yes that's the obvious route. For some reason, someone elsewhere mentioned that getting to the park entrance is very complex.

[RuideAlmeida]

... getting to the park entrance is very complex.

 

Not at all.

 

I have been there 3 times and on my second visit I used the Guapiara entrance because of the trails being too muddy... but it was OK.

 

It may be a little tricky to find the trail from the APE Cache. But you just need to start your walk in the back of Woodpecker Lodge (Viewpoint Trail) turning left when you reach the first deviation... a handheld GPS will be handy, of course.

[+Viajero Perdido]

I see the park trails are nicely mapped on OpenStreetMap, including a trail going right to the APE cache. Carry that in your phone or GPS unit, and it should be hard to go wrong.

[+terratin]

I see the park trails are nicely mapped on OpenStreetMap, including a trail going right to the APE cache. Carry that in your phone or GPS unit, and it should be hard to go wrong.

 

Ok, i need to download a map from this dutch website for my garmin, and hope the trails are on there. Otherwise I probably need to find a way to use offline OSM on my iphone somehow.

[+terratin]

... getting to the park entrance is very complex.

 

Not at all.

 

I have been there 3 times and on my second visit I used the Guapiara entrance because of the trails being too muddy... but it was OK.

 

It may be a little tricky to find the trail from the APE Cache. But you just need to start your walk in the back of Woodpecker Lodge (Viewpoint Trail) turning left when you reach the first deviation... a handheld GPS will be handy, of course.

 

Ok, just to be clear, the best suitable park entrance is where the big cluster of caches is, and the Wherigo Welcome to Intervales, right? So that's at least 10km offroading I guess, either from following the cache route or via Guapiara, following the smaller number of caches there? Based on the photos I find on cache pages the path coming from the north should be fine with a sedan. But the weather forecast also mentions a few rainy days in the coming 1.5 weeks. is it somehow possible to determine whether it's possible to take either road before driving on it for several kilometers? Or better take a taxi from Capao and hope the taxi driver knows what he's doing, and that I find a taxi back to Capao? What is your thought on that?

 

edit: the more I think about it, the more I'm getting convinced that a bus to Capao Bonito, and then a taxi to the park might be better. But that means I need to find a bus schedule somewhere and be sure the busses leave on time, and at a time that works well enough for my flights. Thoughts?

Edited April 20, 2017 by terratin

[RuideAlmeida]

Ok, just to be clear, the best suitable park entrance is where the big cluster of caches is, and the Wherigo Welcome to Intervales, right?

 

Correct!

 

Here you have options for buses from Barra Funda interface in São Paulo, to Capão Bonito... but it will cost you much more than a rent-a-car for a single day. And more than 8 hours of travel plus the transfers for the airport and from Capão to the park.

 

In the park it is not easy to use mobile phones, so you may need to ask in the reception or restaurant for a taxi.

 

Rent your car (better a 4WD than other), have enough change for the tolls and you will be fine. Along the dirt road from Ribeirão Grande to the park you will have signs, but remember to always turn right when in doubt. If you have any troubles inside the park, I am sure Júnior will gladly escort a gentle lady.

 

When I went there in 2015, it was raining since 10 days and the roads were very muddy and slippery. A week later a friend of mine went there too, and one track of the main entrance road collapsed by the rain, so he had to wait for the maintenance team. But it was around November.

Edited April 20, 2017 by RuideAlmeida

[+Viajero Perdido]

Ok, i need to download a map from this dutch website for my garmin, and hope the trails are on there.

The trails show up on the little map on the cache page (zoom in), meaning they've been in OSM for a year or more. So they'll almost certainly be on the map you download from the Dutch website.

 

Actually I checked; the trail going right to the cache was added to OSM about 3 years ago - by a cacher, most likely.

[+funkymunkyzone]

Hi Terratin

 

We flew into the international airport on the NE side of the city. We made a few wrong turns on the way through the city towards Capao Bonito, but as I said, it was a case of too many navigators in the car. We had zero issues on the way back in getting to the airport, even running horribly late for our flight out.

 

The road into the park was easy, no problems at all. I don't know generally what the rest of the world thinks about gravel roads. Coming from NZ where they are common out in the back blocks, I ended up surprised at how good the road into the park was. Our 2WD SUV rental car handled it just fine. The only complicated bit was getting through Ribeira Grande - just took a couple of turns that seemed to not be terribly well signposted, but a glance at the map (the downloaded OSM one) and we were fine. There's also a couple of caches in Ribeira Grande.

 

The track to the APE was also fairly easy to find and follow. There are a number of caches along the path, which follows a kind of hook shape, very approximately SE and then around to S. It's *not* the trail that goes to "Continuum". If you're at the start of that trail, you want to go up the hill to the South to find another trail that is *roughly* parallel - it branches off another trail that you'd take if you were heading for the "Mirante (viewpoint)" cache (it turns off to the left at a sharp right hand bend in that trail). It's a pretty gentle descent down the valley (an old logging trail?) past a number of caches.

 

I'd definitely suggest contacting Junior before you go to see if you can meet up with him at the park. When we went, we organised an event to meet him, and also went up to his house in the park and had coffee.

 

 

 

[RuideAlmeida]

You have a candidate already.

[+hzoi]

If I ever end up going for the Brazil A.P.E., I know I'll come back here for the tips. Very helpful.

[+terratin]

Great, hzoi My own ape trip is a bit uncertain now, but this is Brazil I guess...

[RuideAlmeida]

... but this is Brazil I guess...

 

Welcome!

Enjoy Copacabana in the meantime.

[+terratin]

... but this is Brazil I guess...

 

Welcome!

Enjoy Copacabana in the meantime.

 

Thanks a lot

So apparently there's a general strike today. Nobody told us in advance, and now all our business meetings are messed up. I could fly to Sao Paulo and take a hotel in Capao Bonito tomorrow but now prices have gone up quite substantially. I'm a bit in doubt, especially as there might be a chance to return to Brazil in October. Hmm... difficult decision. Weather near the Ape certainly seems to be better than here. But I've not done any sightseeing here either.