Train Ride Through Brazil’s Atlantic Forest: Curitiba to Morretes

The train ride from Curitiba to Morretes is often described as one of the most scenic journeys in Brazil through the Atlantic Forest and for a very good reason. The train feels like you are floating through the sky and the tour with knowledgeable guides (and unlimited beer) was an absolute highlight of our trip to southern Brazil.

(This experience was gifted, but all opinions are our own)

Overview of the Curitiba to Morretes Train Ride

Run by Serra Verde Express, the train journey takes around four hours, descending from Curitiba into the coastal lowlands or vice versa. 

Our tour took us from Curitiba in a mini van, to the town of Antonina. We then continued to various stops before arriving in the town of Morretes. From here we took the 4 hour train back to Curitiba. 

We took the Complete Sunset Package – Boutique which included:

• Van transfer
• Bilingual guide
• Tour of Antonina
• Banana Candy Factory
• History museum focused around a model of the area with changing timelines & guide
• Lunch
• Drop off in Morretes 
• Train ride back to Curitiba in a boutique cabin with snacks and unlimited drinks (inc beer)

What Makes This Train Ride Special

Undoubtedly the ride through the Atlantic Forest is the most special, however the whole day was wonderful. Our guide was so knowledgeable and funny. We learnt so much about the area and enjoyed every second. 

The train route passes through the preserved Atlantic Forest, crossing viaducts, tunnels, waterfalls and mist-covered mountains. It is scenery you simply can’t access by road.

Ticket Options

Tours leave Curitiba daily in high season and on a reduced timetable outside of this. To check the schedule, make sure to look at their website.

Train Ticket Only

The train ticket only option provides you with a ride on the train which lasts for 4 hours. You can either select the option to travel from Curitiba to Morretes at 8:30am or Morretes to Curitiba at 3pm.

The train ticket only option, does not include a return trip, lunch or any tour. This is a great option if you are travelling between Curitiba & Morretes.

The Tourist Class ticket provides the train journey (1 way), a snack kit, 1 soft drink and a guide in Portuguese.

The Boutique Class ticket provides the train journey (1 way), a snack service, unlimited drinks (water, juice, soda, tea & beer). It also provides a guide with a bilingual option available on request.

The Luxury Class ticket provides the train journey (1 way), a snack kit, welcome sparkling wine drink, 1 soft drink and a guide in Portuguese (bilingual option available).

The difference between the train carriages can be seen online. The tourist class has fairly simple chair seating. Boutique is more spacious with tables and comfortable single chairs & sofas. Luxury is the most beautiful of the train carriages with a very expensive feel. 

Complete Package

As well as the 4 hour train ride in your chosen carriage, the complete package also includes the return (or outbound) journey in a van with your guide, a tour of the villages of Antonina & Morretes, a visit to a museum showcasing the history of the area over the years and a filling local lunch.

You can either select the option to travel from Curitiba to Morretes at 8:30am or Morretes to Curitiba at 3pm which, if you’re lucky, is just in time for sunset!

The Tourist Class ticket provides the train journey (1 way), a snack kit, 1 soft drink and a guide in Portuguese.

The Boutique Class ticket provides the train journey (1 way), a snack service, unlimited drinks (water, juice, soda, tea & beer) and a guide in Portuguese with a bilingual option available on request.

The Luxury Class ticket provides the train journey (1 way), a snack kit, welcome sparkling wine drink, 1 soft drink and a guide in Portuguese (bilingual option available).

The difference between the train carriages can be seen online. The tourist class has fairly simple chair seating. Boutique is more spacious with tables and comfortable single chairs & sofas. Luxury is the most beautiful of the train carriages with a very expensive feel. 

What to Expect on Board

With each ticket you will have a tour guide on your carriage explaining the views and history as you go. With a boutique or luxury ticket you can request a bilingual guide in advance which is what we did.

On board you will have amazing views of the forest as well as large windows to see from. On the boutique carriage, we had lovely large windows, an open section in the middle to admire the view from, as well as a toilet & snacks/drink service. 

Best Time of Year to Go

We went in November and it was lovely weather in the morning, however in the afternoon by the time we were on the train back to Curitiba the weather took a bit of a turn and started to rain. The trip was still really beautiful and atmospheric but a lovely sunny day would have been preferable!

Because of this we would recommend going in the drier months (May – October). Morning departures (i.e. the train from Curitiba to Morretes at 8:30am) are best for visibility. 

However if you are there to enjoy the boutique/luxury option which includes unlimited beers on the train – the afternoon journey might be better.

Is the Train Ride Worth It?

Absolutely!!! We had such an amazing time. We learnt so much about the area, experienced some beautiful towns that we would never have visited had we not done the journey, and of course the train journey itself was magical. 

The Curitiba to Morretes train ride is an amazing opportunity to experience the Atlantic Forest in a slow, immersive way. We really think that if you want to do just one day trip from Curitiba, you should make it this one.

Keep reading for our full experience:

Our experience

As we mentioned before this was a gifted experience, however all views below are completely our own and true to our experiences on the day. This is all based on the Complete Boutique package which includes the train journey from Morretes to Curitiba at 3:30pm.

Arrival at the station

We arrived at the station at 8am. We went to the ticket office where we were provided with stickers to wear so our guide could recognise us. Our guide quickly found us and showed us to the mini van. Our guide spoke perfect English as well as Portuguese (as the rest of our group were from Brazil).

We spent around 15 minutes driving to the hotels of the other guests to pick them up before starting on our journey.

Van Ride

We drove about 30 minutes out of Curitiba where we made our first stop just before the PR-410 road started, at the Portal de Graciosa. Here we bought a quick coffee and we had some information from our guide before starting on the road.

The van ride along the PR-410 is beautiful, it winds through the Atlantic Forest and is also a very popular cycling route (which would also be amazing if you’re into that!). The drive down the winding road took about 1 hour until we got to the beautiful village of Antonina. 

Antonina

Antonina is a historical coastal town and one of the oldest towns in the area. It grew in the colonial period because of the gold mining in the area and later grew as a port town as it has one of the most internally reachable ports on the east coast of Brazil, and was one of the most efficient coastal access points for the area for its time. This meant that products didn’t need to be transported as far on land before they could reach the ships. 

As road travel & alternative ports grew, Antonina switched focus to smaller cargo shipments & farming, but more importantly tourism. 

Our guide explained everything so clearly and walked us around the area.

Banana Candy

After our short walk in a Antonina we continued our drive, slightly out of the town to a banana candy factory & shop ‘Bala de Banana’. Our guide explained the significance of the production in the area and that bananas are one of the few things well suited to growing in the Atlantic Forest lowlands. The small factory we went to had free samples to try all the flavours – our favourite was guava! We also could see the people working in the factory which was fascinating. 

Museum 

After leaving full of banana candies we visited the Hisgeopar Theme Park. When we saw this on the itinerary we were a bit confused but turns out it is a museum, although not a traditional museum. We were assigned an English speaking guide to take us into the building. After entering we were in awe in front of a huge animated model of the area which covered the different important economic cycles in the area’s development. The model showed people, buildings, railways, rivers and ecosystems in motion! 

The guided explanation was excellent starting from indigenous presence, colonial periods, economic cycles & railways. 

We really enjoyed this bit and we had no idea that a moving museum would provide such entertainment and interest!

The total visit wasn’t long – about 20 minutes. 

Lunch

After our visit to the museum we headed to lunch. This is where our guide left us, however he told us when we were ready, the vans outside would take us into Morretes – and reminded us to be at the train station at 2:30pm.

As expected the lunch was in a restaurant which obviously catered only to the train tour groups, so was set up ready and waiting with road tables and place settings. 

Normally I dont have too much hope for this style of organised lunch, however this was amazing. The food served is traditional barreado which is a slow cooked beef stew, associated with the towns of Antonina and Morretes. It is served with rice, cassava flour (finely ground) and of course banana! We also had sides of fried fish & salad. We left STUFFED!

Drinks are not included and are a little expensive compared to other places, but that’s to be expected. 

Morretes

We enjoyed some time outside of the restaurant before taking the van to Morrettes (perhaps a 5 min drive). 

The town of Morretes was lovely, with loads of shops, market stalls, cafes and restaurants you could walk around for some time just enjoying the sights. Unfortunately it did start to rain so we decided to head a little earlier than expected to the train station. We didn’t receive a tour of Morretes but we were told where to head and where the train station was.

We arrived at the train station at around 2pm and showed our tickets on the door. Inside the train station is some seating, but also some of the history about the train which was an interesting read. 

Train Journey

At around 2:45 the train pulled in. We then noticed staff standing around with laminated signs showing the numbers of the carriages. It wasn’t completely clear but as soon as we saw our guy walking away holding the sign in the air we realised we needed to follow him.

Our carriage was the boutique carriage – and lovely. Our assigned seats were 2 comfortable armchairs opposite each other with a table in the middle. The seats on the other side of the carriage were sofas and equally as comfortable. Once we had sat down, we saw our guide again and he was going to translate for us on the train journey. He first explained the safety precautions in Portuguese before English and then we were off. Basically the windows opened pretty far and there was an open area in the middle of the carriage to enjoy the view standing up. 

The information provided throughout the journey was really interesting and we had a map with all of the view points of note. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side and a lot of the time was a bit cloudy & drizzly, especially for the big bridges and views. But if anything the weather made it pretty atmospheric, and the unlimited beers we also had made it such a fun experience. 

We were also served a snack box (by this time we’d had a few beers and took no photos of the food) so we can’t fully remember, but it was definitely a filled croissant plus some smaller snacks haha!

There was a toilet onboard as well as free roaming of our carriage so we didn’t feel stuck in our seats or worried about toilet options.

Unfortunately there wasn’t much of a sunset due to the drizzle so we just sat back and enjoyed the rest of our journey.

We ended up tipping our guide because he was wonderful (Ruy if you are reading, thank you!).

Overall, despite the weather we had a great trip and would recommend it to anyone who is in Curitiba. Its a great way to spend a day outside of the city and see areas you wouldn’t normally visit!

Morretes vs Antonina – where to stay

Morretes

Why stay here:

• The famous Serra Verde Express train ends here
• Surrounded by the lush Atlantic rainforest and waterfalls
• Known for barreado restaurants and riverside dining
• It has a walkable historic town centre
• You have more accommodation, food & tour options than in Antonina

However, compared to Antonina it is more touristy (especially day-trippers) and the prices are a bit higher.

Here are some great options:

💰Pousada Casa Morretes – a more budget friendly option in the heart of Morretes with a pool and rooms with kitchenettes too!

💰💰Casas Di Monte Ecopousada – beautiful gardens, a pool, private balconies and great location just out of Morretes.  

💰Casa 1915 Pousada – right in the centre of town, with a pool & a delicious continental breakfast

💰💰Vila do Porto Pousada – although not in Morretes itself if you have a car this place is perfect. Just a few minutes drive in the next town of Porto de Cima with beautiful views and a pool!

Antonina 

Why stay here:

• It is a historic port town with colonial architecture
• You will have bay views, mangroves, and a coastal atmosphere
• There are fewer tourists here than Morretes
• Carnaval! The dates change each year (around Easter) but its meant to be an amazing local festival with street parties, samba & concerts

However, there are fewer accommodations and dining options here. The town is less tourist focused so you might struggle arranging tours. You also won’t be as close to waterfalls/hikes as in Morretes.

As mentioned above, Antonina has far fewer accommodation options:

💰Hotel Camboa Antonina – right in the middle of Antonina with only a short walk to restaurants. It also has a pool!

If these don’t take your fancy, why not check out the other options on booking.com

What Else Can I do in Curitiba?

Check out our other Curitiba articles which include the best things to do in Curitiba, where to see the famous capybara and the best way to navigate the hop-on hop-off tourism bus line!