Restinga de Jurubatiba

Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park, located in the north of Rio de Janeiro state between the municipalities of Macaé, Carapebus, and Quissamã, protects the most extensive and best-preserved restinga ecosystem in Brazil. Covering approximately 14,860 hectares, the park was established in 1998 and consists of a mosaic of coastal lagoons, sandy coastal vegetation (restinga), and transition zones between Atlantic Forest and coastal habitats. Restinga is a unique Brazilian coastal ecosystem developed on ancient marine sediments, characterized by specialized vegetation adapted to sandy, nutrient-poor, salt-spray-influenced soils. The park's 44 interconnected lagoons form one of the most important freshwater and brackish aquatic systems on Brazil's southeastern coast.