The Casa de Pedra do Itapanhaú is an iconic building on the São Paulo coast that intrigues visitors with its isolation. Built in the early 1800s, the structure is nestled amid the dense vegetation of the Atlantic Forest, in a remote area of the municipality of Bertioga, 100 kilometers from the capital.
Today, to visit the site, you must hike a 4-kilometer trail that crosses the Itapanhaú River, the longest waterway on the São Paulo coast. Imagine how difficult it must have been to reach it in the 19th century!
From the English to the caiçaras: discover the history of the mysterious mansion
There are many mysteries surrounding the Stone House: who built it? Why was it built? How did anyone live there? After all , if today—with such conveniences as cars, motorboats, and cell phones—it’s already difficult to live in isolation in the middle of the forest, imagine what it was like over 200 years ago.
According to the local government, English workers built it in 1805 to store food. Later, it became the property of Light, the company that worked on installing the electrical grid along the São Paulo coast, and subsequently of Agropastoril and Mineração Pirambeiras Ltda.
During the previous administration, Seu Nelson and Dona Terezinha served as caretakers of the Stone House on the Itapanhaú River. Seu Nelson moved there as a baby with his parents, who worked at the Pirambeiras Farm, the land where the property is located. He continued to look after the mansion after starting a family and lived there for 46 years, without running water or electricity.
Find out how to visit the Stone House on the Itapanhaú River
With the creation of Serra do Mar State Park, the state government expropriated more than 8,000 hectares of the Pirambeiras Farm. As a result, Seu Nelson and his family received a new home from their former employers, and the Stone House on the Itapanhaú River became the responsibility of the state.
Currently, the building is located at the intersection of the Restinga de Bertioga (PERB) and Serra do Mar ( PESM) state parks. From PERB, you can access it via the Vale Verde Trail, which is 6 kilometers long and has a moderate difficulty level. Via PESM, the Cachoeira do Elefante Trail is 8 kilometers long and of medium difficulty. On both trails, the company of a guide is mandatory.
Before visiting the Stone House, we recommend watching this documentary by YouTuber Vitor Mayer, who interviewed experts and Seu Nelson himself to understand the history of this historic treasure on the São Paulo coast: