Toca da Raposa (The Fox Den) is a cultural and leisure center in Juquitiba, 36 miles from São Paulo. It's a popular destination for São Paulo school groups throughout the year, thanks to curriculum enrichment programs in environmental education and Brazilian folklore and also to the leisure activities, lodging and restaurants available at the center, which spreads over 30 square miles.
Another attraction is a conservation center that harbors native animal species rescued by the Brazilian Environmental Police from illegal traffic and animal abuse. Toca da Raposa is also available for corporate events.
To travelers, however, the main attraction at Toca da Raposa is the annual visit by about 50 members of the Kuikuro ethnic group from Xingu National Park, in Mato Grosso State.
The Kuikuro (pronounced koo-ee-KOO-ro) stay at Toca da Raposa during all of April and part of May – in 2009, their visit will go from March 28 through May 17. On weekends and holidays during that period, you can enjoy the Kuikuro culture at a replica of a Xingu village. Groups from schools and other organizations can schedule visits during weekdays also.
The Kuikuro cultural program at Toca da Raposa has taken plac every year since 1998. At the Toca da Raposa village, the Kuikuro introduce visitors to their culture through dance, body art, culinary arts, bow and arrow demonstrations, and the exhibit and sale of their art. It’s a great time to shop for authentic indigenous pieces, such as hammocks made of buriti fiber, benches, ceramics, toys and necklaces.
Some famous Xingu traditions the Kuikuro bring to Sao Paulo are the huka-huka, a form of wrestling, and the giant uruá flutes, played during ritual dances of great rhythm and beauty.
The Kuikuro visit to Toca da Raposa affords visitors one of the best opportunities to come into close contact with the indigenous peoples of Brazil. One of the weekends at Toca da Raposa coincides with the National Indian Festival in Bertioga, which happens once a year around Brazilian Indian Day – April 19. The prolonged Kuikuro stay at Toca da Raposa allows visitors to the São Paulo area the chance to enjoy two great Brazilian indigenous people events on two consecutive weekends.
The Kuikuro speak a variant of the Upper Xingu Carib (or Karib) language.
According to an essay about the Kuikuro by anthropologist Bruna Franchetto on the Indigenous People of Brazil – ISA website, Kuikuro is how non-Indians refer to current day Ipatse ótomo, Ahukugi ótomo or Lahatuá ótomo, meaning “the masters of Ipatse, of Ahukugi or of Lahatuá”, the names of the villages inhabited by the group in Xingu National Park.
Website: www.tocadaraposa.com.br
Address: Rodovia Régis Bittencourt Km 323
Juquitiba, SP
Phones: 11-4681-2854 / 11-3813-8773
e-mail:tocadaraposa@tocadaraposa.com.br
Park Hours: Daily 9:30a-4:30p
Kuikuro Presentations: Weekends and holidays, 2:30p
Adults and children over 5: R$27 (about $16)
Children under 5: R$20 (about) $12
Infants: free
Free parking
Credit cards not accepted.
The best way to get to Toca da Raposa is by car. Your hotel can help you contact a reliable taxi company - many taxi drivers in Brazil routinely set a price for day trips.
