Cunha, São Paulo

Cunha is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. The population is 21,459 (2020 est.) in an area of 1,407.25 km². The first inhabitants arrived at the beginning of the 18th century. The municipality was founded in 1785 and was elevated to a city in 1858. Since 1975, Cunha has become an important center of stoneware ceramics, with 5 Noborigama wood-fired kilns and 16 ceramics studios. The city is visited for ceramics, a pleasant climate, natural parks and gastronomy. In recent years, tourism to the region has grown, with visitors coming from around the region to enjoy the local state park (Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar), artisan shops such as Aracatu and Oficina da Lã, as well as festivals like the annual lamb festival (Festival do Cordeiro). On October 25, 2015, Cunha hosted the first edition of the Brazilian portion of the Tour de France cycling competition.

Cunha is located on the road connecting Presidente Dutra Highway and Paraty, which is a good place to stop over. Parts of this road were part of Estrada Real, which was used to carry gold and precious gems from Minas Gerais to Paraty port to be exported, which explains the city's historical importance.