[3] The reserve has rugged terrain, located where the Serra do Mar meets the coastal plain, with elevations that range from sea level to over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).

[3] It was created to promote the caiçaras culture of the residents of the reserve, reconciling their life style with conservation of the environment.

[4] The Juatinga Ecological Reserve protects submontane and montane tropical rainforest, mangroves and restinga.

Some areas contain vegetation in different stages of succession, including agricultural fields, scrub and secondary growth.

[5] The primary rainforest at higher elevations protects threatened species such as the southern muriqui (Brachyteles arachnoides) and the jaguar (Panthera onca).