the park was officially incorporated into a conserved area in 1991, with the later inclusion of various regions of significant environmental value like the morro das andorinhas and a part of the itaipú lagoon. in 1992, the area was declared a world biosphere reserve by the united nations organization for education, science, and culture.

the geography includes atlantic forest and the costeiros ecosystem. in addition to the marine portion and the mountain chain that gives the park its name, several other adjacent areas make up this protected region, including nucleu restinga, morro das andorinhas and dunas de itaipú, all located in itaipú, a district in the oceanic region of niterói.