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 22,086 (2015 est.) in an area of 1,407.25 km². The first inhabitants arrived in the beginning of the 18th century. The municipality was founded in 1785, it 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 in all. 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 will
host the first edition]of the Brazilian portion of the Tour de France cycling competition.