Capitolio

The canyons at Capitolio are drowned valleys: the Furnas dam closed on the Rio Grande in 1963 and backed water up into gorges the river had already cut, so boats now run between walls twenty to eighty metres high with waterfalls dropping straight into the lake. Speedboats and lanchas do a circuit of a few hours from Escarpas do Lago, cutting engines in the narrowest arms where the walls close in. Outside the canyons the same area has waterfalls reached by land - Lagoa Azul, Cachoeira da Cascatinha, Filo - and viewpoints over the lake from Mirante dos Canyons. It has become one of the busiest domestic destinations in Minas, and the January 2022 rockfall that killed ten people on tour boats led to tightened rules on approaching the walls.

What you actually see

• Drowned canyons - gorges filled when the Furnas dam closed in 1963.
• Falls into the lake - water dropping off the rim straight into the reservoir.
• Boat circuits into narrow arms - engines cut where the walls close in.
• Mirante dos Canyons - the land viewpoint over the whole system.

When to go

April to October. Two days. Avoid Brazilian holiday weeks if you can.

Honest expectations

This is crowded and commercial in season, with boats queuing in the same arms. Safety rules restrict how close boats may approach the walls after the 2022 rockfall. Water levels drop in drought years and change the scale. Land waterfalls charge separately and add up.

Nearby

Sao Joao Batista do Gloria is across the lake; Sao Sebastiao do Paraiso is south.