Monte Pascoal National Park

Monte Pascoal is a low forested hill of about five hundred and forty metres, and its significance is that it was the first land Cabral's fleet sighted on 22 April 1500 - the name is Easter Mount, for the season. The park around it protects Atlantic forest and restinga and is one of the eight reserves in the Discovery Coast World Heritage listing, which covers the last substantial remnants of a forest reduced to a small fraction of its original extent. The land is also Pataxo territory, and after decades of conflict over the 1961 park decree the area is now managed jointly, with Pataxo guides running the summit trail and villages at Barra Velha. From the top the view runs over forest to the coast the fleet approached from.

What you actually see

• The first land sighted in 1500 - the hill Cabral's fleet named for Easter.
• Atlantic forest remnant - one of eight reserves in the Discovery Coast listing.
• Pataxo territory - the community that co-manages the park and guides the trail.
• A summit view to the coast - forest running out to the sea below.

When to go

April to October, the drier months. A day.

Honest expectations

The summit trail needs a Pataxo guide and is steep and humid rather than long. Access roads are unpaved and difficult after rain. Facilities are minimal. Parts of the park are closed depending on community agreements.

Nearby

Caraiva is on the coast; Porto Seguro and the historic centre are north.