Peruacu Caves National Park

The Peruacu River runs through a limestone massif near its confluence with the Sao Francisco, and over time it has cut a system of caves on a scale that is hard to convey - Janelao, the best known, has a collapsed roof that opens windows a hundred metres above the floor, with fig trees rooted on the ledges and light falling into the chamber. The caves hold heavy speleothems, and the shelters along the valley are painted with rock art of the Sao Francisco tradition in red and yellow, some of it several thousand years old, alongside archaeological layers documenting long occupation. The park was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2023 for both its landscape and its cultural record. Dry forest and caatinga cover the surface above.

What you actually see

• Janelao - a collapsed chamber with windows a hundred metres above the floor.
• Painted shelters - red and yellow rock art of the Sao Francisco tradition.
• Heavy speleothems - large formations through the connected cave system.
• World Heritage since 2023 - listed for landscape and cultural record together.

When to go

May to September, the dry season. Two days.

Honest expectations

Guides are compulsory and are arranged in Januaria or Itacarambi rather than at the gate. Internal tracks need 4x4 and the caves involve walking on uneven rock. Access closes when the river rises. There is little infrastructure in the park itself.

Nearby

Januaria is on the Sao Francisco; Montes Claros is the regional city to the south.