Serra do Cipo National Park

The Serra do Cipó National Park lies in the southern part of the Serra do Espinhaço in Minas Gerais, a range recognised by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve, and covers 31,639 hectares between about 700 and 1,700 metres. Its relief of ridges, canyons and valleys is clothed mostly in campo rupestre, the rocky grassland of the Espinhaço, with cerrado and gallery forest, and its sandstone and quartzite soils carry many endemic plants; the area has drawn botanists since the nineteenth century. The Cachoeira da Farofa and the Cânion das Bandeirinhas are among its main sights, and the park protects animals such as the maned wolf, ocelot, cougar and the Cipó canastero, a bird found almost nowhere else.

Background

Serra do Cipó National Park is a national park in Minas Gerais, in the Cerrado biome, covering 31,639 hectares. It was created by decree on 25 September 1984, changed by another on 30 September 1987, and is run by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, across the municipalities of Itabira, Itambé do Mato Dentro, Jaboticatubas, Nova União, Morro do Pilar and Santana do Riacho. Classed as an IUCN category II area, it aims to preserve ecosystems of great ecological value and scenic beauty while allowing research, environmental education, outdoor recreation and eco-tourism. Its protected species include the maned wolf, ocelot, cougar, white-necked hawk and the extremely local Cipó canastero, two lizards, Placosoma cipoense and Rhachisaurus brachylepis, a fish, Characidium lagosantense, and a butterfly, Nirodia belphegor.

Source: Wikipedia, "Serra do Cipó National Park"

What's there

• Campo rupestre flora - a rocky grassland with very high numbers of local endemics.
• Cachoeira da Farofa - one of the park's main waterfalls.
• The Cânion das Bandeirinhas - a canyon among the park's main sights.
• The Espinhaço range - the park lies in its southern part, a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

When to go

April to September. Two days.

Things to know

Trails, birdwatching and swimming at the waterfalls are the main things to do here.

Nearby

The park reaches into Itabira, Itambé do Mato Dentro, Jaboticatubas, Nova União, Morro do Pilar and Santana do Riacho.

Key facts