Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra

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with the Rio Aguari flowing through it, to the south the Serra do Cemitério, the Serra da Guarita and the Babilìnia plateau, which is bounded by the valley of the Rio Grande. Dams on the Rio Grande have formed the artificial lake of Peixoto, near the National Park, and the large lake of Furnas, farther away to the south-east.

Access

From Araxá take MG 428, which runs south-west to the boundary with São Paulo state, and from there continue on the Ritaina-São Roque de Minas-Piunhi road, which runs through the northern part of the park. Alternatively, take the road which runs east from Araxá to Campos Altos and, half way there, take a road running south to São João Batista, at the northern entrance to the park. There are three other entrances - on the west side Desemboque, on the east Vargem Bonita and São Roque de Minas. Coming from São Paulo, take the Anhanguera-Porto Ferreira road (SP 330), then from Porto Ferreira SP 350 to São Sebastião do Paraíso (MG) and finally MG 50 to Vargem Bonita; or alternatively BR 330 to Ribeirão Preto, then SP334 to Ritaina and finally Ritaina-São Roque de Minas-Piunhi.

River sources

The Rio Santo Antìnio, Rio Aguari and Rio São Francisco rise in the Serra da Canastra, within the National Park. The Velho Chico ("Old Fellow"), as the Rio São Francisco is familiarly known, has its source in the north-eastern part of the park, some 30km/20mi from São Roque de Minas. In the first 8km/5mi it goes over three considerable waterfalls, the third of which, the beautiful Casca d'Anta, has a drop of 200m/650ft. A popular tourist route is from the Vargem Bonita entrance past the Casca d'Anta, through the whole of the Serra da Canastra and over the Zagaia plateau.