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Estrada Real: Minas Gerais and its Hidden Treasure

Beauty and Adrenaline

Adventure tourism is another great way of exploring all that the Estrada Real has to offer. The most interesting stretch lies between Ouro Preto and Diamantina, in the Serra do Cipó National Park. This is where you'll fi nd the largest number of waterfalls
and rivers along the route. 18km from the village of Conceição do Mato Dentro you'll come across the Cachoeira do Tabuleiro waterfall, the third largest in the country, with a 273m drop. Another highlight is the walk up to the Bandeirinhas Canyon and the Cachoeira da Farofa, with seven different waterfalls. The towns of Conceição do Mato Dentro, with its simple guest houses, and Serra do Cipó itself, which has larger and best hotels, are the best places to start off if you
want to visit the park.

As well as hiking, you can also make the most of the trip by climbing, abseiling, rafting and exploring caves and caverns, activities all offered by local tour guides. More experienced adventurers can hire a car and plan their own trip, as the couple Antonio Carlos and Marcia Coelho did. "Our aim was to make the most of the trip practising adventurous sports like canoeing and mountain biking, whilst getting to know local towns, meeting people there
and fi nding out about their customs, cookery and folktales! It was an incredible experience", reveals Coelho. He and his wife visited 45 towns in sixteen days, driving an off-road vehicle from Diamantina to São João Del Rei.

Just Desserts

As well as the historic and adventurous aspects of the trip, another major attraction is the local cuisine. Few things are as rewarding after an arduous days’ walking as a warm pão de queijo and a steaming cup of coffee. The famous cheeses from the Serra region, which has its own festival in September, is another delicacy, just like the corn meal pasties in Sabará and bata
in Ouro Branco. The cuisine of Minas Gerais, which mixes culinary elements of Portuguese, African and Indigenous origin, reaches its apex in dishes such as Tutu à Mineira and Feijão Tropeiro.

Journeying along the Estrada Real is an opportunity to experience something of the diversity of Brasil, taking in cities that are offi cially recognised by UNESCO as Patrimony of Mankind and revelling in the delights of Rio de Janeiro. The trip is a complete package, mixing radical sports with natural beauty, culinary delights and sites of historical interest.