Factsheet 4×1: Serra da Canastra (MG)

Date: 28/04 to 30/4.

From: São Paulo (SP).

Destination: Vargem Bonita (MG), in the Serra da Canastra.

Distance: 638 km.

Filled Tire : Canyons of the Old Chico in Capitolio.

Flat Tire : Changeable weather with occasional rain and wind.

Travel Time: 13 hours in the first leg and 8 hours in our way back. With the stops to admire the landscape along the way, we took longer than we planned on the way to Vargem Bonita. However,, we only stopped once to eat something and got straight to the road on our way back, concluding the trip in less time.

Chosen Path: Longer way, but rewarding!! We left São Paulo through Fernao Dias (SP-381) – ótima pista por sinal – towards Pouso Alegre. When getting to Pouso Alegre, we took BR-459 (that goes to Poços de Caldas) for approximately 8 km and then took MG 179 towards Alfenas. In Alfenas, we`ve caught BR-491 towards Areado and then followed the direction to Alterosa through MG-184, passing by Alpinópolis, até chegar a Capitólio – this is region that we have passed through Furnas, with a beautiful view of the San Francisco River and its canyons ! From Capitólio, we went straight to the Serra da Canastra, more specifically to the city of Vargem Bonita , where was located the Crioula camping site, where we stayed. This route is longer, but pays less toll and the view is often more beautiful, since in many places is coasting Old Chico! The path back was basically the same.

Where we slept: Crioula Camping , very nice place! (for more information, click here). We spent two nights in Crioula Camping, location of the Third Meeting from Camping’s World. The infrastructure was very interesting, with restrooms, chuveiros com água quente, tomadas disponíveis na área de camping e bastante espaço para acampar. Because of the event, meals were being served in the camping site. The proximity of several activities in the region is a positive highlight.

The Trip: Landscapes that only Old Chico can offer . Our visits started on the middle of the track, when we stopped to enjoy the beautiful view of the Furnas hydroelectric plant. Right beside it, there were the dizzying canyons of Capitólio, where we did a little trail in the middle of the road to have a perfect view of the blue water, surrounded by rock formations. Landscape of those we only see in movies!

You can hire boat trips through the canyons, what we did not do as we were late to arrive at our final destination. Our days in the Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra were divided into two long rides: High and Low part of the Casca d'Anta waterfall, the largest one in San Francisco river. The tours, led by super competent guides from Canastra Adventure, involved more than 60 km of dirt road to reach the destination. Good to have a 4×4 available! From the High portion, we had a panoramic view of the Park, while in the Lower Part one can get close to the waterfall. On the way of the first ride, is said to be the source of the Sao Francisco River!

Who doesn`t like Minas Gerais Food? Our days at the camp site during the meeting included meals typically from the region: steak, tutu (beans-based food), fried manioc and so on. Not to mention the breakfast full of cheese bread and the famous Canastra cheese. Delicious! We couldn`t leave without buying the traditional milk-sweet to sweeten our life on our way back home. The stop on Capitol Hill gave us a lunch on the beautiful view of the canyons at a price most just (about. R$25 reais), considering the abundance and the landscape. Our restaurant was relatively simple, since the local tourist attraction causes though some more sophisticated restaurants in the region.

4×1 Learning. Despite the truly inspiring landscapes that we found along the journey, o ponto alto foi a troca de experiências dentro do camping. Aventureiros de primeira viagem, We have learned a lot in conversations with more experienced travellers!